Wisconsin Badgers Football v. USF: 3 Big Takeaways

The Wisconsin Badgers put together a dominating performance against USF and these are the three big takeaways from what we saw.

Week one for the Wisconsin Badgers football team is now in the books and I’m not sure that it could have gone much better than what it did. From the opening kickoff, the Badgers dominated the game and came away with an easy victory over South Florida, 49-0.

All-around it was a very good performance for this Badgers team as the offense, defense and special teams units were firing on all cylinders throughout the entire game.

As we look back on what we saw in this game there were plenty of positives to take away from it as well as a few areas that can improve. So let’s take a look at Wisconsin’s three big takeaways from their victory over USF.

The defense was fantastic

Although last year the quarterback play for this Wisconsin Badgers team took quite a bit of flack, and deservedly so, the defensive side of the ball did not perform as well as we are accustomed to seeing either. With injuries and a young secondary, the Badgers struggled to create pressure and force turnovers in 2018.

However, last night we saw that Badgers defense from years past that we know and love. In addition to shutting out USF, they would hold them to only 157 total yards and just 26 yards on the ground.

They were able to get after the quarterback and came away with four sacks and two quarterback hurries. Even on plays that they didn’t register a sack or a hurry, the defensive front or a free blitzer was able to disrupt the play.

Wisconsin also came away with three turnovers, one of which went for a touchdown and they forced another fumble on a kick return but USF was able to recover that one.

It has only been one week, but when it comes to this Badgers’ defense, there is plenty to be excited about moving forward.

Jack Coan’s efficiency

As I said last night in my “gut reactions” article, nobody ever said Jack Coan was going to be flashy but he was very efficient and for this Wisconsin Badgers team to be successful that is all they’ll need him to do.

Coan finished the night 19/26 for 199 yards with two touchdowns, no interceptions and 7.7 yards per completion. Yes, he did miss Quintez Cephus twice on two deep shots but don’t let those plays determine his entire performance.

He looked confident, commanded the offense well, made a number of nice, strong throws, and hung in the pocket to make a play even when there was pressure in his face.

As long as Graham Mertz is on the sidelines there is going to be a portion of the fan base that wants him on the field over Coan, and I can understand that. But Coan did what was asked of him and he did it efficiently. Let’s give the young man a chance, based on his performance over the summer and in last night’s game, he’s earned it.

Jonathan Taylor in the passing game

At this point, it’s no secret how good of a running back Jonathan Taylor is and last night he continued to exceed expectations. On the ground, he would total 135 yards, two touchdowns and averaged 8.4 yards per carry.

But an area of his game that he has been working hard on to improve is his ability as a pass-catcher. Over his first two seasons, Taylor had only 16 total receptions and no touchdowns through the air.

This season Taylor is out to prove that he can be a three-down running back as he has continued to develop his hands, his pass-blocking, and his route running over the offseason. Well, last night we saw a glimpse of just how dynamic he can be in the passing game if given the opportunity.

Against USF, Taylor hauled in two receptions that of course went for two scores and a total of 48 yards. The first was on a screen play where he was patient and let his blockers get into position and then J.T. did what he does best. The second reception was just before half as he caught the ball in the flat and ran over the USF defender to get into the endzone.

We already know what Taylor can provide in the running game, but if he can prove to be a reliable pass-catching back out of the backfield as well, all I have to say to opposing defenses is good luck.