Bucky's 5th Quarter - Florida Atlantic vs. Wisconsin, 2017: Week 2 recaps, analysisWelcome to the unofficial online tavern of the Wisconsin Badgers. Please seat yourself.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47803/buckys-fave.png2017-09-17T13:19:42-05:00http://www.buckys5thquarter.com/rss/stream/160224012017-09-17T13:19:42-05:002017-09-17T13:19:42-05:00Wisconsin drops in both AP Top 25, Amway Coaches Poll
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Florida Atlantic at Wisconsin" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ynlqgQzuqm7wm-AbTlp3d3dxFio=/0x0:2267x1511/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56606193/usa_today_10267444.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The pollsters must want more from the Badgers.</p> <p id="Hk25An">After winning their first two games, the <a href="https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/">Wisconsin Badgers</a> aren’t gaining traction in either poll.</p>
<p id="yUAT26">Wisconsin <a href="http://collegefootball.ap.org/poll">now ranks No. 10 in the AP Top 25</a> and <a href="http://sportspolls.usatoday.com/ncaa/football/polls/coaches-poll/">No. 12 in the Amway Coaches Poll.</a> Voters in both polls dropped the Badgers down a spot in each the Badgers’ 31–14 win against Florida Atlantic on Saturday.</p>
<p id="XYrd9h">After having two teams in the top five of the AP poll, only Penn State (No. 5) represents the Big Ten now. Ohio State (1–1) fell to No. 8 after its 31–16 loss to now-No. 2 Oklahoma (2–0). Michigan bumps up to No. 7.</p>
<p id="EBvVzE">In the coaches poll, the Badgers fell yet another spot after starting the season at No. 10. The Buckeyes dropped seven spots to No. 9 after losing to the now-No. 3 Sooners. The Nittany Lions (No. 5) and Wolverines (No. 7) both remain in the top 10.</p>
<p id="zd2UHY">Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma, USC, and Penn State represent the top five in each poll, with only the Tigers and Sooners ranked differently between the two.</p>
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<p lang="und" dir="ltr">11. FSU<br>12. LSU<br>13. UGA<br>14. Lville<br>15. Aub<br>16. VT<br>17. Miami<br>18. KSU<br>19. Stanford<br>20. TCU<br>21. Wazzu<br>22. USF<br>23. Tenn<br>24. Fla<br>25. UCLA</p>— Dr. Saturday (@YahooDrSaturday) <a href="https://twitter.com/YahooDrSaturday/status/906941876351242240">September 10, 2017</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Coaches Poll is out: <a href="https://t.co/YybpKdALit">https://t.co/YybpKdALit</a> <a href="https://t.co/RAWSJzFm2I">pic.twitter.com/RAWSJzFm2I</a></p>— Dr. Saturday (@YahooDrSaturday) <a href="https://twitter.com/YahooDrSaturday/status/906929608884473858">September 10, 2017</a>
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<p id="dTjovW"><em>[Update, Sept. 17 1:20 p.m. CT: Corrected UW’s rank in the Coaches poll previously. We apologize for the error.]</em></p>
https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2017/9/10/16284094/college-football-rankings-wisconsin-ap-top-25-coaches-pollJake Kocorowski2017-09-15T11:34:19-05:002017-09-15T11:34:19-05:00Lane Kiffin thanks Wisconsin in full-page newspaper ad
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<p>A nice gesture from the Owls’ head coach.</p> <p id="1V4B58">A full-page ad appearing in Friday’s Wisconsin State Journal displays a personal message from Florida Atlantic head coach Lane Kiffin, thanking Wisconsin for its hospitality in the near-week his team has been in Madison.</p>
<p id="19Ttcc">After last Saturday’s game against the Badgers, the Owls were forced to remain in Madison due to Hurricane Irma. UW opened up its facilities to FAU’s program and athletic director Barry Alvarez <a href="https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2017/9/6/16264530/hurricane-irma-florida-atlantic-wisconsin-football-date-time">promised to “help in any way possible.”</a></p>
<p id="e1X7mE">FAU wide receiver De’Andre McNeal also publicly<a href="https://twitter.com/DeAndreMcNeal3/status/906936741600403457"> thanked UW on Twitter</a> earlier this week.</p>
<p id="DOyRxY">Here’s the full message from Kiffin (a photo of the ad is above this story):</p>
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<p id="0eTfOy">Dear Badger Nation,</p>
<p id="GDHS9K">Thank You! You have opened your hearts to our football program for the past six days in our time of need. Every single person on campus and in the community was kind and courteous. The Badger Football Team even shared their home with us and made our stay as comfortable as possible. We are forever indebted to the Wisconsin Athletic Department, Athletic Director Barry Alvarez and Head Coach Paul Chryst for their collective generosity. We wish you nothing but the best of luck and with the rest of your football season. ON WISCONSIN!</p>
<p id="4OIOrL">Sincerely,</p>
<p id="KhqZsO">Lane Kiffin<br>Florida Atlantic University Head Football Coach</p>
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<p id="3Bubhn">Additionally, support came in from some Wisconsin players who met up with FAU after the game on Saturday night at the Owls’ hotel <a href="https://athletesinaction.org/quickhits/why-fau-and-wisconsin-met-twice-on-saturday#.WbhPokFOmEc">to pray together.</a></p>
