For the first time in the Wisconsin football team’s history, the team will travel to College Park, Maryland, to take on the University of Maryland in the teams’ second-ever matchup.
The Badgers defeated the Terrapins 52-7 in the program’s first game against each other in Madison last season.
It’s been a turbulent season for Maryland. The program fired former head coach Randy Edsall five games into the season.
Regardless, UW head coach Paul Chryst said from his judgement of watching Maryland on film, he sees a team that wants to compete despite what has happened.
“At this point in the year, teams are who they are … You see guys that want to fight for their team,” Chryst said.
Defensive coordinator Dave Aranda said the defense has prepared extensively for the quarterback run and the option game, in addition to the rushing attack.
The Maryland offense, which scored its only points in the final minutes of last season’s game, is even more run-heavy this season.
“I think we have respect for their throw game, and what their quarterback can do, especially out of the pocket,” Aranda said.
During practice this week, the specials teams coverage units received special attention. Maryland possesses one of the most talented return men in the country, William Likely.
So far this season, Likely has returned two punts for touchdowns and taken one kickoff to the house. He averages a whopping 19.7 yards per return on punts.
“I think we’ve done well in some areas, but there’s specifics that we’ve got to get better at, and we need to address those and clean them up, because I think this is maybe to date the biggest challenge we have,” Chryst said.
For the Badgers, defensive tackle Arthur Goldberg will return after missing two games. He injured his left foot during the third quarter of the Purdue game and sat out at Illinois and against Rutgers.
This week, he said he was a full go during practice and expects to be 100 percent for the game.
Running backs coach John Settle said Tuesday he expects Dare Ogunbowale to remain the starting running back for the rest of the season, regardless of Corey Clement’s health.
Chryst said he expects Taiwan Deal to come play in home state on Saturday. Deal, a Bethesda, Maryland native, hasn’t played since suffering an ankle injury against Nebraska on Oct. 10.
When Deal returns, it will mark the first time the top three running backs have all played together since the season opener against Alabama on Sept. 5.
