1. Steady offensive line
After getting bullied by Alabama in Arlington last Saturday, the offensive line looked to take a big step forward against a far lesser opponent in Miami (OH). While some improvement was evident from the offensive line in Week 2, this vastly inexperienced group is still suspect and has a great deal to prove before they can be considered dependable.
The inconsistencies of the offensive line, namely in run blocking, were on full display during the first two quarters against Miami. For the better part of the first half, the Badger blockers generated very little penetration at the point of attack, giving redshirt junior Dare Ogunbowale and redshirt freshman Taiwan Deal almost no room to run. This limited the ground game to a pedestrian 53 first-half yards across 18 carries.
“I didn’t think we ran the ball consistently early, but did rebound, and I thought we ran the ball better in the third quarter,” head coach Paul Chryst said.
Considering junior Corey Clement spent the game on the sideline, the offensive line certainly cannot bear all the blame for the sluggish start, but struggling to open holes on the line of scrimmage makes having a potent running attack all the more difficult.
Although the Badgers haven’t dominated the trenches like in seasons past, the horses up front dwarf the Troy defensive line from a size standpoint, so we should expect to see a heightened degree of dominance and physicality that lasts for the entirety of next week’s contest.
While a matchup with the Trojans may not serve as the best indicator of progress, a good showing from this developing offensive line, featuring three first-year starters, could do wonders for the confidence and cohesion of the group, two key components to establishing a formidable offensive line.
2. More action for McEvoy
The Tanner McEvoy quarterback experiment proved nothing short of an abject failure, but the redshirt senior seems to have finally found his niche in 2015. After not getting much action in Week 1, Chryst allowed McEvoy to showcase his innate athleticism against Miami, a move that paid big dividends.
Whether lined up on offense or defense, McEvoy has a dynamic playmaking ability. As a receiver, McEvoy hauled in three passes for thirty yards and was a force in the defensive backfield, breaking up numerous passes and coming away with an interception.
“It’s a whole new element,” redshirt senior Michael Caputo said after the Miami game. “He’s another guy who is real ball-savvy. He knows what he’s doing, he knows the play calls. As you saw today, he knows the offensive side as well as the defensive side and that’s one of the major things he brings. He brings knowledge and a lot of athletic skill too, to be able to make those plays. He’s a big threat. I got to hand it to him, that’s hard playing both ways like that. That’s difficult, especially in the college level. That’s something that’s special.”
McEvoy’s incredible versatility adds a new wrinkle to Chryst’s gameplan and makes him someone opponents must take into account. Judging by his standout Week 2 performance, expect to see plenty of McEvoy next week and as the season continues.
3. Wheelwright a deep threat?
The sudden emergence of redshirt senior quarterback Joel Stave may have given way to the rise of another. After recording just one catch last season, junior wide out Robert Wheelwright already has eight receptions for 97 yards and three scores, two of which came this past Saturday.
“I think he’s a really good player,” Stave said. “He’s been a guy who I’ve always thought pretty naturally gifted. It was just a matter of him staying healthy. I think this year being able to see him stay healthy, he’s really shown how good a player he can be.”
Because the depth chart is relatively light at receiver, expect Wheelwright to be a go-to guy right alongside redshirt senior Alex Erickson.
Wheelwright separates himself from the rest of the receiving corps because he has the physical gifts to stretch the field as a deep threat, which is a luxury that has not been afforded to Wisconsin since the days of Jared Abbrederis.
Since Troy features a patchwork defense, surrendering an average of 36 points per game a season ago, there could be opportunities for deep passes headed Wheelwright’s way this Saturday at Camp Randall.