<p id="XOSGeO">Best wishes to the FAU program and all of those affected by the devastating storms recently.</p>
https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2017/9/15/16314924/wisconsin-football-florida-atlantic-lane-kiffin-ad-hurricane-irmaJake Kocorowski2017-09-14T16:00:52-05:002017-09-14T16:00:52-05:00Wisconsin Freshman Watch: Week 2
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Florida Atlantic at Wisconsin" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/IBrxqxG-XlMUBp2I5Hks_DvjPcI=/0x230:2125x1647/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56681913/usa_today_10276823.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Which freshmen stepped up against Florida Atlantic?</p> <p id="BrcOCH">One of the most exciting things about <a href="https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/">Wisconsin Badgers</a> football season is watching the freshmen contribute and develop throughout the year.</p>
<p id="K1SDaV">Through two games of the 2017 season, both victories for Wisconsin, we have already seen that there are a number of true and redshirt freshmen who will be significant contributors.</p>
<p id="S5pwCs">Each week, I will rank the top three based on their respective positive impacts on the game. The Week 2 freshman power rankings are as follows:</p>
<h3 id="gGi4Xm">3. <span>Danny Davis</span>, WR, true freshman</h3>
<p id="x9Clly">The final stat line for Davis—one catch for 35 yards—does not tell the whole story of the true freshman’s impact on Paul Chryst’s offense against FAU. It’s evident that Davis and sophomore wide receiver <span>Quintez Cephus</span> are Wisconsin’s two biggest vertical threats in the early part of the season. Davis, who technically started his first game against the Owls, caught the first pass of his career on the 35-yard route to the sideline on the Badgers’ second touchdown drive of the game. Chryst also used Davis in motion throughout the ballgame and was given one rushing attempt, a jet sweep that resulted in a one-yard gain. It’s clear that Chryst wants to use Davis’s speed in as many ways as he can, and the true freshman should continue to be an exciting big-play threat in the offense.</p>
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<cite>Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images</cite>
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<h3 id="AyXXyk">2. <span>Tyler Biadasz</span>, C, redshirt freshman</h3>
<p id="VdO9xb">Last year’s starting center, <span>Michael Deiter</span>, bumped out to left tackle at the end of spring camp/beginning of fall camp due to the emergence of Biadasz, who has stepped in as the starter at one of the most important positions on the offensive line. Biadasz and his fellow linemen mauled the Owls’ defensive front and opened holes for running backs <span>Jonathan Taylor</span> and <span>Chris James</span> all afternoon. Wisconsin finished the game with 357 total rushing yards and physically overwhelmed FAU’s front seven in the win. </p>
<p id="FA3BnU">A former defensive lineman in high school, Biadasz used his redshirt season to develop on the offensive side of the ball and has been nothing but solid through his first two starts. It will be interesting to see how the 6’3’, 316-pounder performs against bigger defensive linemen in the Big Ten, but Biadasz has been a capable replacement for Deiter in his first two games with the Badgers. </p>
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<cite>Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports</cite>
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<h3 id="Oyzp9S">1. <span>Jonathan Taylor</span>, RB, true freshman </h3>
<p id="49fRLL">Taylor followed up his efficient Week 1 performance (nine carries, 87 yards) with 223 rushing yards on 26 carries against FAU. The true freshman added three touchdowns and finished the game with a ridiculous 8.6 yards per carry. Taylor was <a href="https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2017/9/11/16288102/wisconsin-football-jonathan-taylor-big-ten-co-offensive-player-freshman-of-the-week">named the Big Ten’s Co-Offensive Player and Freshman of the Week</a> for his performance, and joined Zach Brown and Heisman Trophy winners Alan Ameche and Ron Dayne as the only Wisconsin true freshmen to rush for over 200 yards in a game.</p>
<p id="zLgAem">Even with substantial hype entering this season, Taylor’s dominance through two games has been something to behold. With fellow starter <span>Bradrick Shaw</span> out with a right leg injury, Taylor was given a more substantial work load and was Wisconsin’s best offensive player against the Owls. With touchdown runs of 29 and 64 yards, Taylor continues to show a knack for breaking off long runs. It’s worth noting that Taylor lost a fumble in the game, but the true freshman’s spectacular play the first two weeks has been the biggest story of Wisconsin’s season.</p>
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https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2017/9/14/16297946/wisconsin-football-freshmen-jonathan-taylor-danny-davis-tyler-biadaszKevin O'Connell2017-09-11T12:43:18-05:002017-09-11T12:43:18-05:00Jonathan Taylor named Big Ten Co-Offensive Player, Freshman of the Week
