First, the lights went out. Now a visiting team is going to shoot off its musket. The way things are going for the Badgers, something crazy is on the horizon. Badger fans hope that it's not an upset. The Badgers (2-0 overall) take on visiting West Virginia Mountaineers (1-0 overall) at Camp Randall Stadium Saturday.
The Badgers hope to continue their winning ways against a team that has been terrible against ranked opponents for the last three years. The Mountaineers are 22-89 against ranked opponents and have not beaten a ranked team since they defeated Syracuse Nov. 7, 1998.
Their futility against ranked opponents is of no concern to the Badgers, however, because the team that will be taking the field looks different from teams of years past. Head Coach Rich Rodriguez has instituted a defense that the Badgers have yet to see in game action. The \3-3 Stack"" defense utilizes three down lineman, three linebackers and five defensive backs. Two of the defensive backs are pure cornerbacks, one is a true safety and the other two are linebacker/safety combinations.
""They put eight or nine guys in the box sometimes,"" senior left tackle Ben Johnson said. ""We're going to do our best running the ball. Hopefully we'll be able to do it, but if not, we will throw it over them.""
The two combo backs are the aspect of the defense that could cause the Badgers problems. They are constantly shifting their depth and positioning, which will put a lot of pressure on senior quarterback Brooks Bollinger and the coaching staff to make quick adjustments to a defense that is designed to cause confusion and mismatches.
""It's just one of those things, you've got to watch a little extra film on this week,"" Bollinger said. ""They probably didn't show a ton in their first game because they won pretty big. I'm sure they've got some more stuff to throw at us. We're just going to have to make adjustments and answer.""
Working for the Badgers is a passing game that showed some signs of life last week. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Jonathon Orr busted out last week, shattering the freshman single-game receiving record with seven catches for 150 yards and a touchdown. Yet his record-breaking performance has not altered his view of his role on the team.
""Every week I plan on getting better,"" Orr said. ""Breaking records, that's not a concern. Only making contributions to our team however I can.""
With Orr taking some of the heat off of Anthony Davis, Davis looks to continue his steady production with a strong game against a team that features a running back eerily similar to himself. Avon Cobourne, who is 5'9"", 190 pounds, is physically similar to Davis and also has the reputation for being a tough, balanced runner. Cobourne leads the wide open West Virginia attack.
Cobourne, who is not a household name in college football, has quietly amassed stats that rival most in football. The senior tailback has rushed for 3,561 yards, leaving himself just 526 yards short of the school record held by Amos Zereoue, currently of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He has had success on the road against highly ranked teams in the past, rushing for 132 yards against Miami and 128 yards against Maryland last year.
Coach Alvarez has high praise for the senior back.
""He's an excellent back. He can make you miss. He's got speed enough to outrun you. He's a homerun hitter,"" he said.
If the Badgers can slow down Cobourne and quickly adjust to the new look defense of West Virginia, the odds are in their favor that the Mountaineers' losing streak to ranked teams should continue for at least another week.
