Wisconsin football is back in the swing of things for game week. After a 28-14 win over Western Michigan last Friday night, the Badgers will now face the South Dakota Coyotes, one of the top teams in the FCS last season. It was an up-and-down game against Western Michigan, with Wisconsin trailing 14-13 in the fourth quarter. There’s no doubt the Badgers need to play better this week. The Coyotes are coming off a 45-3 win over Division 2 Northern State. Game time is 2:30 p.m. on FS1. Here’s an early look at South Dakota.
Wisconsin football team likely to feature running back duo
South Dakota ran the ball just 13 times in its first game of the season. Instead, they used the running game and ran for more than seven yards per carry. Charles Pierre Jr. ran for 136 yards on 13 carries and scored two touchdowns. Travis Theis added 86 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.
I’d have to think South Dakota had seen film of Wisconsin’s defense against Western Michigan. The fact is, any team can run against that Badgers defense. They struggled at times against Broncos quarterback Jalen Buckley. I wouldn’t be surprised if South Dakota went to a run defense early.
Potentially Dangerous Special Teams Unit
The Coyotes added a kick return touchdown and a kick return touchdown in their win over Northern State. Yes, it was a Division II program, but special teams can change any game in the blink of an eye.
Wisconsin’s special teams team recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter but allowed Western Michigan to bogus a field goal to take the lead. The Badgers were caught sleeping on what appeared to be a clear bogus. If South Dakota is to pull off a surprise Saturday, it will likely try to get away with a bogus as well.
Potential anxiety warning
It was clear: The Wisconsin football team did not play as it should have on Friday night. It’s challenging to judge an opponent when they’re playing a team from the second division, but we know enough about the Badgers that they need to be ready to play on Saturday and get the job done.
Phil Longo needs to call plays better. There’s no reason to play as conservatively as he did against Western Michigan. I can imagine the Coyotes playing a similar defense to Western Michigan. The Badgers were clearly not willing to fight downfield. They might go downfield early, but I think the Coyotes are going to come in believing they can win this game. This is a wake-up call for Wisconsin football.
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