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<figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Early accolades for the true freshman.</p> <p id="7U5tzj">Much-deserved honors have come to a <a href="https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/">Wisconsin Badgers</a> true freshman.</p>
<p id="k7CAYT">Tailback <span>Jonathan Taylor</span> has received the Big Ten’s Co-Offensive Player and Freshman of the Week honors for Week 2, the conference announced on Monday.</p>
<p id="UAGMh9">The accolades should not be a surprise, as the young running back gained 223 yards on 26 carries with three touchdowns in <a href="https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2017/9/9/16280982/wisconsin-florida-atlantic-football-recap-jonathon-taylor">Wisconsin’s 31–14 win over Florida Atlantic</a> on Saturday. It was the first time since Melvin Gordon’s 251-yard performance in the 2015 Outback Bowl that a Badgers player has rushed for over 200 yards.</p>
<aside id="fkd6W8"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Jonathan Taylor enjoys breakout game in Wisconsin’s win over FAU","url":"https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2017/9/10/16281806/wisconsin-football-jonathan-taylor-florida-atlantic-highlights"},{"title":"Three things we learned from Wisconsin’s win over FAU","url":"https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2017/9/9/16280982/wisconsin-florida-atlantic-football-recap-jonathon-taylor"}]}'></div></aside><p id="5uZe6x">Taylor is also the first Wisconsin back since Zach Brown in 2007 to start a game at running back as a first-year player. He is also the fourth Wisconsin true freshman to rush for over 200 yards in a game, joining Alan Ameche, Ron Dayne, and Zach Brown in sharing that distinction.</p>
<p id="Z5S7Go">The Salem, N.J., native shares the offensive player of the week honors with Iowa’s sophomore quarterback, <span>Nate Stanley</span>.</p>
<p id="tWsME2">Stanley, a Menomonie, Wis., native, threw for 333 yards and five touchdowns on 27-of-41 passing in the Hawkeyes’ overtime win vs. Iowa State.</p>
https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2017/9/11/16288102/wisconsin-football-jonathan-taylor-big-ten-co-offensive-player-freshman-of-the-weekJake Kocorowski2017-09-11T12:33:09-05:002017-09-11T12:33:09-05:00Report: Chikwe Obasih out indefinitely with knee injury
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<img alt="Chikwe Obasih." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DiIr1YubegriK2yp56O-WZEZZ4o=/8x0:6008x4000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56545569/DSC_0103.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Jake Kocorowski</figcaption>
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<p>More tough news for the Badgers’ defense.</p> <p id="rHXrpS"><strong>Update, Thursday, Sept. 7, 4:18 p.m.: </strong>UW <a href="https://twitter.com/jessetemple/status/905806316253454336">confirmed via its injury report</a> that Obasih will be out for the Florida Atlantic game with a left leg injury.</p>
<p id="w1PEtU"><strong>Update, 1:57 p.m.:</strong> A UW official confirmed Obasih was injured, but could not confirm the specific injury nor the severity.</p>
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<p id="FpH8iY">Another blow hits the <a href="https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/">Wisconsin Badgers</a>’ defense.</p>
<p id="I360Mu">Redshirt senior defensive end <span>Chikwe Obasih</span> injured his knee during Wednesday’s practice, according <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jsonline.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fcollege%2Fuw%2F2017%2F09%2F06%2Fuw-defensive-end-chikwe-obasih-injures-leg-practice%2F636255001%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.buckys5thquarter.com%2F2017%2F9%2F6%2F16263062%2Fwisconsin-football-chikwe-obasih-injury-knee-replacements" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">to a report </a>from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Jeff Potrykus. The duration of time Obasih will miss is yet to be determined. B5Q has reached out to UW for confirmation of the injury and the potential timetable for his return.</p>
<p id="MsB3qD">Potrykus reported Obaish’s injury “does not appear to be season-ending, however.”</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="B0sFSY"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Wisconsin’s linebackers are no strangers to adversity","url":"https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2017/9/6/16258390/wisconsin-football-linebackers-chikwe-obasih-injury-jack-cichy-zack-baun"}]}'></div></aside></div>
<p id="AeED3B">Obasih has played in 42 games (31 starts) throughout his Wisconsin career, but was out during spring practices due to a hip injury. The loss of the Brookfield, Wis., native is the third injury to significant contributors on Jim Leonhard’s defense. The Badgers already have lost inside linebacker <span>Jack Cichy</span> (ACL) and outside linebacker <span>Zack Baun</span> (left foot) for the season. </p>
