Football
Fresh off a dominating shutout against Tennessee Tech, the Wisconsin football team (2-0) will head to Tempe, Arizona to face the Arizona State Sun Devils Saturday.
Head coach Gary Andersen previewed the matchup, noting the Sun Devils’ unorthodox spread offense.
“It’s not just the triple option attack with a very athletic quarterback. It’s not so much just the throw back, the four wide throw and the zone read scheme. It’s a combination of all.”
Moving onto the defense, Andersen gave credit to the front seven, mentioning their emotional play. Andersen also noted their potential to be great players at the professional level.
ASU senior defensive tackle Will Sutton was specified as a significant threat due to his natural use of his hands and ability to be “sudden.”
“We’re playing a really good Arizona State football team, and we believe we have a chance to beat a good football team,” Andersen said. “The adversity that comes our way ... will be a nonfactor if we win or lose the game. We’ll be prepared.”
Looking back at the Tennessee Tech game, Andersen praised sophomore quarterback Joel Stave as a passer, particularly in the two-minute drill to finish out the first half.
“I just felt like he was cool, he was poised, he was into the moment, he was getting rid of the ball on time, which was impressive to see.”
Freshman running back Corey Clement’s playing time and his impact on recruiting was also noted.
“The number of quality backs that we used, we use that in recruiting, absolutely. We use that at a lot of positions.”
Andersen later mentioned sophomore fullback Derek Watt was probable for the game after missing Tennessee Tech with a hamstring injury and that the kicking game is still a competition between junior Kyle French and sophomore Jack Russell.
Despite the new level of difficulty of their opponent, Andersen made it clear the Badgers would not be blindsided.
“They’ve spent enough time watching Arizona State, and trust me, they understand the level of competition is stepping up. I think they’ve waited for this moment. They’re excited about the moment.”
Volleyball
The volleyball team (6-0) started their season undefeated, most recently scoring an impressive 3-0 win over Louisville Saturday. The Badgers will host Kansas Friday, along with Milwaukee and Bowling Green Saturday at the UW Field House.
Head coach Kelly Sheffield expressed excitement for his team’s surprising start, particularly for last Saturday’s win over Louisville.
“We didn’t let our foot off the gas, and we kept going and kept going. Those were things that we talked about, that toughness. Are you able to come back from 0?2? Are you able, when you jump onto somebody, to keep the pressure on? I thought it was a really good weekend for us.”
Expanding on the importance of mental toughness, Sheffield said “We’ve been so beaten up, so many players that have been out, is that sometimes that forces you to maybe be tougher. It certainly has in our case. We’ve talked about, since the first day we got here, is that great teams are teams that embrace adversity, and they don’t run from it. I think our players are believing more and more every time that we go out and we take the court, that we can be a really good team this year,” Sheffield said.
“I think half the battle in athletics is trying to get your team to believe that they can accomplish things.”
Looking ahead to the team’s opponents this weekend, Sheffield noted that all three had their dangerous qualities.
“Coming up, we’ve got a heck of a test. Kansas... that’s a team that returns everybody but one starter from a top ten RPI team.”
Milwaukee and Bowling Green also had good showings against good teams, specifically Creighton and BYU, respectively.
Sheffield later expressed hope that his team’s unanticipated start would lead to stronger home support.
“I want it to be the best in the country. I want the Field House rocking. I want it to be a place that’s family friendly and get the students back here and get them rocking that place.”
