Previewing Michigan vs. Wisconsin with a Badgers insider

By Clayton Sayfie

TheWolverine.com caught up with Evan Flood of Badger Blitz ahead of Saturday afternoon’s matchup between Wisconsin and Michigan Wolverines football. Flood broke down the Badgers and offered a final score prediction. We begin with the projected starting lineup for Wisconsin:

Wisconsin projected starters on offense

• #18 – Sophomore QB Danny O’Neil (6-0, 197) — Started two games with graduate Billy Edwards Jr. injured, and played the majority of the 27-10 loss to Maryland Sept. 20 even though he came off the bench. He’s completed 60 of his 85 passes (70.6 percent) for 640 yards and 5 touchdowns with 5 interceptions. Three of the San Diego State transfer’s touchdowns came against Middle Tennessee State, and 4 of his picks have come in the three other outings. Only 10 of his completions have been on throws of 10-plus air yards. O’Neil has been under pressure on 44.1 percent of his dropbacks. O’Neil has also recorded 44 rush attempts for 24 yards and a touchdown; he’s gained 145 yards but had 121 negative sack yardage. Last season at San Diego State, O’Neil completed 63.3 percent of his passes (209-of-330) for 2,181 yards and 12 touchdowns with 6 interceptions.

• #7 – Redshirt freshman RB Dilin Jones (6-0, 208) — Rushed 35 times for 154 yards (4.4 yards per carry) and a touchdown with a 13-yard long, but his status is questionable for Saturday’s game after leaving the loss to Maryland with an injury in the first half. Either way, he splits carries with sophomore Darrion Dupree, who’s registered 144 yards on 35 rushes. The duo has combined for only 6 runs of 10-plus yards.

• #8 – Senior WR Vinny Anthony II (6-0, 190) — Has hauled in 12 receptions for 161 yards and a touchdown this season. He led the Badgers with 672 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns on 39 catches last year.

• #1 – Redshirt junior WR Chris Brooks Jr. (6-2, 222) — Has recorded 5 catches for 56 yards in his first season as a starter. He contributed mostly on special teams a year ago.

• #2 – Redshirt sophomore WR Trech Kekahuna (5-10, 185) — Has posted 11 grabs for 123 yards so far, after making 25 receptions for 339 yards in 2024.

• #86 – Senior TE Lance Mason (6-4, 250) — The Missouri State transfer was a third-team All-American last year at his previous school, according to FCS Football Central, hauling in 34 catches for 590 yards and 6 scores. This season, he’s been the go-to target, notching 14 receptions for 177 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 20 targets. However, his average depth of target is only 5.6 yards, and he’s averaging only 12.6 yards per catch.

• #71 – Redshirt senior LT Riley Mahlman (6-8, 318) — Entered this season with 31 career starts — all at right tackle. He’s moved over to the left side this fall and has opened all four contests. He’s posted a 63.5 overall PFF rating and given up 7 pressures and 2 sacks.

• #56 – Redshirt junior LG Joe Brunner (6-5, 317) — Has started 16 career games entering Saturday, and last season had the third-best PFF pass-blocking grade among Big Ten guards (77.8). This season, his PFF grade is 63.0 overall and 64.7 in pass protection, yielding 6 pressures with no sacks.

• #50 – Redshirt freshman C Ryan Cory (6-4, 308) — Made his first career start last week, with Wisconsin dealing with injuries at center. Graduate Jake Renfro began the season as the starting center but has been out with an injury, and his status for this weekend’s game is up in the air. Cory graded out at 36.0 overall, allowing 5 pressures and a sack, in the loss to Maryland.

• #78 – Redshirt freshman RG Colin Cubberly (6-6, 313) — Has started three games this season, recording a 58.9 overall PFF rating. He’s given up 4 pressures and no sacks on 90 pass-blocking snaps.

• #75 – Redshirt freshman RT Emerson Mandell (6-5, 320) — The first-year starter has generated a 65.5 overall PFF grade and given up 8 pressures, including 2 sacks, this season.

Wisconsin projected starters on defense

• #31 – Graduate DT Jay’viar Suggs (6-3, 299) — The Grand Valley State (2019-23) and LSU (2024) transfer has played the most interior defensive line snaps on the team (96), but hasn’t recorded a tackle. He’s posted 4 pressures, however, and has a 69.9 overall PFF rating.

• #68 – Graduate DT Ben Barten (6-5, 330) — Has made 1 tackle and 1 pressure in four contests. A taller defensive tackle, Barten batted down 5 passes last season.