<p id="SA124q">Fortunately for Wisconsin, the defensive line is among the deepest on the roster. Without Obasih, there should be four, possibly five, ends capable of receiving snaps. They include fellow seniors and team captains <span>Alec James</span> and <span>Conor Sheehy</span>, redshirt freshman <span>Isaiahh Loudermilk</span> (who had his first career sack on Friday), and potentially redshirt junior <span>Billy Hirschfeld</span> (who was not on the depth chart but played in 12 games last year).</p>
<p id="B5PBxV">Sophomore <span>Garrett Rand</span> also played end during the spring, though he moved back to nose tackle and received snaps in Wisconsin’s 59–10 win over Utah State.</p>
<p id="LxVxlf">Stay tuned for the final injury report that should be distributed by Wisconsin on Thursday.</p>
https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2017/9/6/16263062/wisconsin-football-chikwe-obasih-injury-knee-replacementsJake Kocorowski2017-09-11T07:51:37-05:002017-09-11T07:51:37-05:00Wisconsin defense adjusts, then suffocates FAU’s offense
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Florida Atlantic at Wisconsin" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/aBZUwHC_qNlngEhL8RAK-edEqyk=/0x267:4037x2958/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56599535/usa_today_10268212.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Badgers’ defense took over in the second half.</p> <p id="ai6gn6">MADISON — For the second straight week, the <a href="https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/">Wisconsin Badgers</a>’ defense faced an up-tempo offense trying to throw off its chemistry and communication.</p>
<p id="Xpk7jD">For the second straight game, defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s squad had to defend a short field and yielded a touchdown.</p>
<p id="gIhRA1">Yet, for the second consecutive contest, Wisconsin’s defense corrected itself and dominated Saturday’s second half. The Badgers stymied the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/florida-atlantic-owls">Florida Atlantic Owls</a> in the final 30 minutes on the way to a 31–14 win at Camp Randall Stadium.</p>
<p id="UpJVY3">UW (2–0) held FAU (0–2) to only 248 total yards and 2-of-14 on third-down conversions. The defense also recorded five sacks and 10 tackles for loss while registering eight three-and-out series.</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="yiO8Tm"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Notebook: Wisconsin’s offensive line shines vs. Florida Atlantic","url":"https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2017/9/9/16281486/wisconsin-football-florida-atlantic-jonathan-taylor-beau-benzschawel-injury"},{"title":"Three things we learned from Wisconsin’s win over Florida Atlantic","url":"https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2017/9/9/16280982/wisconsin-florida-atlantic-football-recap-jonathon-taylor"},{"title":"Grading Wisconsin’s win over Florida Atlantic","url":"https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2017/9/9/16281268/wisconsin-florida-atlantic-grades-jonathan-taylor-alex-hornibrook-lane-kiffin"}]}'></div></aside></div>
<p id="m0lVmg">After allowing 198 yards over the first two quarters, Wisconsin clamped down on FAU’s attack in the final two, giving up only 50 yards and pitching a shutout across the final 30 minutes. Like last week in UW’s 59–10 win over Utah State, adjustments were made that played a key role.</p>
<p id="Ik2Gyr">“I think that something in the second half that we were able to do was we were able to kind of get our pass rushers more at the quarterback,” said outside linebacker <span>Garret Dooley</span>, who recorded four tackles, two for loss, and a sack in the win.</p>
<p id="WBt0Lm">“Obviously, it was able to show in the second half. We were able to get [FAU quarterback <span>Daniel Parr</span>] down a few times and get a lot more pressure. But in the first half, it was something where we didn’t get him into many third-and-longs. It was third-and-shorts where they were doing quick passes where we don’t get much pressure, so I think being able to stop the run, holding them to maybe one, maybe two yards on first down, is something that helped us in the second half so that we could get after the quarterback.”</p>
<p id="QwbiZ8">The game started off well for Wisconsin’s defense, as the Badgers gave up just 15 yards on three FAU drives. All were three-and-outs, and all were 1:36 or under in duration.</p>
<p id="zrUFnG">After Wisconsin’s offense opened up a 14-point lead, however, some of the communication issues safety <span>D’Cota Dixon</span> mentioned after last week’s win surfaced. Even during its second offensive drive, FAU missed an opportunity for a first down or more on a 3rd-and-3 with two receivers split wide left with only one defensive back to defend, but Parr hesitated and was sacked by inside linebacker <span>Chris Orr</span>.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">During the second half, Chris Orr and the defense surrendered just 2 total first downs and a mere 50 yards on 21 plays.<br><br>In a word: stingy <a href="https://t.co/OOnWxDc8wu">pic.twitter.com/OOnWxDc8wu</a></p>— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/BadgerFootball/status/906621518213517313">September 9, 2017</a>
