It will be another tough task for Wisconsin football this week. After losing to Alabama two weeks ago, the Badgers now travel to #13 USC on the road. They will also be without quarterback Tyler Van Dyke for the rest of the year after he tore his ACL against Alabama. That’s something sophomore Brayden Lock will be repeating the rest of the way. Here’s what Wisconsin football needs to do if it wants to pull off a substantial upset on the road on Saturday.
Brayden Locke needs to show control over the offense
The talk in spring and fall camps is Brayden Locke, his composure and how well he runs the Wisconsin football offense. I see it. After three starts and four starts last year, Locke is handling the ball pretty well.
Here’s what worries me. Locke has trouble throwing the ball out of his hand. We’ve seen the ball bounce off the line of scrimmage too many times. I also think the decision-making process is there, but it’s a second too delayed. That can lead to accuracy issues, which has also been an issue for Lock so far.
Saturday I want to see Phil Longo do it as simply as three steps and the ball is out of play. It doesn’t matter if it’s a four-yard pass. Just something that makes him feel comfortable. It took Locke too long to get into the rhythm of the Alabama game. That has to change this week.
Wisconsin football needs to win this game on the ground
Locke can’t throw the ball 40 times this week and expect Wisconsin football to win. That’s not going to happen. Overall, I like the composition of the Wisconsin football team. There’s a mix of veterans and adolescent players with a ton of potential.
Chez Mellusi and Tawee Walker will have to play like seniors and take over the offense. If they can find some gaps and score some points, I think the passing game will slowly open up. Locke will also have to make some throws early on, because I’m sure USC will be attacking and blitzing often and quickly.
The first run is probably what the offense will be all about for the rest of the season, or at least for now. This could be the game where we see the ancient Wisconsin football come back.
Wisconsin football defenders need to bounce back
It was a destitute performance for the Wisconsin defense against Alabama, especially the corners. They were burned by multiple home runs from Jalen Milroe. That’s not all that surprising, since they haven’t been tested much in the first two games of the season. It’s difficult for Alabama to be the first test. This is a veteran group that will have to play better on Saturday.
Trojans quarterback Miller Moss, while having lower passing stats than I thought he would, can throw the ball and will likely take some risks. Getting this group to trade the ball early would be huge in building momentum. He will be sold out Saturday, but I expect a good showing from Badger fans as well.
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