As the Wisconsin football team (2-0 overall) prepares for its first road game of the 2005 campaign against the North Carolina Tar Heels (0-1), one gets the sense that this is still a team unsure of its identity and what it might accomplish this season.
Offensively, optimists would point to both the Badger's 60.5 points per game-tops in the country among teams that have played two games-as well as the No. 4 rushing attack in the country as proof that the Badger offense will propel the team above the rather dire preseason expectations.
\When you score that many times ... It's hard to do that against your scout team in practice, let alone in a game,"" head coach Barry Alvarez said of his team's 65-0 blowout over Temple. ""To execute that well, I was very pleased. We really did a lot of good things.""
Pessimists, on the other hand, would note that anyone could roll up those numbers against Bowling Green and Temple, the eighth- and second-worst defenses in the country, respectively, among teams that have played twice.
""We know the defenses we've played are not the caliber of the ones we're going to play,"" Alvarez said.
Senior wide receiver/kick returner Brandon Williams, who piled up 184 total yards and a touchdown Saturday, also acknowledges the Badgers will be hard-pressed to sustain their early successes over the course of the entire season.
""I'm not na??ve, just sitting here thinking we'll run for 300, 400 yards rushing against every opponent and we're going to put up 60 points,"" Williams said. ""But, 'if the shoe fits, wear it.' Let's keep on doing it, keep shooting for that, let's do it until somebody stops us.""
""At the end of the day we want [to have] one more point than the other team does,"" added junior quarterback John Stocco, who completed an efficient 20 of 29 passes through two games. ""I don't know how many points we're going to put up every game, but I do know our competition is going to get a lot better.""
Defensively, meanwhile, optimists can take comfort in the defense's significant improvement against Temple from its porous performance in the season-opening 56-42 win over Bowling Green. The Badgers gave up just 45 total yards to the Owls, including -11 on the ground, after being shredded for more than 500 yards in week one.
""I do feel better about them today than I did a week ago today. They were where they needed to be,"" Alvarez said Monday. ""They made some mistakes ... We did some things that we shouldn't have done and took some wrong angles on the ball that, against a real good team you could get burned on, but yet not near as many mistakes as we made the previous week.""
""It was a game we needed, especially after getting kicked in the face by Bowling Green pretty well,"" said junior safety Joe Stellmacher, who has moved into the starting strong safety position. ""We got some confidence back in some guys who were a little down.""
Pessimists, on the other hand, would say a horrible performance against a great offense and a great performance against a poor offense does not tell anyone much about what kind of defensive unit the Badgers will consistently field this season.
""I think our defense is in between those two games,"" offered Williams, ""and this game this week will really show where they're at.""
""North Carolina is a much better football team ... this will be our sternest test,"" Alvarez said. ""No one can be complacent; no one can be satisfied. We have to continue to improve.""