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<p id="NoFkC5">Miscommunication did allow the Owls’ offense to gain its third touchdown of over 60 yards through two games, as Parr found wide receiver <span>DeAndre McNeal</span> for a 63-yard score to cut the Badgers lead to seven points with 3:09 left in the first quarter.</p>
<p id="zNCveh">There appeared to be a disconnect in expected coverage over the top from a safety. Cornerback <span>Nick Nelson</span> stayed underneath, which allowed McNeal to get behind him for the score.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">ICYMI: Parr hits a wide open DeAndre McNeal for 63 yard TD. <a href="https://t.co/yABErObhCk">pic.twitter.com/yABErObhCk</a></p>— FAU Football (@FAU_Football) <a href="https://twitter.com/FAU_Football/status/906565598813048832">September 9, 2017</a>
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<p id="48PuHW">“I was over there. I was in the nickel,” said Tindal, who noted the corner thought he would receive help deep. “I ain’t really going to tell all of our plays, but it was relayed to me, but I should have done a better job relaying it to the corner, and I didn’t. It turned into a big play, but we got to fix that.”</p>
<p id="pvRNgI">Wisconsin’s defense allowed another long completion from Parr to McNeal for 35 yards down to the UW 18-yard line after going up 21–7 midway through the second quarter. Yet the defense held, and with FAU’s field goal attempt botched, it dodged a bullet.</p>
<p id="7UBLLW">After an <span>Alex Hornibrook</span> interception two plays later allowed FAU to start at UW’s 27-yard line, the Badgers’ defense was forced on short rest to try to hold once again.</p>
<p id="RTQ2wW">Similar to last weekend when Utah State notched a deep score on the ground, FAU drove down the field in five plays and a <span>Devin Singletary</span> one-yard touchdown run made it 21–14.</p>
<p id="Srvwfo">“I think whenever we’re put in that situation, I think our energy and our mindset just needs to change fast,” said Orr, who finished the game with a team-leading eight tackles. “When you’re on the bench, you’re expecting the offense to keep driving. When you get third down, then you get alerted to it, but when it’s a quick turnover, then your whole mindset has to switch from relaxing a little bit to getting your energy back up and get ready to capitalize, so I think that’s all it is.”</p>
<p id="E1nmCp">After allowing six yards a play in the first half—and 11.7 yards per pass attempt due to the long completions—Wisconsin’s defense allowed only 50 yards on 21 plays (under 2.4 per attempt).</p>
<div class="c-float-right"><aside id="OnDg5U"><q>“Coach just let us go out and play”</q></aside></div>
<p id="5H2TNj">“We were more in nickel defense and more in man, so coach [Leonhard] just let us go out and play,” said outside linebacker <span>Leon Jacobs</span>, who finished with six tackles, two for loss, along with a sack and a pass break-up.</p>
<p id="hQ5VI0">Yet again, better communication between the players contributed to dominance in the final half of the game.</p>
<p id="yTcx1R">“In the first half, we had a few mental errors,” Orr said, “and we just had to communicate better, and came out in the second half sharper.”</p>
<p id="Le1n0i">UW held FAU’s offense to eight total yards on 13 plays in the third quarter, which was also helped by a holding penalty negating another big passing play from Parr to McNeal. Two sacks by Dooley and <span>Andrew Van Ginkel</span>, the first of his FBS career, also helped keep the Owls’ potent offense at bay.</p>
<p id="SWBFD6">“I would say our communication was better in the second half than it was in the first half, and that was kind of one of our things we talked about at halftime,” redshirt senior defensive end <span>Alec James</span> said. “Getting everybody lined up and ready to play, kind of getting guys’ eyes’ right, seeing the right things and adjusting right.”</p>
<p id="dBSjzu">The Badgers reduced the number of plays the Owls ran from 33 in the first half to 21 in the second. The up-tempo style FAU liked to run and that initially contributed to mistakes was thwarted.</p>
<p id="gHsJcW">“Every time you play a quick-paced team, that’s how they try to beat you,” Tindal said. “Miscommunication, because they try to weigh you down and get you tired. But once you go and hit them in the mouth, they’re going to slow down and things are going to get a lot easier. Then you just got to do a good job, come out strong, communicate to a fast-paced team. I feel like we adjusted, and as you can see, they slowed down the tempo on their offense.”</p>
<p id="OPLwkB">Next week will be a test at BYU, but Wisconsin expects to continue to build upon the positives while learning from their mistakes on both sides of the ball.</p>
<p id="xBJMAS">For Leonhard’s defense, those words—<em>communication, communicate</em>—once again permeate as the focal point.</p>
<p id="37KHxr">“I just want to see more communication out of all of us, myself included, but I feel like that’s going to come,” Tindal said. “Basically, I feel like we’re playing well, we’re sticking with our technique and sticking with what coach Leonhard taught us.”</p>
