How can the Badgers pull off the win and earn bowl eligibility on Saturday?
Week 13 of the college football season is here as the Wisconsin Badgers hit the road to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT. The Badgers are coming off a heartbreaking loss to the No. 1 Oregon Ducks and have dropped their last three games.
Nebraska is in a similar situation to Wisconsin, as the Cornhuskers have also fallen off the rails recently. They’ve lost four in a row, and similarly to Wisconsin, two of those have been to top-five teams. Both programs look to qualify for a bowl game this weekend at 5-5.
Wisconsin will face true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, who ranks two spots ahead of Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke in passing yards. The two schools are within four rankings of each other in offense and eight spots of each other in defense.
Wisconsin will need to do these three things to defeat Nebraska and solidify the opportunity to go bowling.
Pressure Dylan Raiola
Raiola has dropped off after a solid start to the 2024 season. Nebraska found themselves ranked at one point, but the true freshman has thrown over 200 yards in just one of his last five games. He has 11 touchdowns to 10 interceptions, seven of which have come in the last four games.
Wisconsin’s defensive line looked noticeably better against Oregon last week, and should look to continue that improvement. If the Badgers can pressure Raiola, they’ll take advantage of a young and inexperienced thrower.
Braedyn Locke, Do Not Throw It Deep
Locke is not meant for the long ball, clearly. The backup-turned-starter has been way under par in his tenure with Wisconsin, throwing costly interceptions and failing to beat legitimate opponents.
Against Nebraska, the task should be simple: do not make any risky throws. The Cornhuskers have a better defense than they do offense, and the secondary is a big part of that. They’ve forced quarterbacks into an interception in eight of 10 games this season.
Locke needs to play the short game and utilize his backs outside of handoffs. Tawee Walker has dropped off a bit since the team’s last win, so Locke should try to get him going with handoffs and checkdowns. Play smart.
Win the Defensive Battle = Win the Possession Battle
Wisconsin winning the defensive battle will keep the ball in the offense’s hands longer, and against a tough Nebraska defense, that’s the most important key.
The Badgers can’t let their opponent stall and hold on to the ball for too long because the last thing you want to do is rush Locke on the other side of the ball.
The Badgers need to emphasize the run game and keep the ball in their hands. Prolonging possession time will do a lot for Wisconsin and take away Raiola’s comfort.
These are two quarterbacks who have been sloppy recently. Make it uncomfortable for the Cornhuskers and keep the ball longer than they do.