With a 7-0 overall record and the second-best defense in thenation, No. 6 Wisconsin (4-0 Big Ten) is poised to make a run atits third Rose Bowl berth in seven seasons.
But Northwestern coach Randy Walker was quick to say theWildcats (3-3, 2-1) are fighting for the same thing.
“Pick up the paper and read the Big Ten standings,” Walker said.”If you got past fifth-grade math, we’re in the hunt. We have achance. We have one loss, and we’re still in this thing.”
The fourth-place Cats will have to get by the red-hot Badgers atCamp Randall Stadium on Saturday, in front of a Homecoming crowd ofmore than 81,000 Wisconsin fans.
The Badgers are coming off wins at then-No. 18 Ohio State andthen-No. 5 Purdue, the first time in Wisconsin history that a teambeat two top-20 opponents on the road consecutively.
The Cats just had their bye week after overtime wins overthen-No. 7 Ohio State and Indiana.
This week Wisconsin will be missing defensive end Erasmus James,who has seven of the Badgers’ 25 sacks but injured an ankle againstPurdue last week.
Senior Noah Herron, the Cats’ leading rusher with 112 yards pergame, will still be challenged by other NFL-caliber players on theBadgers’ defensive line, including senior right end Jonathan Welshand senior left tackle Anttaj Hawthorne.
But NU’s offensive line, having given up just one sack in thepast three games, is determined to keep junior quarterback BrettBasanez protected from the Badgers’ pass rush.
“You can’t block those guys,” Walker said. “They have four greatpass rushers. They really are. In their own way they’re different,but they’re all very effective. … They have a great combinationof the big, strong guys inside and the real fast guys on the edge,and they’re getting a lot of play out of that.”
The Cats will have to do better in the red zone. In 22 chancesthey’ve scored just 14 touchdowns and three field goals.
Wisconsin has held two of its opponents out of the red zone andhas allowed just nine red-zone trips this season.
“It all comes down to making plus yardage on first and seconddown, picking up third downs and making some plays in the scoringzone,” Walker said.
With the emergence of sophomore quarterback John Stocco, theBadgers’ offense continues to show progress every game.
Wisconsin senior running back and Heisman candidate AnthonyDavis got banged up at Purdue but is supposed to see action againstthe Cats.
The return of NU defensive end Loren Howard, who missed thefirst six games of the season after ankle surgery, should helpstuff the run and apply pressure to Stocco.
But Walker said Howard is not prepared to play an entiregame.
“We have to be smart about what we do with him,” Walker said.”As hard a worker as he is and as prepared as I think he is,because he’s a lot further along than you would think, I don’tthink he can go 80 plays.”
If Stocco can find a go-to receiver and take advantage of NU’s112th-ranked pass defense, the Cats could be in for trouble.
“Stocco’s been playing really well,” said NU linebacker JohnPickens. “They have some receivers that are pretty fast and can dosome things.
But it’s obviously nothing that we haven’t seen before, andnothing different from what we’re going to see down the road.”
Wisconsin will be looking for revenge after last year’s 16-7loss to NU in Evanston led the then-No. 20 Badgers to adisappointing 7-6 overall record.
Wisconsin is the only Big Ten team that hasn’t beaten the Catssince 1999, Walker’s first season as head coach. The 1999 seasonwas also the last time the Badgers clinched a spot in the RoseBowl.
Reach Teddy Kider at [email protected]
