Wisconsin/Iowa review

After an embarrassing 24-21 home loss to BYU last week, Wisconsin came out and played its best game of the season in a 28-17 win at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa. It was the 700th win in program history, the 26th FBS team to accomplish this feat. Alex Hornibrook was clutch, throwing a touchdown to A.J. Taylor with 57 seconds left to give the Badgers a lead they would not relinquish. Following an interception by T.J. Edwards, Alec Ingold put the dagger in with a 33-yard touchdown to make the score a bit deceiving. Since becoming Wisconsin’s head coach, Paul Chryst is now an incredible 15-1 in true road games. Yes, 15-1. The only loss was a 14-7 defeat in Ann Arbor in 2016. The Badgers have also won 10 consecutive road games, which is second in the nation, only behind Oklahoma’s 17 straight. Wisconsin has now won 16 regular season conference games in a row, last losing in overtime to Ohio State in 2016. This win also was the third consecutive over Iowa, and fifth straight at Kinnick Stadium. The last three seasons, Iowa has played evening/night games at Kinnick Stadium against No. 6 Ohio State and crushed them 55-24, No. 3 Michigan and beat them 14-13 and lost a heart-breaker to No. 4 Penn State. The point is that it is really tough to go into Iowa City for a night game and emerge victorious, but that is just what Wisconsin did. The Badgers also put themselves in position to make a third straight trip to the Big Ten Championship game in Indianapolis.

The positives have to start with the player of the game, Alex Hornibrook. For as much flack as he receives by Wisconsin fans, Alex Hornibrook was tremendous in Iowa City. For the game, the junior quarterback went 17-of-22 for 205 yards and three touchdowns. He was at his best on his final drive. Wisconsin had the ball on its own 12 with 5:40 remaining and down three. On the 10-play 88-yard drive that gave the Badgers the lead, Hornibrook went 5-for-5 for 67 yards and the touchdown to A.J. Taylor that gave them the lead. What a gutsy performance by the Wisconsin quarterback. He could have had an even better stat line had Jake Ferguson not had a bad third down drop and had Kendric Pryor hauled in a deep pass in the first quarter that he had his hands on. But still, a tremendous showing by Hornibrook. With the win, he improved to 23-4 as a starter, including 11-1 on the road. The junior is rising in the Wisconsin record books. In addition to being just eight wins behind Joel Stave in the quarterback wins category, he now is eighth in school history in passing yards with 4706 yards. He is 286 yards behind Mike Samuel for seventh place and barring injury, he will move into fourth place by season’s end. Against Iowa, he also passed Randy Wright and Brooks Bollinger to move into fourth place in passing touchdowns in school history. Again, barring injury, Hornibrook will move into second place, as he is just eight touchdown passes behind Joel Stave for second place.

The Wisconsin Badgers have found themselves a dynamic weapon in tight end Jake Ferguson. He has at least three catches in three of the four games, and has at least 40 yards receiving in those three games. Even in an offense with such good weapons, Ferguson will get his targets. He has become a reliable third down target for Hornibrook. He’ll need to improve his blocking, but that will come with time.

The offensive line came through with its best performance of the season. Heading into the game, the Iowa run defense had only allowed 42 yards per game, which was tied for second in the country. Sophomore standout Jonathan Taylor ran for 113 yards and the Badgers, as a team, ran for 210 yards and nearly five yards per carry. If you take out the run by Kendrick Pryor and the two by Hornibrook, they ran for an impressive 5.5 yards per carry against the stout Iowa front. Going into the game, the Hawkeyes had allowed just 1.54 yards per carry. Also, in the non-conference slate, Iowa had 12 sacks, which tied for third in the country. Against Wisconsin, Iowa had one sack, and that one sack was an intentional grounding in which Taylor was ran over in pass protection on a designed screen. Wisconsin did not have many huge runs (only one more than 17 yards), but consistently rushed for five or six yards a carry. Great performance by the offensive line.

It was a solid performance overall, but man, this defense has not been good. At least I thought the run defense would be a strength because the middle of the defense returned with nose tackle Olive Sagapolu and inside linebackers Ryan Connelly and T.J. Edwards. But the run defense has not been great. Against Iowa, the run defense gave up 148 yards and nearly five yards per carry. After finishing four of the past five seasons in the top five in rush defense, the Badgers are currently ranked 51st in rush yards allowed per game.