https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2017/9/9/16247416/wisconsin-football-florida-atlantic-recap-chris-orr-leon-jacobsJake Kocorowski2017-09-11T06:50:31-05:002017-09-11T06:50:31-05:00Roundtable: Final takeaways from Wisconsin’s win over FAU
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Florida Atlantic at Wisconsin" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6NA-vTC5odxdubIQX_Ljnlmrqnc=/0x381:3914x2990/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56614067/usa_today_10268215.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One last look at Week 2.</p> <h3 id="EFDDKJ">The Good: What went well (<a href="https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2017/9/10/16281806/wisconsin-football-jonathan-taylor-florida-atlantic-highlights">OK, besides </a><span>Jonathan Taylor</span>)?</h3>
<p id="PWjWBk"><a href="https://twitter.com/RieseDraft">Owen Riese:</a> The defense came to play. Other than a short-field touchdown and a coverage bust, the Owls were held to around 150 yards of offense. This unit is still fantastic. Rex Leonhard is doing well.</p>
<p id="u5U5rM"><a href="https://twitter.com/olewr7">Neal Olson:</a> Oh boy, this is a bit of a challenge. I can’t even say the Badgers were injury-free with <span>Beau Benzschawel</span> leaving the game. I’ll have to echo Owen’s thoughts about the defense. <span>Nick Nelson</span> showed why he was drawing such rave reviews during spring and fall practices. The miscommunications on deep balls is concerning, but overall nothing that cannot be fixed</p>
<p id="Pikpvs"><a href="https://twitter.com/ThatsSoRyan85">Ryan Mellenthin:</a> I will have to continue with the praise of the defense. FAU was held to under 250 total yards of offense and with the exception of <span>DeAndre McNeal’s</span> 63-yard touchdown reception, the unit as whole played very well. <span>Nick Nelson</span> made a huge pass break-up on what could have been another long reception and <span>Leon Jacobs</span> and <span>T.J. Edwards</span> both played stellar defense.</p>
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<p id="zPzPs4"><a href="https://twitter.com/JakeKocoB5Q">Jake Kocorowski:</a> I really like the bounce back <span>Chris James</span> had from his Wisconsin debut a week prior. Carrying 16 times for 101 yards, the Pitt transfer was the right complement to Taylor in the Badgers’ offense. I know I may have been guilty of an unprecedented hype train after seeing him in the spring, but he showed why he could be an extremely valuable asset to Paul Chryst’s scheme.</p>
<h3 id="ev4qqj">The Bad: Where are there improvements to be made? There are a few.</h3>
<p id="VrAtjF"><strong>Owen:</strong> The passing game was very hit-or-miss and the offense was very stagnant for large portions of the game. Against opponents better than Florida Atlantic, the offense can't be as absent as it was for big stretches of the game. </p>
<p id="gpwrIM"><strong>Neal:</strong> Coming up empty on the goal line against Florida Atlantic is a major disappointment. Chryst is too dynamic of a play caller to attempt four straight running plays with everyone in tight. This felt like a challenge to the offensive line to assert themselves over a defensive line they outweighed substantially. The fact they got stuffed is a bit alarming. The Owls will likely not be the best defensive team the Badgers face this season, so they can ill afford such lackluster outings by the offense.</p>
<p id="jls3tn"><strong>Ryan:</strong> The biggest thing for me would be the ball security. Through two games, Wisconsin has four turnovers. While Wisconsin’s defense can force them with the best of them (turnover margin is even right now, after four takeaways against Utah State), as the season progresses, teams will be more and more likely to be able to cash in on Wisconsin’s turnovers. Another surprise was when Wisconsin was stuffed on 4th-and-goal. I was very surprised to not see <span>Alec Ingold</span> or <span>Austin Ramesh</span> get a chance at punching it in.</p>
<p id="XKI4oZ"><strong>Jake:</strong> All are great answers. I’m still intrigued by the communication on this defense. A lot of talk after the game about the adjustments at halftime included the words <em>communicate</em> or <em>communication. </em>The potential for this defense is there, and the fact that they adapted quickly at halftime to only allow 50 yards in the final 30 minutes shows they’re capable of shut-down capabilities. They have racked up 18 tackles for loss in two games, so we’ll see what they can do on Saturday against a struggling BYU offense on the road.</p>
<h3 id="jNyeB4">Game balls. Taylor already gets one. Who ya got?</h3>
<p id="PjtDYj"><strong>Owen:</strong> T.J. Edwards came to play against the Owls. He's really taken over as the leader of the defense since <span>Jack Cichy’s</span> injury, and the redshirt junior has been lowering the boom on unsuspecting victims. </p>
<p id="vG48ZJ"><strong>Neal:</strong> <span>Quintez Cephus’s</span> stat line does not jump off the page. However, he has clearly established himself as the best, most consistent game-breaker in the passing game. <span>Troy Fumagalli</span> remains the safety value and go-to on third down, but Cephus brings the ability to stretch the defense vertically. His leaping grab on the under-thrown ball is an ability sorely lacking from Badgers receivers since Jared Abbrederis. He will not always have monster numbers, but his presence should do wonders to open up the offense as a whole.</p>
