Wisconsin Badgers
Big Ten
Wisconsin has not missed a beat under new head coach Gary Andersen. Andersen came to Madison after Bret Bielema’s departure for Arkansas. He had decent success at the smaller Utah State, which earned him the opportunity to lead the Badgers this year. Wisconsin remains one of the better teams in the Big Ten. If not for Ohio State, the Badgers would be the team to beat in the Leaders Division. As usual, the Badgers ride an awesome rush offense to help set the tempo for a very good offense.
2013 Record: 9-3, 6-2
Coach: Gary Andersen
Coach Bowl Record: 1-1
Big Wins: 11/2 at Iowa (28-9), 11/23 at Minnesota (20-7)
Bad Losses: 9/14 at Arizona State (30-32), 11/30 Penn State (24-31)
Strengths:
Typical of Wisconsin football is a great running game that helps ease pressure on the quarterback to perform. The Badgers are eighth nationally in rushing with just under 285 yards per game. This is three-pronged attack with Melvin Gordon, James White, and Corey Clement. Clement is less of a factor than the other two, but Gordon and White have been phenomenal. They are both top-15 nationally in rushing and eclipsed the 1,200 yard mark in less than a full season. Wisconsin churns out a ton of productive runners that always seem to make it to the next level. They rack up a ton of yards as an offense overall at nearly 500 per game. They are amongst the best in the nation in that regard. Additionally, this season Wisconsin’s defense has been a high note. They are super stingy in the scoring department. They rank sixth nationally in scoring defense, allowing only 14.8 points per game. They also boast the best red zone defense in the Big Ten. Tough defenses and a strong run game are stalwarts of championship football.
Weaknesses:
Joel Stave is a good quarterback, and he is steady for Andersen’s club. However, the passing offense is not very productive overall. He has a stud to throw to in Jared Abbrederis, who has over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. But the passing game averages just over 200 yards per game, which is among the worst in the conference. Outside of Abbrederis, there are no reliable options for Stave. The next closest receiver, tight end Jacob Pedersen, has 500 less receiving yards than Abbrederis. No defense is worried about stopping Wisconsin through the air. As solid as Stave can be, he has also thrown 12 picks this year, which is up from last season. He did not play a full season last year, but his passer rating was higher overall. Wisconsin could also improve in the special teams department. They have a terrible punting average (35.7 per punt). They are decent in coverage, but poor punts still provide decent field position for opponents.
Statistical Leaders:
Rushing: Melvin Gordon, RB, 1,466 yards
Passing: Joel Stave, QB, 2,414 yards
Receiving: Jared Abbrederis, WR, 1,051 yards
Tackles: Chris Borland, LB, 102
Sacks: Brendan Kelly, LB, 4.5
Interceptions: Sojour Shelton, CB, 4
2013 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 283.0 (8th in nation, 2nd in conference)
Passing Offense: 203.8 (89, 8)
Total Offense: 486.8 (19, 3)
Scoring Offense: 35.8 (26, 3)
Rushing Defense: 101.3 (6, 3)
Pass Defense: 192.7 (13, 3)
Total Defense: 294.0 (6, 2)
Scoring Defense: 14.8 (6, 2)
Turnover Margin: 0.3 (44, 4)
Sacks: 2.08 (58, 6)
Sacks Allowed: 1.35 (21, 3)
Recent Bowl Appearances:
2012 Rose Bowl Stanford (14-20)
2011 Rose Bowl Oregon (38-45)
2010 Rose Bowl TCU (19-21)
2009 Champs Sports Bowl Miami (20-14)
2008 Champs Sports Bowl Florida State (13-42)
2007 Outback Bowl Tennessee (17-21)
*all team stats through 11/30
