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Kerrigan next test for O-line
MADISON – In putting together a list of the top defensive linemen in the Big Ten, four names quickly come to mind: Cameron Heyward, Adrian Clayborn, Ryan Kerrigan and J.J. Watt.
Of those four, Wisconsin has faced two, Heyward and Clayborn, in their two biggest wins of the season over then-No. 1 Ohio State and at Iowa. Watt, of course, lines up at defensive end on a weekly basis for the Badgers, earning a number of national honors in recent weeks.
That leaves Kerrigan, the Purdue Boilermakers defensive end, and the third in a line of three straight high-profile defensive stars on the schedule for UW. While the other three may get more press, Kerrigan could very well be the best of the bunch.
“To this day, I think that Ryan Kerrigan, their defensive end, is probably one of the premier players in our league,” Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema said. “I really thought last year he was at a whole other level. [He] plays extremely hard, extremely gifted.”
Through eight games this season, Kerrigan leads the Big Ten in several defensive categories, including sacks with 7.5 and tackles for loss with 18.5. Ranking fourth and second in those categories, respectively, is Watt with five sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss.
Kerrigan’s three forced fumbles also tie him with Michigan State’s Greg Jones for the most in the conference, with the Boilermakers having played one fewer game than MSU. With 49 tackles and a 6.1 tackles per game average, Kerrigan is 21st in the conference, while Watt ranks 47th.
“I probably went up against him once or twice, maybe,” said John Moffitt, referring to Kerrigan. “Obviously he’s very strong, and he’s got a little bit of speed to him, too. He’s not just a bull rush guy. He’s a good player, he plays hard and that’s evident when you watch him on film for sure.”
Against the Badgers, the top performer among Heyward, Clayborn and Kerrigan last season was Kerrigan, who had a game-high nine tackles, 2.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks.
In his last two games against UW, Clayborn has 11 tackles, three for loss, and two sacks. For Heyward, the last two battles against Wisconsin have yielded nine tackles, 2.5 for loss and one sack.
Having faced all three, how does Gabe Carimi assess their abilites?
“I’d say Heyward is more of a bull [rusher], Clayborn would be a speed and bull guy, and Kerrigan is a motor guy,” Carimi said. “He’ll keep driving his legs, moving around, ripping under and twisting his body. I think he gives unbelievable effort on film and that’s why I think he might be a better defensive end.”
Having come away with victories over the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes this season, while limiting Heyward and Clayborn along the way, the Badgers now turn their focus toward Kerrigan and the Boilermakers.
While they certainly respect Kerrigan and consider him among the conference’s elite, the Wisconsin offensive line has plenty of reason to believe they’ll come out on top when they head to West Lafayette, Ind., for Saturday’s contest.
“I know he’s a great defensive end, and I think he is the best in the conference,” Carimi said. “But I’m coming in there with a little bit of confidence and trying to pull out a solid performance against him.”nd, ripping under and twisting his body. I think he gives unbelievable effort on film and that’s why I think he might be a better defensive end.”
Having come away with victories over the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes this season, while limiting Heyward and Clayborn along the way, the Badgers now turn their focus toward Kerrigan and the Boilermakers.
While they certainly respect Kerrigan and consider him among the conference’s elite, the Wisconsin offensive line has plenty of reason to believe they’ll come out on top when they head to West Lafayette, Ind., for Saturday’s contest.
“I know he’s a great defensive end, and I think he is the best in the conference,” Carimi said. “But I’m coming in there with a little bit of confidence and trying to pull out a solid performance against him.”
Clay ready for Boilermakers
MADISON – It’s no secret that most Wisconsin fans would like to see running back John Clay play at less than his current weight. Sometimes, though, his 6-foot-1, 248-pound frame works to his advantage.
For instance, while it can be easy to find a speedy member of the scout team that will make guys miss, it’s a little tougher to replicate a guy of Clay’s size with the speed and running ability that he possesses.
A year ago, that translated into 24-carry, 123-yard, three-touchdown performance for Clay in the Badgers’ impressive 37-0 victory over Purdue. Just two weeks earlier, Purdue had limited Ohio State to just 66 yards on 28 carries as they knocked off the seventh-ranked Buckeyes.
“Just coming straight downhill,” Clay said of what worked for him against the Boilermakers. “They’re a spread team, so they’re used to seeing the spread in practice every day. Having our big guys up front and me coming downhill, I think it’s kind of hard for them to simulate that.”
Against two of the top defenses in the conference, Ohio State and Iowa, the Badgers’ No. 1 running back put up two of his most impressive performances of the season. Rushing a combined 45 times, Clay picked up 195 yards while reaching the end zone four times.
Having reestablished himself as the top option out of the backfield, and especially with James White coming back from injury, it would come as no surprise to see Clay get a significant majority of the carries Saturday in West Lafayette, Ind.
While White’s shifty, speedy style usually works as a good change of pace for Wisconsin, a heavy dose of the bigger, stronger Clay could be in the Badgers’ game plan this week.
Is Clay ready for a potentially increased workload this week?
“Yeah. You know, James is trying to come back from an injury, and I’m putting the bulk on my shoulders,” Clay said. “I got the rest I needed, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Clay missed some time during the Badgers’ 31-30 victory at Kinnick Stadium himself, which led to the opportunity for Montee Ball to stretch the ball across the goal line for the game-winning score in the fourth quarter.
Ten days removed from that physically and emotionally draining battle with the Hawkeyes, Clay said he’s ready to go against the Boilermakers. He did not, however, hesitate to acknowledge the importance of the bye week.
