Wisconsin Badgers Head Coach Gary Andersen ended one of his post-game statements with “7-2 baby,” and deservedly so.
Andersen and Wisconsin jubilantly knocked off BYU 27-17 in front of a packed house at Camp Randall to improve to 7-2 on the season.
The Badgers put together a balanced performance which should have voters turning their heads and moving the Badgers up the BCS Standings.
What It Means: Wisconsin came in to the game #24 in the BCS standings, an entire 10 spots away from being considered for an at-large bid in a BCS-bowl game. A sound win against a hot 6-2 BYU team who had won five straight should move them up a bit. Detractors only reason for ranking the Badgers so low is because they play in a conference with a bad reputation (Big Ten) and they lost their only two games against good competition (Arizona State and Ohio State). But the truth is that the Badgers have one of the top offenses as well as defenses in the country and should bring a lot more respect.
Player of the Game: RB James White (194 total yards and three total touchdowns)
White showed why he’s one of the most complete backs to ever put on the Badgers uniform. He was the best running back on the field as he ran for 147 yards and two touchdowns on a team-high 23 carries. However, his biggest contribution was in the pass game where he caught a career-high six catches. He was also exceptional in pass coverage as he picked up a key block to allow quarterback Joel Stave covert on a critical third down play.
Highlight of the Game: In the first quarter, converted safety (played QB/WR) Tanner McEvoy came up with his first career interception. The overthrow by Taysom Hill occurred due to who else than linebacker Chris Borland. Borland’s pressure was only a piece of his monster day with 13 tackles, two sacks and two-and-a-half tackles for loss.
Stat of the Game (15-0): The Badgers record when White eclipses 100 yards rushing. It was White’s sixth game this season where he has run for over 100 yards.
What’s Next: The Badgers will continue their quest in the BCS standings with a home-tilt against the Indiana Hoosiers. The 4-5 Hoosiers must have nightmares about Madison with their most recent losses coming by the scores of 59-7 (2011) and 83-20 (2010). While the Hoosiers have bolstered their offense (1oth ranked nationally), the defense (115th ranked) remains a significant work in progress.
What did you think of the Badgers win against BYU? Let me know by commenting below.
Nick Grays is a senior writer at the Sports Bank where he covers the Wisconsin Badgers and Green Bay Packers. He also enjoys sharing Fantasy Advice and pretends to be a Golf expert from time-to-time. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here or visit his blog Nick Knows Best. If social media is not your thing, shoot him an email at grays@uwalumni.com.
Images obtained from deseretnews.com.