August 31, 2000
Here are the game grades:
QB: B
Bollinger was very poised in the pocket despite at times ridiculous pressure. His stats were unimpressive due to the continued need to throw the ball away, but when guys were open and he had time, he was right on target. Despite the pressure, he also did not come close to turning the ball over.
RB: B-
Bennett ran hard and got what he could, though he didn't show a lot of elusiveness or ability to cut back and turn a pedestrian play into a big gainer. He did show demonstrate some good hard nosed interior running and did not shy from contact.
The blitz pickup from the RB position was pretty mediocre overall, with continued miscommunication with the line as to assignments.
Faulkner was unimpressive.
WR:C-
They caught the ball for the most part (Evans had one marginal drop) though they also were the victim to a point of the poor pass blocking. Still, they often had some trouble in creating space in the seams, especially once Bollinger was flushed from the pocket. They often broke off routes and had a hard time reacting to the improvisation which isn't surprising given the inexeperience of the players forced into action without Chambers and Davis.
TE: D
One early catch and a ton of missed blocks. Generally speaking, they were most effective just pushing the oncoming rushers wide and letting Bollinger step up. Most of the problems seemed to origninate with confusion regarding assignments.
OL: D-
Wow, what a mess. WMU wisely sent the house around the corners. The biggest problem I had was not in the physical execution, which wasn't great but also wasn't as bad as one would think, it was in the complete disarray in figuring out who was going to pick up who. There were a couple plays in which Jakubowski or Lamont blocked NOBODY while 2 guys tore around them on either side. The interior guys didn't seem to be averse to blowing a few assignments either, though in fairness most of the pressure came from the corner.
In terms of run blocking, the problems were similiar in that they just couldn't get everyone blocked. They did get better momentum in the 4th quarter, yet for the most part the OL was contained.
DL: A-
No rushing game to speak of, and continued pressure on the QB. They were downgraded slightly because they had a hard time wrapping up at times and often allowed Welsh to slither out of pressure.
Favret and Bryant were outstanding. Kolodziej picked his spots, but seemed to play pretty consistently.
LB: B
I also find Badger linebackers hard to grade because we always seem to get the same type of results (which is a credit to the coaches). They generally are right where they need to be and are very physical. They don't make a ton of huge plays, but are just simply always "there".
Knight had a few troubles in coverage, though I wouldn't expect that to continue.
DB: B
Considering the loss of Fletcher and the debut of Boese/Hughes at safety, it was a solid game. Tucker was shaky early and never did really come close to making a play on the ball, but his raw coverage skills were much improved from last year.
Doering was solid in run support. What else is new?
Hughes was very active. He didn't always make the play but he showed potential as a playmaker. He also seemed to play with a lot more confidence.
Special Teams: B
Hunt made perhaps the play of the game with his return for a TD (excellent blocking BTW).
Stemke's average wasn't great, but two of his punts were pooches due to field position. When required to kick deep, he didn't get tremendous length, but his hang time was good.
Pisetsky missed a 50 yarder by more than he should, but made a short one. His kickoffs were much more consistent.
Coverage was excellent and helped in field position.
Here are how Badgermaniac's Keys to the Game fared:
1.) Offensive execution
Obviously, the suspensions compounded the entire issue of execution. With both starting WR out as well as Johnson, WMU blitzed heavily off the edge, conceding the pass in at attempt to get at Bollinger, which they did quite effectively. Wisconsin has always been a lunchpail team that has relied on a few playmakers to offset what other national powers might perceive as a little less top end talent. With Dayne gone, Bennett somewhat neutralized, and Davis and Chambers out, those playmakers just weren't there other than Bollinger, and Brooks spent his day running for his life. This is a puzzle that the staff is going to need to find a solution for, as things currently stand to get worse before they get better as a pretty good team comes to Camp Randall next week. From a pure execution standpoint, blitz pickup was weak.
2.) Offensive playmakers
As alluded to above, very little was shown in the ability to make plays.