As bad as the Wisconsin run defense has been, the pass defense has been even worse. Much worse. Wisconsin made Iowa’s Nate Stanley look like Peyton Manning, as Stanley went 14-of-23 for 256 yards and two touchdowns. He would have easily had 300 yards passing if Wisconsin didn’t possess the ball for more than 35 minutes. In the first four games of the season, the Badgers have sacked opposing quarterbacks just three times. THREE! That is good enough for 121st in the country. It would be one thing if Wisconsin got consistent pressure on the quarterback, but Stanley could have read “War and Peace” back in the pocket he had so much time. The pass rush would help a young secondary, but it has been non-existent. The corners have really struggled to cover and play the ball. Against Iowa, guys were running free all over the field, and on an Iowa big play, Faion Hicks did not play the ball and was called for pass interference. Hopefully they improve as the season goes on, but it has not happened much thus far.

Overall, though, a good win, over a team that has owned teams in home night games. But Wisconsin still has a long ways to go to become a contender in the Big Ten this season. The Badgers have a bye week to prepare for winless Nebraska, which invades Camp Randall Stadium in two weeks. I think that if Wisconsin had beaten BYU, it would have fallen to Iowa. But it seems as though the BYU game really woke up the Badgers. I am really eager to see what team shows up following the bye week.

BYU Cougars (1-1) @ No. 6 Wisconsin Badgers (2-0)

Following a game in which the Badgers took control in the second half to dismantle New Mexico, Wisconsin plays its final non-conference regular season game of the season as it welcomes BYU to Camp Randall Stadium for a 2:30 game on Saturday. BYU comes in at 1-1 winning at Arizona and falling at home to former Wisconsin defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox and California. Against Arizona, after building a 28-10 lead after three quarters, BYU had to hold on late against Arizona to win 28-23. Against Cal, the Cougars struggled to find any offense, only managing 287 yards of offense and only one offensive touchdown in a 21-18 defeat. That is the only touchdown the BYU offense has scored in the past five quarters. The two teams met last year in Provo, Utah, with the Badgers hammering the Cougars 40-6. In the game, quarterback Alex Hornibrook set a record for highest completion percentage in a single game in school history, going 18-of-19 (94.7 percent) for 256 yards and four touchdowns. Wisconsin leads the all-time series 2-1 with Wisconsin also winning in 2013 and BYU winning the first meeting in 1980.

When Wisconsin runs…

Jonathan Taylor is coming off the best game of his career against New Mexico, rushing for a career-high 253 yards and three touchdowns. With that performance, Taylor vaulted to tops in the country in rushing yards through the first two weeks. Not that it means a ton considering the competition, Wisconsin as a team is now fifth in the country in rushing, averaging 325.5 yards per game, and one of those teams above this is Nebraska, which has only played one game so far. In last year’s meeting, Taylor ran for 128 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown. BYU comes in tied for 76th in the country in run defense, allowing 150.5 rush yards per game, including 172 last week in a loss to California. On beef alone, BYU can actually match up with Wisconsin. BYU’s defensive line averages close to 300 pounds. After dominating in the trenches against Arizona, the opposite happened against Cal. Corbin Kaufusi at 6’9” and 340-pound defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga lead a solid defensive line. Butch Pau'u is a very solid middle linebacker to anchor the run defense. I think BYU will hold its own early, but eventually, I believe Jonathan Taylor and company will wear down the BYU defense.

Edge: Wisconsin

When Wisconsin passes...

Hornibrook, as I mentioned, had a great day in Provo last year against the Cougars. This year, so far, the quarterback has been solid through two games. In 2018, Hornibrook has completed 25 of 40 passes (62.5 percent) for 405 yards with three touchdowns and a pick. His yards per attempt is at a whopping 10.13. And reinforcements are on the way with the return of sophomore Danny Davis, who served a two-game suspension. As a freshman, Davis caught 26 passes for 418 yards and five touchdowns. His production went up after the injury to No. 1 wide receiver Quintez Cephus against Indiana last year. In the five games after Indiana, he hauled in 18 passes for 248 yards and four touchdowns, including grabbing five passes for 56 yards and three touchdowns in the Orange Bowl win over Miami. With Davis suspended, the “other” Taylor, A.J. has become a reliable wide receiver for Hornibrook, having 109.5 receiving yards per game and a score. Going back to the Orange Bowl, A.J. Taylor has 18 catches for 324 yards and two touchdowns in those three games. I would say the secondary is the weakest unit of the defense, but still is not terrible. All four players in the secondary are at least juniors. They did get beaten for a 52-yard gain by California’s Kanawai Noa last week, though. BYU has sacked opposing quarterbacks just once in the first two games. I think Hornibrook will have another solid game, especially if BYU stacks the line in order to stop Jonathan Taylor.

