Preview: Middle Tennessee at Wisconsin
MADISON, Wis. — Looking to continue its momentum following a 17-0 win over Miami (OH) in week one, Wisconsin (1-0) hosts Middle Tennessee State (0-1) in a non-conference tune-up on Saturday. Badger Blitz breaks down the keys to the game and offers our predictions for week two…
GAME INFO
Time: 3 p.m.
Where: Camp Randall Stadium (Madison, Wis.)
TV: FS1
TV CREW: Eric Collins, Specer Tillman
Live Stream: ">Fox Sports Go
Series History: First Meeting
Line: Wisconsin – 28.5
NUMBERS TO KNOW
1: Saturday marks the first-ever meeting between Middle Tennessee State and Wisconsin.
2: A win on Saturday would give the Badgers a 2-0 start for just the second consecutive season.
5: The Badgers are 5-1 all-time against members of Conference USA.
9: The Blue Raiders are 0-9 all-time against the Big Ten.
2018: Saturday is the first time Wisconsin has faced an opponent from the Conference USA since 2018 (Western Kentucky).
WHAT TO WATCH
Offensive Line Shuffle
Badger Blitz is hearing that Wisconsin will tweak, or is at least exploring tweaking its offensive line in week two. A week after starting left tackle Davis Heinzen had a miserable performance, expect to see 2-3 changes in the starting lineup. Offensive line coach A.J. Blazek could also rotate throughout the game and try and find the best lineup with Alabama looming.
“We’ve gotta figure out what this combination is going to look like,” head coach Luke Fickell said. “It’s a long year. We’re going to need a lot of guys… There will be some shuffling around. We’ll give some guys some other opportunities at different spots.”
Danny O’Neil Makes First Start for Wisconsin
He’s started 11 games at San Diego State. Saturday marks the first career start for sophomore quarterback Danny O’Neil at Wisconsin. With senior quarterback Billy Edwards (knee) needing rest, O’Neil will take the reins for at least one week. In relief of Edwards last week, O’Neil was 12-of-19 passing for 120 yards and two total touchdowns to one interception.
“Last week, I prepared myself as if I was going to be playing. That’s just the only way I know how,” said O’Neil. “
Keep it Going
Wisconsin’s revamped front seven had a solid debut against Miami (OH). The Badgers generated 3.0 sacks and were constantly re-establishing the line of scrimmage, taking the offense out of rhythm all night. Can they do it again against a Middle Tennessee squad that gave up 5.0 sacks and 8.0 tackles for loss against an FCS opponent in week one? No excuse not to.
PREDICTION
Wisconsin wasn’t able to generate a lot of offense in week one, but that should change Saturday. Middle Tennessee gave up 34 points to FCS Austin Peay. The Badgers have also scored at least 30 points in four consecutive games versus C-USA foes.
Backup quarterback or not, I liked how this team responded to O’Neil when he entered the game. Wisconsin needs Edwards back in the lineup, but O’Neil has enough in the arsenal to win this game without jeopardizing the season.
The one thing MTSU did well in their opener was play the run. That bodes well against a Wisconsin team that struggled a bit on the ground and has turned to its backup quarterback, likely making the Badgers a little more one-dimensional than they’d like.
UW is still able to grind its way to a comfortable win.
Wisconsin 34 Middle Tennessee 3
