Dairyland Express
Fansided

Wisconsin Football: 5 things Badgers have to do to win Big Ten West

By Brian Sampson

MADISON, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 30: Graham Mertz #5 of the Wisconsin Badgers celebrates a touchdown during the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Camp Randall Stadium on October 30, 2021 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 30: Graham Mertz #5 of the Wisconsin Badgers celebrates a touchdown during the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Camp Randall Stadium on October 30, 2021 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
MADISON, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 30: Graham Mertz #5 of the Wisconsin Badgers drops back to pass during the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Camp Randall Stadium on October 30, 2021 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 30: Graham Mertz #5 of the Wisconsin Badgers drops back to pass during the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Camp Randall Stadium on October 30, 2021 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

Things Badgers have to do to win Big Ten West: Protect their quarterback

On the other side of the ball, it’s equally, if not more, important to protect Graham Mertz and give him a clean pocket to work from. Mertz has demonstrated erratic footwork all season long and gets very nervous anytime he feels pressure. This throws off his rhythm and makes the passing game stall even more.

After a slow start to the season that saw the Badgers consistently rotate offensive line units, they’ve settled down in recent weeks and have found their groove. Mertz had one of his better games of the season against Iowa as a result and it helped provide balance to Wisconsin’s offense.

Home/Wisconsin Badgers