Wisconsin football is back into game week preparation. After a 28-14 win over Western Michigan last Friday night, the Badgers now take on the South Dakota Coyotes, one of the top teams in the FCS last season. It was an up and down performance against Western Michigan that included Wisconsin football trailing 14-13 in the fourth quarter. There is no doubt the Badgers must play better this week. The Coyotes are coming off a 45-3 win over Division 2 Northern State. Game time is 2:30 PM on FS1. Here is an early look at South Dakota.
Wisconsin Football Will Likely See a Running Back Duo
South Dakota only threw the ball 13 times in their first game of the season. Instead, they used the running game and ran for over seven yards a carry. Charles Pierre Jr ran for 136 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns. Travis Theis added 86 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.
I would have to think South Dakota has seen the film on the Wisconsin football defense against Western Michigan. The fact is any team can run on this Badgers defensive line. They struggled at times with Broncos running back Jalen Buckley. I would not be surprised if South Dakota went at the run defense early.
Potentially Dangerous Special Teams Unit
The Coyotes added a punt return touchdown and a kick return touchdown in their win over Northern State. Yes, it was a division two program, but special teams can change any game in a heartbeat.
The Wisconsin football special teams were able to recover a fumbled punt in the fourth quarter, but they did allow a fake field goal to Western Michigan that allowed them to take the lead. The Badgers were caught sleeping in what seemed to be a clear fake situation. If South Dakota is going to pull off the upset Saturday, they will likely try to get a away with a fake as well.
Potential Upset Alert
It was clear: Wisconsin football did not play the way they should have on Friday night. It’s hard to judge an opponent when they play against a division two team, but we know enough about the Badgers that they need to be ready to play Saturday and execute the way they should.
The play-calling needs to be better from Phil Longo. There is no reason for playing as conservative of a game as they did against Western Michigan. I could see the Coyotes playing a similar defense to what Western Michigan did. The Badgers were clearly not willing to challenge downfield. Maybe they take a shot down the field early, but I think the Coyotes will come in believing they can win this game. This is a wake up call game for Wisconsin football.
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