College Football

Wisconsin Football: Keys to Victory Against Nebraska

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:30 p.m. ET

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Wisconsin Football Keys To Victory, just Get Back to Old Ways

The Battle for the Big Ten West kicks off at six at Camp Randall with a lot at stake for both sides. The winner likely goes on to win the Big Ten West, while a loss for the Badgers would put a dagger in any college football playoff hope or Big Ten Championship hope. Coming into this season, nobody really saw this being much of a game. With Wisconsin’s schedule and question marks it seemed as though they wouldn’t be in any sort of contention for big postseason play. For Nebraska, a transition to a new head coach seemed as though it would be too much for the Cornhuskers to overcome after a devastating season just last year.

However, we soon realized that October 29th would be a significant game in both teams paths. For Wisconsin, a win tonight keeps them on the path toward a Big Ten Title and a possible playoff birth. A loss, and the stakes for the rest of the season falls significantly. A loss likely takes the Badgers down to a Outback Bowl bid, a result no Badger fan wants to see again as it seems they end up in that bowl every season. With so much at stake, what are the keys for the Badgers to come away with a Halloween weekend victory against Big Ten West foe? Lets take a look.

Oct 22, 2016; Iowa City, IA, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes defensive back Desmond King (14) looks to tackle Wisconsin Badgers running back Corey Clement (6) at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

Continue to Establish the Dominate Running Game

Since Nebraska has joined the Big Ten the Badgers have gone 5-1 against the Cornhuskers and have done so in pretty dominating fashion in most of the matchups. Wisconsin has always put up big points in the matchup, averaging 50 points per game in their four match ups. While Nebraska is now a new program under Mike Reilly, it is still significant for Wisconsin’s sake. Coach Chryst has been involved in many of the wins over Nebraska, and his offense has always seemed to roll through the Nebraska defense.

Much of the same will need to happen tonight, as Wisconsin will have to pound the rock and make their presence felt on the line of scrimmage. In Wisconsin’s past victories against Nebraska, the running game has always been the key factor. While it would be ideal to have another Melvin Gordon type performance (408 yards), we will settle for less if we have to. The running game has finally clicked over the last two weeks, and I expect much of the for the Badgers on Saturday night. Get Corey his touches, and do what has always worked and the result will likely be positive for Wisconsin.

Oct 1, 2016; Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers safety D

Force the Turnovers

The Nebraska offense has been very balanced in the first half the season, a large part of that is due to the play of quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. In past seasons Armstrong has been plagued with the curse of the interception always rearing its ugly head at bad times. This season however, Armstrong has kept it under wraps as he has only thrown five, and of those throw, they’ve been at much less vital times.

For Wisconsin, a key will be to get the Senior QB to go back to his old ways. Disguising coverage, showing blitz, and confusing Tommy Armstrong will be vital for the Badgers to try and force some mistakes and end drives. While the Badgers defense has been stout all season, it faces a major task in trying to sustain that as they now face a very balanced offense without their key run stopper Jack Cichy. Cichy suffered a torn pectoral muscle, and will not return for the remainder of the season. Cichy was the best pure run stopper in the Big Ten, averaging 13 tackles per game over the last three contests. Without the all world run stopper, the Badgers will have to find a way to make those same plays and not allow Nebraska to keep their offense going. The best way to do that is to force the turnover, preferably early, and rattle Tommy Armstrong to making the same mistakes he used to.

Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Red Zone Conversions

If their is one thing that has made every Wisconsin Football Fan boil with anger it has to be the play of the Badgers in the red zone. Their isn’t any real way to sugarcoat it, its been terrible. Wisconsin has struggled to convert all season, and it has reached an all time high over the past two weeks. In the past, Kicker Rafael Gagliagone has been a nice safety net, as he’s about as sure fire as you can get in a college kicker. However, with Gagliagone out for the season, kicker Andrew Endicott has stepped in and done well in his range, but just isn’t the same as Gagliagone in terms of distance.

The safety net is no longer there, and it means big points being left out on the field for Wisconsin’s offense. If the Badgers can’t turn that around, it could spell bad news for the outcome of this game. I feel this is the week the Badgers finally get it clicking, as Wisconsin Football always seems to have a coming out party against Nebraska’s defense. If that plays out, it could spell a lot of good news for the Badgers as they move into a much easier schedule after tonight’s contest. With the offense finally starting to click on the ground, and a possible red zone turn around, the Badgers could enter the more favorable games and roll right over some lesser opponents that they have remaining on the schedule. If not, those teams could hang around and give Wisconsin football a major upset further down the road in a trap game.