Edge: Wisconsin

When BYU runs...

BYU’s offense is a mess right now, and that is especially true for BYU’s running game. In their two games, the Cougars are currently 99th in the country, averaging 137 yards on the ground per game, including rushing 33 times for 91 yards against California. Squally Canada is the only runner with more than 10 carries, but has just carried 40 times for 147 yards in two games, an average of 3.7 yards per carry. Freshman backup Lopini Katoa has carried 10 times for 55 yards. After finishing second in rush yards allowed per game last year, the Badgers have not hit their stride in run defense yet. They are not bad, though, Wisconsin has allowed 201 rush yards in the two games, but improved from the first week to the second week. Last week, Wisconsin allowed 77 yards on just 30 carries. To no one’s surprise, that coincides with the return of defensive end Isaiahh Loudermilk. The sophomore defensive end will be in his second game back, and he and nose tackle Olive Sagapolu will stuff the BYU running game. I think the Badgers will allow fewer than 100 yards on the ground once again.

Edge: Wisconsin

When BYU passes...

In addition to struggling rushing the ball, the Cougars struggle passing the ball as well. They are led by 25-year-old Tanner Mangum, who as a freshman, threw a 42-yard Hail Mary to defeat Nebraska 33-28 in Lincoln.This year, he is completing 58 percent of his passes with two touchdowns and two picks after throwing eight touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2017. He missed the meeting last year. Eleven receivers have caught passes from Mangum this year, but only junior tight end Moroni Laulu-Pututau (8) has more than five receptions and none of them have more than 80 yards receiving. New Mexico blew down the field through the air on the first possession last week, but then was shut down afterward. Wisconsin’s pass defense will need to play well again if it wants to completely shut down this BYU passing attack.

Edge: Wisconsin

Special Teams

Wisconsin kicker Rafael Gaglianone is off to a strong start in 2018, making all three of his field goal attempts and all 10 of his extra point attempts. For his career, Gaglianone has made 63 field goal attempts, which is second in Wisconsin history, only behind Todd Gregoire’s 65. His 178 extra points made is 29 behind Philip Welch for the school record. BYU freshman kicker Skylar Southam is 1-1 with the attempt being from 36. He has made all five of his extra points. Through two games, junior Wisconsin junior punter Anthony Lotti has improved significantly. His 42.4 average yards per punt ranks eighth in the Big Ten, but his net punting average is 41.2, which ranks fifth in the conference. After being BYU’s kicker the last two seasons, Rhett Almond has transitioned to being the team’s punter. He has punted 10 times with a 42.6-yard average. After returning three punts for 45 yards against Arizona, Michael Shelton returned four for -4 against Cal. He had a 37-yard return against Arizona, but only has six returns for four yards other than that.

Edge: Wisconsin

Overview

This is another game Wisconsin should win handily. BYU's defense will likely keep it competitive early, but the Badgers will ultimately pull away for a comfortable win. I don't think Hornibrook will have as good of a game as he had last year, but I do believe he will have a nice game to help Bucky come out on top. Jonathan Taylor will be contained early, but then the offensive line will take over in the second half and the sophomore running back will end up with between 150-200 yards.

Prediction: Wisconsin 34, BYU 6

New Mexico/Wisconsin review

Wisconsin overcame a slow start to run away (literally) from New Mexico 45-14 Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium. New Mexico started the game with an 87-yard touchdown drive, and New Mexico was up 7-3 late in the second quarter, but the Badgers dominated final 33 minutes to turn a close game into a one-sided affair. It was the Taylor and Taylor show for the Badgers, as Jonathan rushed for a career-high 253 yards on 33 carries and three touchdowns, while A.J. caught five passes for a career-high 134 yards and a score to lead the Badgers to the win. The Badgers ran for 417 yards in the game, which is the most they have had a game in the Paul Chryst era and most since the Melvin Gordon 408-yard performance in 2014 against Nebraska. After the first drive for New Mexico, the Lobos just managed 124 yards of offense the rest of the way. The second half was Wisconsin football. It should give them confidence as they enter the more difficult part of its schedule.

