Wisconsin Football 2023

[yourout]

If they could somehow win back the axe and win their bowl game 8 and 5 doesn't look so bad All things considered.

[valpocrewsader]

Fun game. Spotted 'em 14 points and proceeded to outscore them 24-3 after that. The multiple failures on 3rd & 2 / 4th & 2 were definitely frustrating.

[Jim French Stepstool]

4 hours ago, HarryDoyle said:

How does the home clock operator not let that wind down to zero?

I think there actually WAS one tick left when the pass fell incomplete, but yeah.

Had it hit zero it probably would've been reviewed & a second put back on. If this were 50 years ago & in the old Milwaukee Arena, Al McGuire probably would've had the clock operators' parking space taken away.

[Jim French Stepstool]

On the second half drives where we were 3rd & short & wound up failing on the next two plays----not once but twice----I was actually hoping for some sort of run-pass option rollout from Mordecai. With a yard or two to go, I actually believed that was their best chance. Says something about how much things have changed (I did like the set where they basically lined up both TEs in such a way where they were able to act as fullbacks after the snap). Just one more drive to get some breathing room, couldn't get it done.

Some nice toughness from Pauling.

Obviously the defense gets a ton of credit for everything they did from the 3rd possession on, especially with Wohler having to leave. Maybe Peterson turned a corner today, developmentally. And Christian Alliegro looks like a keeper.

The crummy starts just dumbfound me. You see basketball teams come out disjointed or whatever before getting used to speed/tempo of a game, then adjust. But a football team constantly taking a quarter or quarter-and-a-half to get right, that's a new one on me.

In the end, props to everyone coming together enough to, at least, send the seniors out with a home win. 

 

[nate82]

Badgers to play in Ireland in 2027 against Pittsburgh.

 

[CheezWizHed]

2 hours ago, nate82 said:

Badgers to play in Ireland in 2027 against Pittsburgh.

 

AKA, The Former Coach Chryst Bowl

[yourout]

Anyone have any insite as to why Dike had been such a non factor this season?

I know he's had an injury but even before it he all but disappeared.

Really thought he would have a chance to shine in this offense.

[Jim French Stepstool]

1 hour ago, yourout said:

Anyone have any insite as to why Dike had been such a non factor this season?

I know he's had an injury but even before it he all but disappeared.

Really thought he would have a chance to shine in this offense.

I did too. But as the season wore on & I saw all the 3 & 5 & 7 yard routes, it became apparent they favored some of the smaller, waterbug-type receivers for those patterns. I imagine they like Dike for some of the slants & deeper balls, but you see them so seldom that it's hard to say. Then as you said, the injury.

If what we saw from the pass game this season is indicative, I think the days of the bigger, more physical receivers like Lee DeRamus, Darren Charles, Donald Hayes & Nick Toon may be over.

[CheezWizHed]

I think the simple answer is that he was passed up by other WRs.  He was the best of a bad group of WRs last year.  

Pauling has come in and broken out this year as the clear top WR... He was pretty lightly used last year in Cincinnati last year.  Green and Bell are also out there making plays and look more on par with Dike.  CJ Williams is also out there as the 5th WR.  Of those 5, only Dike and Bell (redshirt freshman) were out there last year.  

So just simply... we have more talent than last year. 

[nate82]

Hasn’t Dike also dropped some sure catchable passes?  Didn’t he drop a sure TD in the first or second game of the year?

I feel like he has dropped more easy catches this year.  That maybe why he hasn’t been in as much along with the injuries.

[LouisEly]

Two things - first, when Mordecai got hurt, they ran shorter pass plays for Locke and Dike runs their deeper routes.  Then Dike got hurt early against Ohio State and has been questionable/game time decision ever since.

Skyler Bell was the one who had several drops.

[homer]

It seems to me Pauling is getting a lot of short passes underneath. Mordecai is checking down quite a bit to his safety valves. I think he's only averaging like 6 yards per passing attempt (JJ McCarthy at Michigan is averaging 9.9 yards per passing attempt). 

[Jim French Stepstool]

1 hour ago, homer said:

It seems to me Pauling is getting a lot of short passes underneath. Mordecai is checking down quite a bit to his safety valves. I think he's only averaging like 6 yards per passing attempt (JJ McCarthy at Michigan is averaging 9.9 yards per passing attempt). 

Longo just seems to be one of these offensive coordinators who likes to use the short, ball-control passing game in lieu of the run game. Not just as a result of the injuries to the tailbacks & overall inconsistencies of the running game, either. It's been going on pretty much from week one.

[Playing Catch]

On 11/22/2023 at 4:21 PM, Jim French Stepstool said:

Longo just seems to be one of these offensive coordinators who likes to use the short, ball-control passing game in lieu of the run game. Not just as a result of the injuries to the tailbacks & overall inconsistencies of the running game, either. It's been going on pretty much from week one.

It's been bothering me all season. I get that Air Raid isn't the same as Air Coryell, but I thought there would be a few more vertical routes. I don't go to the games, so I can't see on TV, but maybe they're running them, but they are never the correct read? Maybe the players haven't picked up the offense as quickly as I expected? I'm sure the Mordecai hand injury hasn't helped. Perhaps the defenses in the B1G really ARE just that much better than in the ACC or Big 12? Or maybe the players simply aren't that good, that the receivers STILL can't get any separation. It's probably a little bit of all of this.