• #22 – Graduate OLB Mason Reiger (6-5, 248) — The Louisville transfer missed all of last season due to injury, but had 6 tackles for loss and 5 sacks as a redshirt junior in 2023. He’s been disruptive this year in Madison, registering 10 tackles, including 2 sacks, 2 quarterback hurries and 17 pressures. His 17 pressures are tied as the fourth most in the Big Ten, and only three players have more.

• #17 – Graduate OLB Darryl Peterson III (6-1, 260) — Recorded 7 tackles, including 2 for loss and a sack, along with 10 pressures.

• #0 – Junior LB Christian Alliegro (6-4, 247) — The team’s leading tackler has 22 stops, with 4 for loss and 2 sacks, but has also missed 7 tackles. He registered 66 tackles last season.

• #4 – Junior LB Tackett Curtis (6-2, 235) — The USC transfer made 27 tackles and 2 pass breakups in his first season with the Badgers in 2024, and has become a full-time starter this fall. The former Michigan recruiting target and Louisiana native is second on the team with 20 stops, adding a sack and a pass breakup. He’s missed only 2 tackles and has graded out at 87.6 in run defense on PFF.

• #1 – Junior NB Geimere Latimer (5-10, 191) — The Jacksonville State transfer totaled 46 tackles, 3 interceptions and 6 pass breakups as a third-team All-Conference USA standout in 2024. He’s tallied 11 tackles this year, with a 61.6 PFF coverage grade. He’s allowed 12 catches for 248 yards and 3 touchdowns on 18 targets. He’s one of only three Big Ten cornerbacks to allow 3 touchdowns on the season, along with teammate Ricardo Hallman.

• #2 – Graduate CB Ricardo Hallman (5-10, 190) — Has totaled 14 tackles and 3 pass breakups this season. He’s generated a 52.4 PFF coverage grade, allowing 17 catches for 223 yards and 3 touchdowns on 23 targets. Last season, he gave up only 20 catches, the second-fewest in the Big Ten among corners with 300-plus coverage snaps. He aded 16 tackles and 4 pass breakups with a blocked field goal. In 2023, Hallman was a third-team Associated Press All-American, hauling in 7 interceptions.

• #5 – Senior CB D’Yoni Hill (6-0, 180) — The Marshall (2022-23) and Miami (Fla.) (2024) transfer has recorded 7 tackles with 1 for loss and posted a 60.7 PFF coverage grade this season. He’s yielded 3 catches for 46 yards on 6 targets.

Wisconsin specialists

• #90 – Senior K Nathaniel Vakos (6-1, 210) — The 2024 honorable mention All-Big Ten selection has made 2 of his 4 field goal attempts this season, with a 42-yard long. One of his misses was a blocked kick in the first quarter of the Maryland game. A year ago, Vakos made 12 of his 19 kicks with a 53-yard long and had one blocked. He was 15-of-19 with a 52-yard long in 2023. Vakos is also Wisconsin’s kickoff specialist, booting 16 touchbacks on 17 attempts.

• #49 – Junior P Atticus Bertrams (6-3, 233) — The Sydney, Australia, native has 17 attempts with a 43.1-yard average. His 3.9-second average hangtime checks in 14th of 20 qualified punters in the Big Ten. He averaged 45.3 yards per punt last season, ranking second in the Big Ten and 12th in the FBS.

• #8 – Senior KR Vinny Anthony II (6-0, 190) — The wide receiver has returned 6 kicks this season, including one 95 yards for a touchdown in Wisconsin’s 38-14 loss to Alabama.

• #3 – Redshirt junior PR Tyrell Henry (6-0, 178) — The Michigan State transfer is in his second season at Wisconsin and has returned 3 punts with a 12.7-yard average this season. His long is 35 yards, which came in the last game against Maryland.

The quarterback situation

Edwards was handed the keys to the offense ahead of the 2025 season, but he sprained his knee in Wisconsin’s 17-0 season-opening win over Miami (Ohio). O’Neil started the next two contests, before Edwards returned to begin the Maryland game, but he lasted only one drive before he was spotted on the exercise bike and ruled out for the afternoon.

It’s been nearly two weeks since then, with Wisconsin having a bye at the same time as Michigan, but Edwards — a Maryland transfer who’s seen the Wolverines before — may not be good to go Saturday in Ann Arbor.

