Throughout the offseason, the Badger faithful looked forward to the first game, a showdown with national powerhouse Alabama. Often overlooked was Wisconsin’s second game, and first home game, against Miami (OH) Saturday.
The Badgers (0-1) certainly aren’t overlooking the RedHawks (1-0), with players claiming they have been preparing just as hard for the Mid-American Conference opponent as the reigning Southeastern Conference champion.
“We [had] probably one of the more physical practices we’ve had all year today,” redshirt junior center Dan Voltz said Tuesday. “Coming off a loss, it fuels the fire even more to get back in the swing of things and start winning ball games.”
Voltz’s assertion symbolizes the significance of Wisconsin’s showdown with Miami, which went 2-10 in 2014, as playing a lower quality opponent will give UW a chance to work out the flaws unearthed in last weekend’s drubbing.
One of the most pressing areas of concern is the Wisconsin offensive line, which struggled to allow its talented backfield to break out against the Crimson Tide. With three new starters, the opener was bound to be rough, but with a game under their belt, the young line may have less jitters and will be more focused on the game itself rather than the moment. The more the group plays together, the more chemistry it will develop, which was a crucial aspect of last season’s offensive success in which all five linemen started every regular season game.
While the running game wasn’t in top gear, the passing game was as good as it has in the Joel Stave era, as it uncharacteristically eclipsed the ground game by 188 yards. Stave looked sharp in the first half, going 14-of-16 for 149 yards and one touchdown, and played well throughout the game, not throwing an interception until the final drive when the game was essentially over. Redshirt senior wide receiver Jazz Peavy is excited to play alongside this more polished version of the quarterback.
“I feel like this is Joel at his most confident, and that’s a great thing to see, because he’s back there doing what he should be doing,” Peavy said.
The most promising part of the passing game isn’t just Stave’s numbers, but the way the ball was spread out. Eight players caught a pass against Alabama, and three players had five or more receptions. If this passing balance persists against Miami, and even Troy or Hawaii in the coming weeks, it could force future defenses into respecting the entire field. This in turn creates an increased pressure that could open up the field for the run, the opposite of the Melvin Gordon-centered offense of 2014.
Defensively, Wisconsin will certainly monitor the play of the safeties with the uncertain status of Michael Caputo. Caputo left early in the Alabama game after a head injury that left him disoriented, walking to the Alabama huddle. He was replaced by sophomore D’Cota Dixon, who was limited last season due to injury, but played special teams sparingly in all three of the games he was healthy.
“It doesn’t matter how hard you go in practice, I feel like game speed, game tempo is something else because at the same time, you find another edge about yourself,” Dixon said.
Miami runs a spread offense that often relies on the pass, which Dixon said the defensive backs were excited about. With the RedHawks testing the Badger secondary, it will put junior cornerback Sojourn Shelton to the test. Shelton looked great against Alabama after struggling last season following a fantastic freshman campaign. Whether last week was a fluke, or whether Shelton reverts to his freshman form will be a key part of the Badgers’ defensive success.
Wisconsin and Miami of Ohio will kickoff at 11 a.m. Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.
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