To start out with the positives, I will start out with......surprise, surprise, Jonathan Taylor. The sophomore finished with a career-high 253 yards, as I mentioned before. He is the eighth running back in school history to rush for more than 250 yards in a game and first since Melvin Gordon. But once again, he fumbled. It was his second fumble in as many weeks. Before the fumble, he rushed 11 times for 50 yards. After the fumble, he rushed 22 times for 203 yards and all three touchdowns. In the drives after the fumble, Wisconsin as a team went TD, Half, INT, TD, TD, TD, TD, TD. Taylor’s backups, Taiwan Deal and Chris James, also played well, combining for 86 yards on 15 carries. Deal also made a game-changing play, tracking down New Mexico linebacker Evahelotu Tohi after an interception. A few plays later, Wisconsin got it back off a pick of its own and Bucky started to roll from then on. As a team, the Badgers ran for 417 yards and are now fifth in rush yards per game. Taylor now leads the country in rushing.

Another positive was Alex Hornibrook. The Badgers quarterback turned the ball over on what is charged with a pick, but it looked like a fumble. But other than that, he had a really nice performance. He only threw 11 passes, but completed eight for 148 yards. The other Taylor in the offense, A.J., had a huge game. Out of the 148 passing yards from Hornibrook, A.J. Taylor had 134 yards receiving. Those 134 yards receiving are the most receiving yards since Alex Erickson had 160 against Minnesota in the 2014 regular season finale. The two have developed great chemistry, and it only bodes well for the future when Danny Davis comes back and if Quintez Cephus does. He is 18th in the country in receiving yards per game (109.5) and is tied for second in the nation with six catches of at least 20 yards.

Finally, the defense did not start well, allowing a 17-play drive for 87 yards and a touchdown on New Mexico’s opening possession. On that drive, New Mexico went 4-for-4 on third downs and took 7:38 off the clock. But after that drive, the Badgers defense put the clamps on the Lobos offense. For the rest of the game (52:22), New Mexico gained just 124 yards of offense, went just 2-of-9 on third down and had the ball for less than 16 minutes. In addition to those stats, Jim Leonhard’s defense forced three turnovers, starting with an interception by redshirt freshman Scott Nelson after an interception by New Mexico put them in position to take the lead. Starting with the pick by Nelson, New Mexico turned the ball over on two straight possessions and had three in five drives. On the preview article, I challenged Wisconsin to allow fewer than 300 yards of offense by New Mexico and three touchdowns. The defense only allowed 211 yards by New Mexico, but only sacked New Mexico quarterbacks once, which makes only two for the season. That will need to improve, but I wonder if Leonhard is playing vanilla and will start bringing it once Big Ten play starts.

As a negative, the slow start was less than ideal. It took awhile to really get going, but the Badgers cranked it up to win going away. The triple option did give them some trouble, so it gives Leonhard and Paul Chryst some teachable moments, which is not always a bad thing. I’ll mention the sacks as well. The team will need to get to the quarterback more often. I will say, though, that the defense brought some heat on the New Mexico quarterbacks, which forced them to make poor passes. It is not always the sacks that do the most damage.

Wisconsin stays home for a date with the BYU Cougars at Camp Randall Stadium to round out the non-conference slate. The game will be played at Camp Randall Stadium at 2:30 CST.

New Mexico (1-0) at No. 5 Wisconsin (1-0)

Fresh off their 34-3 win over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, the Wisconsin Badgers take aim at the New Mexico Lobos this afternoon. Both teams come in at 1-0 after New Mexico dismantled Incarnate Word last Saturday, 62-30. Last season the Lobos started out 3-2 before losing their final seven to finish the season at 3-9. Not only did New Mexico drop its final seven, but only two of those games were decided by fewer than 14 points. This is the first meeting between these two schools. Even though the Badgers won by 31, if there was such a thing as an unimpressive 31-point win, this was it. Paul Chryst and company will look to clean things up this week because the competition only picks up from here.

