By Jake McCormick
Breathe a little easier, Badger fans. We won our NCAA-leading 12th straight season opener. We may have found a quarterback that can actually throw, a slew of underrated receivers with almost every skill set covered, and a defense that has already matched half of last year’s total for sacks and tackles for loss. A 28-20 victory over Northern Illinois isn’t exactly the same as beating Ohio State, but a lot of preseason questions were answered throughout the game. Here are just a few:
How will Scott Tolzien do in his debut?
“Who the hell is Scott Tolzien?” Well apparently he’s accurate, puts a little muscle behind his passes, and is confident enough to hit his receivers in stride for an 80-yard touchdown on the first offensive play of 2009. Tolzien’s teammates said he was in emotional purgatory with his nerves, and his 15-20, 257 yards and 1 TD were the end result. For a Badger quarterback, those are good numbers, and with the receivers he has he shouldn’t have any problems finding a good target to throw to on any down. Now we have to wait and see if he can limit his mistakes and throw up similar stats against a much better Fresno State team that is returning nine defensive starters from 2008.
How will Zack Brown and John Clay be utilized?
They received almost an identical number of carries, with Brown getting 15 and Clay grabbing the rock 14 times. They are definitely a good compliment to each other, with Brown flashing a bit more speed and Clay trying to bulldoze defenders. However, neither player stood out against a less than stellar defense, but some of that can be attributed to the lack of a full strength offensive line. I don’t put much weight into Clay’s touchdowns either, because they came in stereotypical Badger fashion: a long drive complete with a few good passing plays, then the running game takes over inside the 10 yard line. The running game’s success will come with time, but one of these players needs to stand out as a frontline starter if Wisconsin is going to notch any quality wins in the Big Ten Conference.
Will anyone step up as a defensive playmaker other than the obvious seniors?
Yes, and I would like to introduce Badger Nation to sophomore defensive end JJ Watt and freshman linebacker Mike Taylor. Both players lit a match under the defense by putting pressure on the Northern Illinois quarterback and coming up with some big stops behind the line of scrimmage. Wisconsin was so abysmal at making tackles for loss last year that I swear Bielema had them playing that kid game where the backfield is lava and if you go past the line of scrimmage you “die.” These two didn’t get that memo, and along with seniors Jaevery McFadden, O’Brien Schofield, and Chris Maragos, the defense gained some confidence in its abilities to stop teams late in the fourth quarter and create impact plays.
Can the defense perform at a high level until the clock reads triple zeros?
This is a question going into the Fresno State game as well, because Wisconsin held a 28-6 lead going into the fourth quarter and allowed NIU to reduce the deficit to eight before Maragos batted down a fourth down pass to solidify the win for Wisconsin. After the game, almost all the Badger defensive starters said they came into the huddle on that series, looked at each other, and just knew they would make the stop. That’s the kind of confidence that was lacking last year, and should be something to build off of heading into a game where their opponent returns eight offensive starters.
Questions for Wisconsin vs. Fresno State:
How long will Bielema try the Curt Phillips Experience?
In 2000, Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez decided to substitute a redshirt freshman at quarterback against Ohio State trailing by 20, reasoning that he had been getting his feet wet for a few weeks and the team really had nothing to lose by doing so. The end result was a 42-20 Badger win, and the rest is history. The quarterback’s name was Brooks Bollinger. I’m not saying Phillips will make that dramatic of a debut, but it will be interesting to see how beneficial this “platoon” will be to his development and if Tolzien gets hurt or starts playing like Allan Evridge.
How will the offense perform under Tolzien against a much faster and more experienced defense?
Fresno State’s defense is quick and aggressive, which should allow Tolzien to get some good downfield looks from his receivers. Fresno State is a good team and will give the Badger playmakers their best test before Big Ten season rolls around.
With an offensive line that averages 6’6” 324 lbs going against a defensive line that averages 6’3” 265 lbs, can Wisconsin finally ride the Boring Ball wagon to victory on the backs of Brown and/or Clay?
If I’m sleeping through the game and they’re winning, you’ll know right away why.
Can the special teams rebound, especially Lou Groza finalist Philip Welch?
An NIU-recovered onside kick led to a Huskie score. Two Philip Welch field goals missed their mark, granted one was from beyond 50 yards. The return game didn’t show any flashes of Nick Davis, Jim Leonhard, or Brandon Williams. Special teams are often overlooked, but the Badgers need to improve this aspect the most if they want to win tight games. Welch should return to 2008 form quickly, but the return game needs to do some work of its own.
Fresno State is a good team and shouldn’t be taken lightly. The key to the game may not even be within the 60-minute time frame; a recent report said as many as 25 Badger players may have swine flu symptoms. The program has been hush about it, but Bielema didn’t let his players talk to the media yesterday after practice. Time will tell what is really going to happen, but if that many players are kept out (and possibly more), the implications nationally are a lot bigger than just one Wisconsin game.