The Wisconsin Badgers take on their rival Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday night in what is expected to be a defensive battle for four quarters. Last season, the Hawkeyes flat-out embarrassed the Badgers in Kinnick Stadium. That 42-10 victory has sat with the Badgers for almost a full calendar year, and now they have a golden chance on Homecoming weekend for revenge.
Here are three keys to the game for Wisconsin:
Stay Disciplined
Iowa has made a living capitalizing on mistakes by the opposition. The Badgers
cannot afford to turn the ball over to the Hawkeyes and give them opportunities to score. Additionally, the Badgers must execute their assignments on both sides of the ball to secure a win.
Here was an interesting bit of information from UWBadgers.com insider, Andy Baggot, regarding penalties:
“The Badgers are tied for fourth nationally with an average of 3.6 penalties per game. The last time they finished a season under 4.0 infractions per outing was in 2016 when UW averaged 3.4 on the way to finishing second among FBS schools.”
Wisconsin has a chance to upset Iowa if it refrains from giving Iowa free yards via penalty.
Be Tougher For Longer
We’ve seen how Iowa has played under Kirk Ferentz for over 20 years. This team is going to grind it out by relying on its stout offensive linemen for four quarters. Expect the Hawkeyes to rely on Kamari Moulton in the running game, as two Iowa running backs will sit out with injury.
Last season, when Wisconsin went on its five-game losing streak, they were out-physicalled and was worn down by the end of November. Against Michigan, we saw a Badgers team that remained physical on defense throughout the game.
With one of the best offensive lines in the country coming to Camp Randall, can Wisconsin meet force with force for 60 minutes?
Finish Drives
Wisconsin got off to a great start against Michigan with a 12-play, 75-yard drive to take an early 7-0 lead. It finally appeared that the Badgers’ offense had a rhythm.
After that…crickets.
The Badgers must sustain drives against Iowa’s defense and get points on the board. This game features two of the better run defenses in the game. However, should Wisconsin find itself in plus territory, it must score. Period.