When Wisconsin runs…

 It was only one game, but New Mexico’s run defense gave up 244 yards on the ground to Incarnate Word. That does not bode well going against Jonathan Taylor and Wisconsin’s powerful ground game. In the game, the Lobos gave up two carries of at least 58 yards and more than seven yards per carry for the game. Even though Wisconsin’s high-powered rushing attack did not look like a well-oiled machine last Saturday, they can explode at any minute. Wisconsin had 234 yards of its own on the ground, and Taylor had two carries of at least 30 yards. I expect Taylor to have multiple 30-yard runs once again against New Mexico and I would think this is a game in which all four running backs play.

Edge: Wisconsin

When Wisconsin passes...

I mentioned New Mexico had trouble stopping run against Incarnate Ward. Well, they also had trouble stopping the pass. Incarnate Word’s Jon Copeland threw for 328 yards and one touchdown in the Lobos 32-point win. Although New Mexico held him under 50 percent passing, the 328 yards is alarming. Once again, Wisconsin will be without its top two wide receivers due to suspension, Quintez Cephus and Danny Davis. If the offensive line can give Alex Hornibrook throwing lanes, he should have a field day, even with a depleted receiving core. Wisconsin gets tight end Zander Neuville back, which is big in the passing game. I still think they’ll utilize freshman Jake Ferguson as well. Hornibrook will throw two or three touchdowns, but he’ll need to not throw it to the other team, and that will be the biggest thing for him.

Edge: Wisconsin

When New Mexico runs...

Part of it could be due to the score, but New Mexico ran the ball 66 times against Incarnate Word, and ran for 319 yards, which currently ranks 12th in the country. This week, the Lobos faces a Badgers defense that allowed the second-fewest yards on the ground per game last year. Wisconsin currently ranks tied for 49th in rush defense, as it allowed 124 yards to Western Kentucky. Like Western Kentucky’s Drew Eckels, New Mexico’s quarterback, Tevaka Tuioti, also can run. He had 11 carries for 54 yards and a score against Incarnate Word. Wisconsin had a bit of trouble containing the quarterback on runs against the Hilltoppers. Hopefully, Tuioti is not able to escape the pocket and make plays with his legs like last game.

Edge: Wisconsin

When New Mexico passes...

It is hard to really figure much out about New Mexico’s passing attack. Tuioti threw for 321 yards on just 13 completions. It does help that eight different receivers caught a pass of at least 20 yards. In all, 10 receivers hauled in at least one pass for the Lobos in the win, but no one caught more than two passes. Eckels was 15 of 26 for the Hilltoppers against this young secondary of Wisconsin, which started two freshmen, a sophomore and a senior. However, Eckels did have a few drops from his receivers, and there were a few busts in the secondary, but that is to be expected from such a young secondary. Wisconsin only registered one sack against Western Kentucky, which was one of the worst teams in the country in allowing sacks in 2017, so the Badgers will need to find a way to get pressure on Tuioti today. Getting back starting defensive end Isaiahh Loudermilk will help in that regard.

Edge: Wisconsin

Special Teams

Rafael Gaglianone is one of the best in the country at kicker, and it comes as no surprise as he made his two field goals against Western Kentucky. He trails Todd Gregoire by three in most field goals made in school history. Gaglianone also trails Philip Welch by 35 for most extra point makes in school history. Junior punter Anthony Lotti punted four times for an average of 39.5 yards, so he’ll need to get that net average over 40 to be considered a strength. I wonder if freshman Aron Cruickshank will get primary kick return duties, as he returned his only attempt 30 yards last Friday. We don’t know much about New Mexico’s kicking game, as freshman Andrew Shelley made all eight of his extra points, but did have a field goal attempt. Punter Tyson Dyer punted three times for close to a 49-yard average. New Mexico has also returned a kick for a touchdown in each of the last years, but Zach Hintze is a weapon kicking off. The Hilltoppers did not even have a kickoff return last week.

Edge: Push

Overview

I am looking for improvement. They should walk over New Mexico, but it should be a nice test for the young secondary. Wisconsin should move up and down the field on New Mexico’s defense, but the Badgers will need to play like they did last week on defense. I expect Wisconsin to get at least 500 yards, and maybe even 600. My challenge for the Badgers defense is hold New Mexico under 300 yards of offense, gain three turnovers and sack Tuioti three times.

