As the Ducks and Badgers begin their preparation for the seemingly fast approaching Rose Bowl Game on January 2nd, it is time to start looking a little deeper at the Ducks opponent. This week, we focus on the Badger offense.
The Big 10 champions were able to be successful this season on offense by having a very balanced attack running and throwing. Wisconsin led their conference in points per game (44.6) Touchdowns (80) Total offense (466.9/gm) Rushing offense (237.4/gm) as well as pass efficiency (186.2) and 4th in pass offense averaging (229.5/gm).
They also were at the top of other key statistical categories such as red-zone efficiency (67-70 or 95.7% of their trips inside the 20 yard line) Turnover margin (+16) Time of possession (31:57) and both 3rd down (85-157 54.1%) and 4th down conversions (7-9 77.8%). All of these numbers would indicate a well coached unit that executes their game plan more often than not. No doubt the Ducks will have a very strong test defending a team that operates both the run and pass so well.
Here is a position by position breakdown of the players and production on the offensive side of the ball for Wisconsin. For comparison, I included the same stats for Oregon:
Quarterback-
The Wisconsin Badgers did well in ‘free agency’ this past season in aquiring Wilson. A quick glance at the stat sheet shows this season may have gone much differently for them had he not transferred to Madison. Wilson has posted incredible numbers and has committed very few turnovers in guiding the offense. The senior quarterback has shown the ability to throw, run, and diagnose a defense as well as any quarterback in the country this season. Badger fans however, can not be too excited that Heisman canidate RB Montee Ball looks to be the next best option at QB. The Duck defense is tied for 1st in the nation at getting sacks (43). They will need to get consistent pressure in the Rose Bowl to force Wilson into making hurried decisions with the football.
|
Passing |
Cmp-Att |
Pct/Efficiency |
TD/Int |
Yards/Av |
| Russell Wilson |
206-284 |
72.5/191.6 |
31/3 |
2,879/221.5 |
| Joe Brennan |
6-15 |
40/53.5 |
0/1 |
48/8 |
| Montee Ball |
2-2 |
100/504.4 |
1/0 |
57 |
Ducks-
|
Passing |
Cmp-Att |
Pct/Efficiency |
TD/Int |
Yards/Av |
| Darron Thomas |
194-316 |
61.4/155.2 |
30/6 |
2,493/207.8 |
| Bryan Bennett |
24-24 |
53.3/164.7 |
6/0 |
361/51.6 |
| Dustin Haines |
0-1 |
0/0 |
0/0 |
0 |
Running Back-
The Badgers have been known for some time as a power running team, and this years team is no different. Despite Montee Ball lacking some size of past Wisconsin backs, Ball still packs a punch and has great balance, vision, and footwork. Wisconsin will run the ball until a team shows they can stop it, and so far, nobody really has. Montee Ball ranks #1 in Big 10 rush yards, scoring at 17.7 points per game, and all-purpose yards with 154.9 per game. James White is also a very good option, but he has been called upon much less in the 2nd half of the season. Russell Wilson can also make things happen when receivers don’t get open down field. His 5 Td’s mostly have come near the goaline, but he has shown ability to break big gains as well. The Ducks will need to swarm to the football and tackle well to limit the type of clock eating drives Wisconsin strives for. Early on the game, watch for who is making the tackles on Wisconsin’s run plays. If Duck corners and safeties are making most of the tackles, this could be a tough match up as the game wears on.
|
Rushing |
Attempts |
Yards |
TD |
Apc/Apg |
| Montee Ball |
275 |
1,759 |
32 |
6.4/135.3 |
| James White |
133 |
683 |
6 |
5.1/56.9 |
| Russell Wilson |
73 |
320 |
5 |
4.4/24.6 |
| Jeffrey Lewis |
33 |
187 |
1 |
5.7/26.7 |
| Jameson Wright |
20 |
98 |
1 |
4.9/24.5 |
| Jared Abbrederis |
11 |
62 |
0 |
5.6/4.8 |
| Joe Brennan |
6 |
9 |
1 |
1.5/1.5 |
| Kyle Zuleger |
1 |
6 |
0 |
6/.5 |
Ducks-
|
Rushing |
Attempts |
Yards |
TD |
Apc/Apg |
| LaMichael James |
222 |
1,646 |
17 |
7.4/149.6 |
| Kenjon Barner |
145 |
909 |
11 |
6.3/82.6 |
| De’Anthony Thomas |
53 |
440 |
5 |
8.3/33.8 |
| Tra Carson |
45 |
254 |
1 |
5.6/25.4 |
| Darron Thomas |
50 |
205 |
3 |
4.1/17.1 |
| Bryan Bennett |
23 |
200 |
0 |
8.7/28.6 |
| Ayele Ford |
36 |
176 |
2 |
4.9/35.2 |
| Anthony Blake |
3 |
21 |
0 |
7/21 |
| Dustin Haines |
2 |
7 |
0 |
3.5/2.3 |
Offensive Line-
The Badgers boast a huge, experienced offensive line that averages 6’5″ and 324 pounds among their top 9 players. Starting 2 seniors, a junior, and 2 sophomores, this group has what it takes to clear plenty of open space for the running game and physically dominate most teams. Despite being among the largest in the country, the lineman are also very athletic and are effective when pulling on run plays and even blocking down the field. While they excel in the run game, they finished in the middle of the pack in the Big 10, 6th in sacks allowed, with 23. The Duck defense will give up some size here, but they will counter with depth and utilizing a deceptive blitz scheme designed to keep lineman guessing. Their ability to disrupt the run game and get to the quarterback will be an interesting match up to watch. In the Rose Bowl last year, a severly undersized-by-comparison TCU defense was able to somehow wreak havoc on a very similar Wisconsin offense.
