Rutgers heads to Wisconsin with hopes of upsetting Badgers // Game Preview

A week after being demolished by top ranked Ohio State, the Scarlet Knights return to action as they travel to Madison, WI to face the mighty Badgers.

Wisconsin is 6-2, with their only losses coming against #7 Alabama and undefeated #10 Iowa. The Badgers haven't exactly been exciting in their 6 wins, all of which have been against lower-tier competition. Regardless, the Badgers get the job done when they are expected to and I am shocked they are not ranked, considering who their losses were against.

The Badgers have been plagues by injury this year, but expect to have QB Joel Stave and star HB Corey Clement back against Rutgers, although Clement is expected to be limited. They are also without their starting center for Saturday's noon showdown.

Opposing Player Spotlight

S Tanner McEvoy, 6-6 229

The high school QB, turned college WR, turned college QB, finds himself as a starting safety for the Badgers this year. he played a little QB last year against Rutgers, but was clearly not suited for that role and Joel Stave has grabbed a firm hold of the reigns there. McEvoy is incredibly large for a DB, which gives him a huge advantage on jump balls. At 6-6, he is a dream height for WR, let alone safety. Going off that point, McEvoy will see the field on offense as well, which is why I chose to spotlight him. He has 10 carries for 81 yards this season, including a 32-yard TD. He also has 4 catches for 40 yards. He will be similar to Tony Lippett of MSU last year, as he will be all over the field for the duration of the game.

How Rutgers wins

Find holes in UW defense

Rutgers most likely can't dominate the Badgers defense. They will need to find openings and expose them for big plays. It will be very hard to establish the run so Chris Laviano will have to step up and spread the ball around the field. This is a game where everyone on the offense needs to get involved.

Convert the easy stuff

This is mainly in reference to the first drive against OSU last week. Rutgers had an opening drive TD, but Chris Laviano overthrew Leonte Carroo. Kyle Federico followed that up by visiting Posta Rica on a 29-yard FG attempt. Rutgers can't afford to leave points on the board against a team this good.

Get the D-Line involved

The Rutgers D-Line has gone AWOL this year. Once again, they get SOME slack for not having Darius Hamilton, but they have been shockingly bad this year. Kemoko Turay has been a non-factor, Djwany Mera has been invisible, Sebastian Joseph has been inconsistent, and JPO has been quiet the past few games. If they don't play at their best, Wisconsin will once again have a field day running the ball against the Scarlet Knights.

How Rutgers loses

New Format: Bullet points!!

• Failure to effectively punt the football
• Failure to execute competent kickoffs
• Failure to make easy throws
• Failure to coach the game at a high level
• Failure to be creative
• Failure to block a kick
• Failure to win

Game Specifics

Rutgers @ Wisconsin | Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, WI | 12pm | BTN