Prediction: Wisconsin 48, New Mexico 17

Western Kentucky/Wisconsin review

Sorry for being a little late on this. My homework took up most of my time this weekend. But anyway, Wisconsin was methodical in its game last Friday night, taking down Western Kentucky 34-3 at Camp Randall Stadium. It was not the prettiest game ever, but the Badgers got the job done. Wisconsin received 145 yards rushing from sophomore running back Jonathan Taylor and 257 passing yards from Alex Hornibrook to win handily. Without seven defensive starters from last year, the Badgers still held the Hilltoppers to three points and 305 yards of total offense. Job well done for the young Badgers defense.

As always, I will start with some positives. First off, I will mention one of the guys filling in for a departed starter, redshirt freshman Scott Nelson. The freshman was all over the place on Friday, He led the team with seven tackles, had two pass break-ups and added one tackle for loss. Nelson is a big-time playmaker in the back end of the secondary for Bucky. If that is a sign of things to come, the Badgers will be in great shape moving forward. No. 9 did have a few mistakes, where the secondary allowed back-to-back big plays, an 18-yard pass from Drew Eckels to Quin Jernighan, followed by a 48-yard pass from Eckels to Jacquez Sloan. Wise beyond his years, Nelson took responsibility for it, even if it wasn’t his fault. Freshman Faion Hicks was the corner on both plays, so he might have been guilty as well. Nelson wasn’t the only young starting defensive back to play solid. I know it was not the best opponent or quarterback, but the starting corners were solid in their starting debuts. I mentioned Hicks had a few breakdowns in the secondary, but overall, he was solid. He even made his first career interception. Caesar Williams also played well, breaking a pass up in the end zone. Other than the two pass plays on the first drive of the second half, the secondary only allowed 115 yards through the air. Good job by them. BYU could be a solid test for the secondary with Tanner Mangum, so we won’t know a ton about them until then.

Another positive from the game is Alex Hornibrook. The much-maligned quarterback threw for 257 yards with two touchdowns and perhaps more importantly, no interceptions. This was the third straight 200+-yard passing performance. It was only the fifth time since the start of 2017 (15 games) that he did not throw an interception. He was the highest-rated quarterback in the Big Ten according to Pro Football Focus. Hornibrook looked much-improved over the last few seasons, specifically when it comes to maneuvering around the pocket. On multiple occasions, he stepped up and rolled out and fired a strike for a first down. His first two years, he would not have done that. Hornibrook still made a few poor throws and it would be nice to cut that out. On back-to-back throws, he threw two extremely poor passes late in the first half. On the first, he had Jonathan Taylor open, but Hornibrook threw behind him and it was incomplete. On his very next pass, he had a wide open A.J. Taylor for a first down, but overthrew him and the Badgers were forced to punt. He later threw a pass that could have, and perhaps should have, been picked off. But overall, he played well, especially when considering he was playing without his top two wide receivers (Quintez Cephus, Danny Davis) and starting tight end (Zander Neuville).

A couple of players stepped up without the top wide receivers and starting tight end. First off, A.J. Taylor had five catches for 85 yards and Pryor had four receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown. Jake Ferguson had four catches in his first career game for 43 yards. Two of his four catches went for first downs. This will be huge going forward to their maturation and will get major playing time, even when Neuville and Davis come back and if Cephus comes back.

There are a few things that were a bit disappointing. First off, the offensive line looked disinterested. On blitz pick up, they were not the best. For a team that only sacked opposing quarterbacks 12 times last season, the Hilltoppers were able to sack Hornibrook three times. I know it is a new season, but that is unacceptable, especially for an offensive line that many think is the best in the nation. Also, despite having 145 yards from Taylor and 234 rush yards total, Taylor had 16 for 68 other than two carries (4.25 ypc) and 157 yards on 37 carries (4.24 ypc). I will give it a pass since it is the first game of the season, but I hope they come out with an edge and destroy New Mexico this Saturday.

Also, they still had a few mistakes that would be costly against better teams. Hornibrook threw a pass that should have been picked off. Even though Jonathan Taylor is a monster, he had a fumbling problem last year, and it bit him again last Friday. After fumbling eight times last year and losing six of them, he lost his first fumble of the season against Western Kentucky. He needs to clean that up before Iowa to start conference play. They did not look dominant, despite gaining nearly 500 yards of total offense. It was not a well-oiled machine, but that is to be expected in the first game with a number of new starters and more who were out against Western Kentucky.

Even though they did not look dominant, the Badgers won convincingly by 31 without a number of starters. They will get a few of them back this week, as the Badgers take on New Mexico. The game will be at 11 CST and will be televised on the Big Ten Network.