“Wisconsin rushed Edwards back against Maryland. Admittedly, [Wisconsin head coach Luke] Fickell said he wasn’t ready, and Edwards only lasted 7 snaps before taking himself out of the game,” Flood said. “On Tuesday, sophomore Danny O’Neil said he had been taking the majority of the first team reps in practice.

“Given the way Edwards was moving around on the field in his last start, I’d venture to say it’s still going to be a bit before he’s 100 percent and ready to play in a game like this.”

Fickell has dealt with injuries at quarterback throughout his three-year tenure in Madison, and this season is no different. O’Neil had a tough time behind the Badger offensive line against Alabama, connecting on 11 of his 17 passes for 117 yards and 1 touchdown with 2 interceptions, taking 4 sacks. He was pressured on over 53 percent of his dropbacks.

‘No identity’ on offense

After a failed experiment with air raid offensive coordinator Phil Longo running the show, Fickell brought in Jeff Grimes — the former offensive coordinator at BYU, Baylor and Kansas — this past offseason. But the Badgers haven’t found much success on the offensive side, ranking 117th in the FBS with just 323.5 yards per game.

The Badgers haven’t just had the aforementioned issues at quarterback. The run game has also struggled, with its 3.1 yards-per-carry average checking in 126th in the nation and 17th in the Big Ten, ahead of only Purdue.

“There’s not a lot I can say here,” Flood said of the offense. “It’s year three of the Fickell era, and Wisconsin still has no identity on this side of the ball.

“New offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes has tried to bring the Badgers back to a physical running style, but through four games, UW is No. 97 in the country in rushing yards per game and No. 115 in FBS in yards per rush.

“Battling youth and injuries, the offensive line has been a mess. UW’s quarterbacks are getting sacked on nearly 11 percent of their dropbacks, which is close to the highest mark in college football.

“The best thing you can say about the Badgers offensively right now is they’ll get everyone involved. Grimes does do a good job of pre-snap motion, misdirection, and spreading the ball around. Fourteen different players have caught at least one pass this season, and the wide receivers are also very active in the run game.”

Wisconsin touts the nation’s No. 1 rushing defense

Wisconsin is allowing opponents to rush for only 50 yards per game — the best mark in America. And the Badgers have been tested, too, going to Tuscaloosa to play Alabama, which only managed 72 rushing yards on 22 carries (3.3-yard average). The efforts up front have marked a turnaround from last year, when the Badgers were 91st in America in run defense.

“In the offseason, Wisconsin made a concerted effort to get bigger and stronger in the front seven,” Flood explained. “They now have nine players on the defensive line who weigh 300 pounds or more.”

After being gashed on the ground in their three trophy games last season, the Badgers are getting results. UW ranks first nationally in run defense (50.0 ypg) and fourth in opponent yards per rush (2.1 ypa).

Flood’s thoughts on the matchup

Wisconsin may not be the better team, but stylistically Flood believes the Badgers have to look at it favorably.

“I don’t think you hate the matchup if you’re Wisconsin,” he said. “They’re going up against a Michigan offense that’s going to commit to the run, Hell or high water. That’s strength on strength. The Wolverines also feature a true freshman quarterback. While he’s extremely talented, Bryce Underwood is riding that freshman roller coaster and hasn’t exactly been let loose yet. That’s good news for a Wisconsin secondary that can’t stop anything right now.

“On the flip side, I think that would also concern me. Wisconsin even made Alabama one-dimensional and give up on the run for the most part. But, they haven’t faced a team as physical as Michigan who will stick to that run game and impose their will. It’s a pretty safe bet the Wolverines are going to win in the trenches against the UW offense. UM is top 20 in rushing yards allowed, opponent yards per rush, and tackles for loss. How bad might things get when the Badgers can’t control the line of scrimmage on either side of the ball?”

Flood’s final score prediction

“I’m not writing the Maryland game off as a fluke,” Flood began. “Wisconsin has shown almost nothing this season in terms of being a competitive team in the Big Ten. They struggled for four quarters against Miami (Ohio) and 2.5 quarters versus Middle Tennessee State.

“I think the defense might keep them in the game for a half, especially if they can limit Michigan’s explosive plays on the ground, but eventually that defense gets tired and the wheels come off. Michigan is No. 10 nationally in takeaways. Going up against a backup quarterback who has made some awful decisions with the football this season, the Wolverines should be licking their chops.

“The Badgers haven’t been able to run the ball all season. It seems highly unlikely they start now, on the road, against the eighth-ranked rushing defense in the nation. That’ll put O’Neil in some really tough situations.”

Prediction: Michigan 38, Wisconsin 3