Northwestern had an extra week to prepare for Wisconsin, but the Wildcats may not have needed the time off to realize they needed to stop junior running back Brian Calhoun and his 145.4 yards per game.
“A lot of good backs, they can take something that doesn’t look like much and all of a sudden it’s out the gate,” NU coach Randy Walker said. “And speed has a way of doing that. When you have great speed, it’s a nightmare for opposing coaches.
“I’d like to have him on our offense.”
The game will be No. 14 Wisconsin’s coach Barry Alvarez’s last game at Ryan Field, as he is set to retire at the end of the season. But he didn’t get any breaks in the schedule in his 16th and final season.
This is the second consecutive week Wisconsin (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) faces a team coming off a bye, as it faced Indiana after its week off.
“I’m concerned that we’re playing an opponent (that) has a bye for the second week in a row,” Alvarez said. “I’m not crazy about that. I am very sensitive to us wearing down and the number of injuries that we have, particularly the key people.
“I’ll change the practice format drastically this week.”
NU (2-2, 0-1) welcomed its bye week as a chance for all its players to get healthy.
Sophomore Brandon Roberson, who injured his ankle in the first game of the season, is close to full strength. Senior offensive lineman Zach Strief and sophomore offensive linemen Austin Matthews and Dylan Thiry also recovered from minor injuries.
Senior wide receiver Mark Philmore participated in full-speed drills again this week after donning a red jersey, which limits contact a player receives in practice, in preparation for Penn State.
“A lot of the bumps and bruises and little nicks that have hampered some guys seemingly (have healed),” Walker said.
After facing the third best defense in the Big Ten in their last game, the Cats match up with the fourth-ranked squad this weekend.
But NU counters with the third-best offense in the Big Ten, gaining almost 475 yards per contest.
NU freshman running back Tyrell Sutton is fourth in the country and third in the Big Ten in rushing, averaging 132 yards per game. He is tied with Calhoun for first in the conference in scoring with 12 points per game.
“(Sutton) reminds me of an Anthony (Davis)-type back, very quick,” Alvarez said. “He’s a short guy, short and stocky, very quick (and) gets north and south.”
Sutton is 98 yards short of the Cats single-season freshman rushing record of 625.
The match-up of Sutton and Calhoun showcases more than 1,250 yards on the ground, but Sutton said he is not making a game into a rushing contest with Calhoun.
“I’m not going against him, we’re going against the entire team of Wisconsin,” Sutton said. “It’s not personal, but if they want to turn it into a stage, or something like that, then my idea is to give them a show. But we’re not out there trying to show up anybody, we’re just trying to get a victory.”
Sutton faced-off against Northern Illinois’ Garrett Wolfe – the seventh best rusher in the nation – early in the season, and the two accounted for more than 450 rushing yards in the contest.
NU’s defense has struggled against more than just Wolfe, as it is115th out of 117 teams in total defense in the country. The Cats are one of three teams in Division I that average giving up more than 500 yards a game.
Reach Abe Rakov at [email protected].