<p id="8V81Uw"><strong>Ryan:</strong> Fumagalli gets my game ball this week. The senior hauled in a career-high eight receptions and one score, coming up just short of his third career 100-yard game. </p>
<p id="6ZnRp9"><strong>Jake:</strong> <a href="https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2017/9/10/16282370/wisconsin-football-florida-atlantic-hurriance-irma-jonathan-taylor">I listed them</a> in my B5Q5Q on Sunday morning. For this one, I’ll go with inside linebacker <span>Chris Orr</span>. He led the team in tackles on Saturday (eight) and also recorded a sack. Right now, he leads the team through two games in that former category (15). He has certainly stepped up, along with Edwards and <span>Ryan Connelly</span>, to pick up the slack with Cichy out for the season.</p>
<h3 id="LqhDAg">BYU: What are the early keys to Wisconsin coming around with a road win?</h3>
<p id="VPEvQZ"><strong>Owen:</strong> The Badgers have to match the physicality the Cougars will bring early. Provo is a sneaky hostile environment, and the Badgers will have to earn a victory, and could come away with a loss if they're not careful.</p>
<p id="ROGabc"><strong>Neal:</strong> As Owen noted, BYU is not a team to overlook despite the record and lackluster efforts. The Cougars always have a handful of NFL-caliber players on the roster and are no stranger to big-time college football. Wisconsin has been able to overcome some horrendous-looking turnovers in their home games, but giving the ball away on the road is a recipe for disaster, especially for this Badger team looking for 60 minutes of consistent play.</p>
<p id="hjXQLw"><strong>Ryan:</strong> Like I said previously, Wisconsin will need to improve their ball security against the Cougars. BYU is a team that could turn a Wisconsin turnover into points, especially in front of their home crowd. Also, BYU is going to be a hungry team sitting at 1–2, looking for a way to stop the bleeding and get back in the win column.</p>
<p id="3XOoXK"><strong>Jake:</strong> It sounds simple and cliché, but let’s be honest—if they avoid the mental errors and don’t beat themselves (penalties, drops, communication miscues), they should beat BYU. Yes, the Cougars faced the likes of Dave Aranda’s LSU defense and a ranked (coaches poll) Utah squad, but their offense did not look impressive (263 yards vs. the Utes). If they clean up their own mistakes, they should come out of Provo undefeated heading into the bye week.</p>
https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2017/9/11/16285000/wisconsin-football-fau-jonathan-taylor-quintez-cephus-tj-edwards-leon-jacobsJake Kocorowski2017-09-10T17:02:28-05:002017-09-10T17:02:28-05:00B5Q5Q: Thoughts on Hurricane Irma, Wisconsin’s win over FAU
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<img alt="NCAA Football: Florida Atlantic at Wisconsin" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5vttXgwmlCKaoJHZeaoZDKcRL5c=/323x0:2548x1483/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56604239/usa_today_10267439.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Our thoughts are with everyone who may be affected by the storm.</p> <h3 id="ZVT6Mt">Football and a hurricane</h3>
<p id="wwPfMU">Currently, I sit on a couch on the far west side of Madison, watching <span>Baker Mayfield</span> <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/9/9/16281936/oklahoma-ohio-state-final-score-flag-planting-2017">plant the Oklahoma flag on the Ohio State “O”</a> (#Savage).</p>
<p id="19UdVv">It’s been a long week between my day career and covering the game, but I’m thankful. I’m fortunate, and I know at the moment that within 12 hours I won’t have a Category 3 or 4 hurricane bearing down on my home, my community, my state.</p>
<p id="uj6vjr">I haven’t always been a Wisconsinite, and as much as I’m forever grateful for my grandma reeling my sister and I up here for a summer that kickstarted our exodus back to this wonderful state, my heart always holds a special place for southwest Florida.</p>
<p id="wLmBtP">As a teenager, I lived for four years in Cape Coral, Fla., and despite my family losing much financially during that time, I was forever shaped by my experiences, my education (both academic and social), and my friends who became family.</p>
<p id="mTPnVh">I still keep in touch with many of my friends back “home,” though not as much as I want to. Now, they’re nearly directly in the path of a direct hit from Hurricane Irma. There have been some who have evacuated ahead of the storm, but a lot who haven’t due to work obligations or other circumstances. My cousin’s also in law enforcement up in northeastern Florida, who will be working to ensure the citizens he watches over are taken care of.</p>
<p id="6InXVB">Many Florida football teams had their games canceled or rescheduled this week, but Florida Atlantic made a trip up to Madison to take on Wisconsin on Saturday.</p>