Receivers/Tight-Ends-
Wisconsin has a pair of receivers that have incredibly similar statistics. Big 10 rankings show Toon at #5 and Abbrederis at #8 in yards. Both have good size at 6’3″ 213 and 6’2″ 180 respectively, but neither has blazing speed. Pedersen, a sophomore TE, has shown his value in the receiving game as well as Ball. The Oregon defensive backs and linebackers should be able to match up athletically, but making plays on the ball will be a key. Both of Wisconsin’s primary receivers possess solid route running skills and sure hands. While these two aren’t exactly Robert Woods and Marquise Lee of USC, they should be one of the best WR tandems Oregon has faced this season. The Ducks will have to keep the 3 primary receiving options covered for long stretches at times. Wilson has the ability to buy time in the pocket and give the receivers extra time to find holes in the coverage. The Oregon pass rush will also be critical in limiting these extended play situations.
|
Receiving |
Catches |
Yards |
Apc |
TD |
Apg |
| Nick Toon |
55 |
822 |
14.9 |
9 |
68.5 |
| Jared Abbrederis |
51 |
814 |
16 |
7 |
62.6 |
| Jacob Pedersen |
29 |
339 |
11.7 |
8 |
26.1 |
| Montee Ball |
20 |
255 |
12.8 |
6 |
19.6 |
| Bradie Ewing |
19 |
241 |
12.7 |
0 |
18.5 |
| Jeff Duckworth |
15 |
230 |
15.3 |
1 |
19.2 |
| James White |
15 |
150 |
10 |
0 |
12.5 |
| Russell Wilson |
3 |
56 |
18.7 |
1 |
4.3 |
| Manasse Gardner |
2 |
45 |
22.5 |
0 |
5 |
| Jeffrey Lewis |
2 |
14 |
7 |
0 |
2 |
| Kenzel Doe |
2 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
.4 |
| Jake Byrne |
1 |
14 |
14 |
0 |
1.2 |
Ducks-
|
Receiving |
Catches |
Yards |
Apc |
TD |
Apg |
| De’Anthony Thomas |
42 |
571 |
13.6 |
9 |
43.9 |
| Lavasier Tuinei |
40 |
441 |
11 |
8 |
33.9 |
| David Paulson |
30 |
428 |
14.3 |
6 |
32.9 |
| Josh Huff |
29 |
416 |
14.3 |
2 |
37.8 |
| LaMichael James |
17 |
210 |
12.4 |
1 |
19.1 |
| Kenjon Barner |
15 |
132 |
8.8 |
2 |
12 |
| Rahsaan Vaughn |
14 |
184 |
13.1 |
1 |
14.2 |
| Justin Hoffman |
10 |
133 |
13.3 |
0 |
16.6 |
| Colt Lyerla |
7 |
147 |
21 |
5 |
13.4 |
| Daryle Hawkins |
5 |
102 |
20.4 |
1 |
9.3 |
| Will Murphy |
3 |
37 |
12.3 |
0 |
4.1 |
| Eric Dungy |
2 |
34 |
17 |
1 |
6.8 |
| Ben Butterfield |
2 |
5 |
2.5 |
0 |
.6 |
| Nick Musgrove |
1 |
8 |
8 |
0 |
.7 |
| Tra Carson |
1 |
6 |
6 |
0 |
.6 |
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Josh White has been a dedicated Duck fan since the Bill Musgrave days. He has attended (and lost his voice at) virtually every home game and many away games since the late 1980’s, including 96 of the current 97 game sellout streak at Autzen Stadium. A Eugene native, Josh works full time in Eugene area real estate, helping people buy and sell residential and commercial properties, and also volunteers with Habitat For Humanity, Kidsports and Food For Lane County. He welcomes your feedback.
Twitter: @WhiteHouseJosh
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