A Badger’s thoughts
To get an insider’s perspective on the Badgers, The Utah Statesman talked to an expert on Wisconsin football. John Veldhuis is a beat writer for BadgerBlitz.com. He was nice enough to take the time and answer a few questions on Wisconsin football and we are appreciative to Veldhuis for his help and insight.
The Utah Statesman: What is the reaction in Madison to the upset loss last week at Oregon State?
John Veldhuis: To put it simply, it wasn’t good. The Badgers lost a very winnable road game to an opponent they shut out last year, and they put together one of their worst offensive performances in the last few seasons.
No doubt the Beavers are improved from last year, but the Badgers should have been able to put up more than a touchdown against Oregon State. The play calling was very questionable at times, and the game didn’t really assuage any fears about the Badgers after they narrowly beat FCS Northern Iowa at home.
Pretty much everyone knew that the trip out to Corvallis would be tricky, but I doubt anyone had the Badgers losing even after the defense gave up just 10 points.
US: How have players and fans responded to the firing of offensive line coach Mike Markuson?
JV: It’s hard to say how the players reacted since we haven’t had a chance to talk to them yet, but it seems like the fans are giving Bret Bielema a lot of credit for doing something to try and keep the ship from taking on any more water.
The offensive line played very poorly during their first two games, and there were rumors in the spring that the players weren’t gelling with Markuson’s style. But still, the move will still be looked at as a panic move by the Badgers, who don’t have much time to get their offensive woes fixed before the start of Big Ten play.
US: What are Badger fans expectations for this season?
JV: At the start of the season, people were expecting at least another Leaders Division title. But after the first two games, even that looks a little shaky.
There’s still a chance that they could head back to Indianapolis in December, but like I said before, they have a lot of problems to fix first. If they struggle to get the offense going for the third week in a row, that division title looks a lot tougher to achieve.
US: What or who is the strength of the Badger offense?
JV: Well, it used to be Montee Ball, but the struggles on the offensive line have really dampened his effectiveness. Ball has just 181 yards on the season after the Beavers held him to just 61 on Saturday. For whatever reason, Ball only got 15 carries against Oregon State, which is quite honestly about half of what he should have gotten if the line was playing up to their usual standard.
Quarterback Danny O’Brien was efficient in his first game, but really struggled on third down last week. It’s weird to say it, but this is a Wisconsin team that’s still searching for an identity offensively. They know what they want to do, but can the offensive line pave the way like they used to?
US: Same question for the defense?
JV: Saturday’s game had at least one positive: the defense played a much better game in week two. After giving up too many big plays against UNI, the Badgers played a pretty solid game and had just the one coverage lapse that resulted in a touchdown. They did everything they could do to keep the Badgers in it, and they played very well against the run for the second week in a row.
That rush defense is led by defensive tackles Beau Allen and Ethan Hemer, as well as linebackers Mike Taylor and Chris Borland. the pass defense is still suspect, though. The Badgers are fond of giving opposing receivers big cushions on man coverage, and it often leaves them vulnerable to the kind of quick passes that killed them against Oregon State.
US: What are Wisconsin fans saying about Utah State, if anything?
JV: I can’t really speak for fans of course, but I’ve been saying for a while that Utah State isn’t a pushover. You just have to look at their recent win against Utah and even some of their recent close calls against other BCS teams to see that.
I remember them taking Auburn down to the wire last year, and the Badgers would be making a mistake if they overlook the Aggies, especially after how the last two weeks have gone for them.
US: What’s your prediction for the final outcome against USU?
JV: After watching the last two weeks, it’s hard for me to make a pick with any degree of confidence. But the game is at home in Camp Randall, and if the Badgers are anything close to what we thought they could be at the start of the season, then they’ll be fired up to get back on track in a friendlier environment.
The problem is, we said the same thing after last week’s close win. For now, I’ll say the Badgers find some of their old footing and win 31-17. They’ll need the offensive line to play better under interim coach Bart Miller, but if the unit falls apart again we might be looking at a different story.
Thanks again to Veldhuis for his help. You can follow him on Twitter: @JohnVeldhuis