My 2 consolations to this season, are that this roster still is pretty young, actually, especially because other than Braelon, I don't see anyone leaving early. And secondly, I forgot how fun it was to win games (Nebraska), when you are no longer expected to challenge for the division title. It reminds me how much fun being an underdog can be.

Now let's beat Minnesota today!

[Fear The Chorizo]

26 minutes ago, Playing Catch said:

It's been bothering me all season. I get that Air Raid isn't the same as Air Coryell, but I thought there would be a few more vertical routes. I don't go to the games, so I can't see on TV, but maybe they're running them, but they are never the correct read? Maybe the players haven't picked up the offense as quickly as I expected? I'm sure the Mordecai hand injury hasn't helped. Perhaps the defenses in the B1G really ARE just that much better than in the ACC or Big 12? Or maybe the players simply aren't that good, that the receivers STILL can't get any separation. It's probably a little bit of all of this.

My 2 consolations to this season, are that this roster still is pretty young, actually, especially because other than Braelon, I don't see anyone leaving early. And secondly, I forgot how fun it was to win games (Nebraska), when you are no longer expected to challenge for the division title. It reminds me how much fun being an underdog can be.

Now let's beat Minnesota today!

That wide open basketball on grass passing game that also features a ton of deep passing routes doesn't look very good when your offensive line struggles in pass protection, and you're facing really good talent along the dline.  

I think the ideal fit for this offense is a more athletic offensive line (wi has always recruited road graders), and a a true dual threat quarterback.  Hopefully another year or two into the roster turnover will yield offensive personnel better suited to play in this style.

[Jim French Stepstool]

2 hours ago, Playing Catch said:

It's been bothering me all season. I get that Air Raid isn't the same as Air Coryell, but I thought there would be a few more vertical routes. I don't go to the games, so I can't see on TV, but maybe they're running them, but they are never the correct read? Maybe the players haven't picked up the offense as quickly as I expected? I'm sure the Mordecai hand injury hasn't helped. Perhaps the defenses in the B1G really ARE just that much better than in the ACC or Big 12? Or maybe the players simply aren't that good, that the receivers STILL can't get any separation. It's probably a little bit of all of this.

My 2 consolations to this season, are that this roster still is pretty young, actually, especially because other than Braelon, I don't see anyone leaving early. And secondly, I forgot how fun it was to win games (Nebraska), when you are no longer expected to challenge for the division title. It reminds me how much fun being an underdog can be.

Now let's beat Minnesota today!

I don't think they've done enough to be able to "take the top off a defense". Throw in the lack of a real consistent deep threat (Dike is probably the best one & he isn't 100%) & the long ball not being a real emphasis, and here we are. Throwing into the short flat just doesn't get safeties to creep up like a constant pounding of 5-6 yards from a run game.

The new staff has, on paper at least, recruited well so far. And just maybe, a year in the Big Ten has taught them some lessons about balance, what you need to do, and when you need to do it. The opportunity is there to finish strong & get the bad taste out of some folks' mouths. If ever there's been a big game between 6-5 & 5-6 teams this feels like it.

[Jim French Stepstool]

2 hours ago, Fear The Chorizo said:

 

I think the ideal fit for this offense is a more athletic offensive line (wi has always recruited road graders), and a a true dual threat quarterback.  Hopefully another year or two into the roster turnover will yield offensive personnel better suited to play in this style.

You may be right. Unfortunately they've hit the jackpot attracting offensive lineman in-state & most of them fit the road-grader profile. It would be a shame if there's suddenly a paucity of players from Wisconsin to fit the current system because going to other areas to recruit is always a challenge. It would be a shame to see neighboring schools knock down the "wall" Alverez built.

I think the current O-line is starting to play pretty consistently, given their talent level. But you're right, it wasn't built for an offense like this one.

[yourout]

11 minutes ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

You may be right. Unfortunately they've hit the jackpot attracting offensive lineman in-state & most of them fit the road-grader profile. It would be a shame if there's suddenly a paucity of players from Wisconsin to fit the current system because going to other areas to recruit is always a challenge. It would be a shame to see neighboring schools knock down the "wall" Alverez built.

I think the current O-line is starting to play pretty consistently, given their talent level. But you're right, it wasn't built for an offense like this one.

And add in the fact that the spread is really a poor fit for Allen.

[nate82]

17 minutes ago, yourout said:

And add in the fact that the spread is really a poor fit for Allen.

Allen is a poor fit in most offenses other than one that runs the I formation the majority of the time.

He does pass block really good.  If he was a bit faster he would fit into nearly any kind of offensive scheme.  

[yourout]

It's really perplexing how they can constantly come out not ready to play.

[HarryDoyle]

Too easy.

[yourout]

4 minutes ago, HarryDoyle said:

Too easy.

Way....

[yourout]

Kind of unnerving watching opponents carve up our defense.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Hey! A stop!

[yourout]

Going to struggle to score without Pauling.