<p id="TDwjdi">Now, <a href="http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/20650458/fau-owls-stay-wisconsin-indefinitely-due-hurricane-irma">according to a report</a> from ESPN’s Myron Medcalf, head coach Lane Kiffin and his team will stay in Madison indefinitely. You can only imagine what the program has gone through with the varying forecasts, which now have the eye of the storm hitting the Gulf Coast-side of the state. </p>
<p id="DoktzO">This post-game quote from Kiffin about preparing for the game with the hurricane coming, which will affect the entire state with rain, winds, and storm surge due to its size, was telling:</p>
<p id="tAXOje">“Obviously, there’s a lot going on. We didn’t know if we were coming. At one point, I thought we weren’t coming. Our players didn’t want to come because there’s a lot of players not wanting to their leave their families. You’ve got kids coming into the office saying, ‘Coach, I know it’s a football game but I’m really the only one to take care of my grandma. We don’t know what’s coming.’ But there was a decision made to come play so with all of those distractions, I thought the guys stayed together in a difficult situation.”</p>
<p id="4g8NFi">It’s not just the Owls who had their sights on the weather. The Badgers have Florida natives like free safety <span>Natrell Jamerson</span> (Ocala) and cornerbacks <span>Derrick Tindal</span> (Fort Lauderdale) and <span>Dontye Carriere-Williams</span> (Miami).</p>
<p id="snL3dF">Tindal, who said he has gone through a couple of hurricanes before, admitted he caught himself thinking about his family and the situation.</p>
<p id="tTjuTA">“All the concerns I had to just push to the side for today,” Tindal said. “My dad and them were still able to watch the game with the power still on.”</p>
<p id="vQHj50">When asked again later, the senior defensive back elaborated further on the past couple of days.</p>
<p id="nxYv4T">“I’ve been nervous a lot, but I know my family is a strong family and they’ll stick together,” Tindal said. “My dad, he’s a strong person and he’s like the leader of the family, so he’ll take care of them.”</p>
<p id="MrSSvT">These situations make you realize football is just a game, and kudos to Wisconsin for assisting Florida Atlantic’s football team. To everyone in Florida who has been and will be affected by this disastrous storm, be safe and prepared, and know we’ll be there for you.</p>
<h3 id="aS6aEr">Play of the game</h3>
<p id="fDXYft">Wanna start with a spark? Seems like true freshman <span>Jonathan Taylor</span> has a knack for that. Last week, his 41-yard run to start the third quarter jump-started an offense that rolled over Utah State and generated 49 points in the second half.</p>
<p id="9jNgAu">Against FAU on Saturday, Taylor’s 64-yard touchdown run on the second series showed the explosiveness the young back brings to this offense. His 29-yard touchdown on the following drive was also a play of beauty as he made a handful of defenders look foolish.</p>
<p id="VsMt3U">That game-breaking run five minutes into the game got UW on the board quickly, and the Badgers never trailed despite failing to capitalize on a couple of opportunities.</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Is it safe to say Jonathan Taylor (<a href="https://twitter.com/23J_Taylor">@23J_Taylor</a>) is greater than Jonathan Taylor Thomas yet? <a href="https://t.co/7NpkpUmtuy">pic.twitter.com/7NpkpUmtuy</a></p>— Wisconsin On BTN (@WisconsinOnBTN) <a href="https://twitter.com/WisconsinOnBTN/status/906552719212793856">September 9, 2017</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<h3 id="ReFcIS">Game balls</h3>
<p id="4Es6Xm"><strong>Jonathan Taylor:</strong> See above, and <a href="https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2017/9/10/16281806/wisconsin-football-jonathan-taylor-florida-atlantic-highlights">see here for more on his 223-yard, three-touchdown performance</a>. Also see below, where Taylor recaps his breakout game.</p>
<div id="xS60xa"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nDkUgV2cPLc?rel=0&" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="FBG1kj"><span>Chris James</span>: With his first 100-yard game (101 yards on 16 carries), the Pitt transfer ran hard and joined Taylor in making up for Bradrick Shaw’s absence.</p>
<p id="iAqhhz"><span>Chris Orr</span>: Leading the team in tackles (eight) while recording a sack and a tackle for loss, the redshirt sophomore inside linebacker is playing well early on during the 2017 season.</p>
<p id="zDS4k6"><strong>The outside linebackers:</strong> <span>Leon Jacobs</span>, <span>Garret Dooley</span>, and <span>Andrew Van Ginkel</span> each had a sack (three of the team’s five sacks) and altogether five of the team’s 10 tackles for loss. Jacobs has shown he can make plays in the backfield.</p>
<p id="oMDctU"><span>Zach Hintze</span>: Taking over for <span>P.J. Rosowski</span> due to injury (Hintze said after the game that Rosowski suffered a quad injury on Thursday), he booted four of his six kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks. The kickoff unit didn’t miss a beat, and it’s due to the walk-on.</p>
https://www.buckys5thquarter.com/2017/9/10/16282370/wisconsin-football-florida-atlantic-hurriance-irma-jonathan-taylorJake Kocorowski