3.) Defensive assignments
On the other side of the ball, players like Devery Hughes, BJ Tucker, and Jeff Mack did a solid job of maintaining their assignments. The Badgers didn't do much in terms of blitz packages, instead relying predominantly on their base package to beat the Broncos up front, something they did rather well.
4.) Pass rush
Overall, it was pretty good. Favret in particular was a menace all night (as I expected/hoped)..
5.) Injuries
Well, they weren't injuries, but the suspensions serve the same function, to rob the team of many of their elite level players. Next week could be tough.
Here are Badgermaniac's Keys to the Game for tomorrow's game against the Western Michigan Broncos:
1.) Offensive execution
With new tackles, Chambers out, and without that guy who ran the ball all the time last year, the offense should have a different dynamic. The continue emergence of Bollinger and the differing skills of Michael Bennett will force the offense to react differently in similiar situations. Throw in the fact that it is the first game of the year, and crisp execution will be a significant goal.
2.) Offensive playmakers
In a similiar vein, losing Chambers and Dayne takes away two of the playmakers on offense. I have little doubt that the offense is going to be able to move the ball against the Broncos, but as the Cinci game showed last year, there is a big difference between moving the ball and putting points on the board. Nick Davis, Brooks Bollinger, Lee Evans, and Michael Bennett will need to develop that big play ability that will be crucial as the year progresses.
3.) Defensive assignments
Anytime a team is facing an opponent with a wide variety of formations and alignments, getting all defensive players in the right position is a must. Last year against Cincinnati, the Bearcats caused some problems for Wisconsin by spreading the field. Look for Western Michigan to do some of the same. BJ Tucker, Nick Greisen, Jeff Mack, Bryson Thompson, and Joey Boese, all new to the regular rotation at their current positions must play assignment secure football.
4.) Pass rush
One thing that was inconsistent about the Badger defense last season was the pass rush. While it was better than the sack numbers show, the reality is that they didn't get to the QB as much as I would like. In particular, I will be watching John Favret to see if a healthy Favret gets more heat on the QB.
5.) Injuries
While the Badgers have good overall depth at many positions, there are still a few key players that they simply must keep healthy. While the game itself shouldn't be in doubt, getting out of Dodge so to speak while still intact going into the game with Oregon is very important.
The Howell computer formular pegs the Badgers as a 22 point favorite (which is a much more workable number than the Vegas line of 32.5) and gives then an 82% chance of winning. Projected final score is 36 to 14.
I see the Badger offense coming out a bit sluggish as they struggle to find a new rhythm. But, with the Badger defense stiffling the Broncos, they won't be put in a hole. The offense however will pick up in the second quarter as the Badger front starts to put a pounding on the Bronco front 7, opening up some creases for the Badger tailbacks. Michael Bennett will break a long one to open the floodgates. Halftime score will be 21-7 or so, before the Badgers pull away and salt the game late in the 3rd. Final score 38-14 (yikes, right where the computer puts it).
I pulled these quotes off of a Western Michigan site. They certainly are giving the Badgers their props.
Mario Evans, linebacker: "They have the experience of being a dominate team four of the last five years. When it comes to crunch time, they know how to step up."
"I feel we can do damage as long as we do our thing, if we play together as a team. It's not going to come down to the crowd or the ranking, the bottom line is you have to beat the man in front of you, every play counts."
Jermaine Lewis, safety (and former UW-Oshkosh player): "I'm going to be real motivated because it's close to home and they recruited me. They suit up just like we do."
Jeff Hinson, offensive guard: "We're going out to prove ourselves. Playing the schools that we have the last few years has helped our confidence. We're going to see if we can open some holes. They (Wisconsin) have the most complete defensive line I have ever seen, they do it all."
Steve Neal, split end: "Their defensive line is one of the best in the nation, we need to have enough time to get the ball off. How we respond to their pressure is going to say a lot about us."
"I have a lot of respect for their defensive backs (Jamar Fletcher and Mike Echols), they have the speed to run with anybody."