Wisconsin’s offense is ripe to get shut down to a dead stop, but the defense will save the day.
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Graduate of Knox College and University of Kansas.
“It’s heavy”, Badgers safety Michael Caputo said. I think C.J. could do that, and do it even better.
Wisconsin begins conference play against Iowa, defending the Heartland Trophy. “Fans are going to be hostile and if you don’t have fun in that environment as a competitor, I don’t think you’re ready to go”. It was a crucial victory for Wisconsin, as defeating Iowa (and Minnesota one week later) secured them a spot in the Big Ten Championship. Now Wisconsin will start the league slate at home against an Iowa club that they have beat the last two seasons in Iowa City. More importantly, teams are vying for a head start in the Big Ten West race. The running game got off to a sluggish start, at least by Wisconsin standards, before erupting for 326 yards on the ground last week against Hawaii.
Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst reacts to a call during the second… “It’s a sign of success….”
I think this game will be similar to the Pitt game and Iowa will have to pass the ball a lot. Wisconsin averages 188.3 yards on the ground – good for only a tie for 55th in the nation, but Iowa has faced an FCS team followed by the No. 110th (Iowa State), 73rd (Pittsburgh) and 88th (North Texas) rushing attacks. In fact, Ferentz said Alvarez was the first person he met when he interviewed at Iowa for a position on Fry’s staff. Check out the Iowa vs. Wisconsin game preview and prediction.
“It’s not exactly alike”, Ferentz said. “We’re probably not going to be a big-play offense”.
The results on the field reflect just how close the programs are.
The Badgers lead the all-time series 44-42-2, including a 26-18-1 mark in Madison. If Beathard is as productive as he’s been all season, the Hawkeyes will have a chance to pull the upset.
Still, the game’s outcome figures to be decided where it usually is: at the line of scrimmage. While RB’s Taiwan Deal and Dare Ogunbowale are still solid, they are not lighting the world on fire like Melvin Gordon, Montee Ball, etc. of the past have for the Badgers.
That one-two punch helped take the sting out of the loss of No. 1 tailback Corey Clement, who will miss four to six weeks with a sports hernia that required surgery. Two of those games came against Miami of Ohio and Troy.
Voltz said the game against Hawaii was like “the cherry on top” of their improvement in the running game thus far and actually sees this as the best time to play a physical Iowa team.
Chryst, a former Badgers player and offensive coordinator, has a great appreciation for the history of the rivalry. Beathard cut his hair and donated it to the Wigs for Kids Foundation, a non-profit organization relying exclusively on donations to make custom hair replacement systems for sick children.
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Will Wisconsin earn their fourth win of the year or does Iowa prove to be a stumbling block? “Growing up and going to private school, I was forced to cut my hair, so it never got that long”.