“It was some much needed time. Just getting my body back right and just giving us a chance to really get ready for Purdue,” Clay said. “I feel I’m about 100 percent. My ankles are good, that rest we had really helped a lot of people on the team that needed to rest to finish the season out strong.”
Tolzien makes most of 2nd chances
MADISON – Last season, in his first year as the Badgers’ starting quarterback, Scott Tolzien turned in his worst performances in consecutive weeks against Ohio State and Iowa, the Big Ten’s two toughest defenses.
A year later, Tolzien has recorded back-to-back strong performances while guiding his team to Wisconsin’s two biggest wins since head coach Bret Bielema took over the program. In particular, Tolzien’s response to interceptions has been a key difference.
“I think I just played within myself more this year and didn’t force things,” Tolzien said. “I just took what the defense was giving me and just tried to be patient and not trying to make too many plays when the situation didn’t call for it.
“A year of experience is big if you take it the right way and learn from your past experiences. Having an extra year under my belt helped a lot.”
In 2010, Tolzien threw two crucial pick sixes in Columbus, while being intercepted three more times in a winnable game against Iowa at home a week later. This year, Tolzien was picked off by each team once, but responded admirably both times.
That difference has not gone unnoticed by his head coach, either.
“I’ve seen his response to his two interceptions be about as positive as you can,” Bielema said. “I noticed at one point, I believe it was second down on the series that actually got to four downs on the last drive, and after second down he was clapping his hands. He smacked somebody on the back. He knew he was going to have success.
“That’s the part that’s probably separated him, in my mind. I always knew he was great. He’s always going to have great academics. He’s always going to say the right things. He’s always going to do the right things. But when things are hard or when you have a bad play, how are you going to respond?”
After being intercepted in the second quarter last week against Ohio State while leading 21-3, Tolzien responded by not turning the ball over again, while also leading his team on a pair of fourth-quarter scoring drives.
Trailing 27-24 in Iowa City, Tolzien was intercepted on a misguided first-down pass, which led to a Hawkeyes field goal and put UW down 30-24 with 8:35 remaining in the game. On the next drive, Tolzien completed 3 of 5 passes while also rushing for six yards.
More importantly, he guided the Badgers down the field, 80 yards for the game winning touchdown run by running back Montee Ball. After Tolzien’s mistake played a major factor in consecutive losses last season, his poise and ability to continue to make plays after throwing an interception was integral in two major Wisconsin victories.
“We got a win, and I thought I played good enough to give us a chance to win,” Tolzien said. “That’s kind of a simple statement, but I think really that’s how quarterbacks are measured is getting wins. Sometimes it’s not going to be pretty and sometimes you’ve got to put more on your shoulders, but whatever the case may be, you’ve got to win.
“I’m not going to downplay it. It’s huge because it’s two big wins in the Big Ten, and to beat two tough opponents like that, it’s pretty gratifying.”
Effort propels Watt to national honors
MADISON – If you asked Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema, he’d tell you the truest test of a defense is its effort on extra-point tries after giving up a touchdown.
That being the case, J.J. Watt‘s extraordinary effort following Iowa’s first touchdown of the game Saturday proved to be the difference in the game. As Watt batted away the Hawkeyes’ extra-point attempt, he allowed his team to win by the slimmest of margins, 31-30, at Kinnick Stadium.
“This is two weeks now that this Watt fellow has played lights out,” former Ohio State coach John Cooper, who is one of the Legends Coaches that votes on the award, said in a statement. “He blocks an extra point and later sacks the quarterback to drive Iowa out of field goal range at the end and Wisconsin wins by a single point. That’s performing under pressure.”
In that Badgers victory, Watt recorded one sack, two tackles for loss, and five total tackles, to go along with his blocked extra point.
For his efforts, Watt was recognized for the second straight week as the Lott IMPACT Player of the Week. The Lott, named after Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott, is awarded to college football’s Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year.
Additionally, Watt took home Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance against Iowa, while also being named the Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week.
“It’s awesome, it’s very cool,” Watt said of the recognition. “I was just back home yesterday in Pewaukee and I was thinking about when I was super excited to be all-Woodland Conference, and now I’m getting these national defensive player of the week awards.
“It’s unbelievable to see where it’s come, but all the credit has to go to my teammates. If you don’t win football games, you’re not going to get awards like that.”
While his numbers against Iowa don’t exactly stand out on the stat sheet, Watt’s impact could also be seen in the Hawkeyes’ game plan, which was designed to avoid the junior defensive end from Pewaukee, Wis.
“They were doing some things, I think, to get away from J.J. just as much as anything,” Bielema said. “But you know, we do some things with him. He’s all over the place. He plays all four D-line positions, so it’s kind of hard to gauge where he’s going to be all the time.
“Now 1st and 10 would be a little bit different, but I always tell our coaches, and our players, that is a true sign of respect when somebody starts noticeably game planning around, to avoid you or, on the flip side of it, if they’re trying to find you, is another way to look at it.”
With the efforts of Iowa to avoid as well as double- and triple-teaming Watt, it took extra effort from Watt just to put up the five tackles and one sack he did manage.
While he did only have a single sack in the game, it also came at a crucial moment, as he brought down Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi for an 11-yard loss with just 26 seconds remaining in the game.
Stanzi and the Hawkeyes were forced to call timeout, which proved crucial on the final play of the game, when they ran out of time after failing to reach the sideline to stop the clock.
“If you outwork your opponent, you’re going to get opportunities,” Watt said. “We could definitely use a little bit more pressure, but we got to him when it counted.”
Ewing developing aggressiveness, blocking
MADISON – When the 2010 season opened, the Wisconsin Badgers experimented with offensive lineman Ryan Groy at fullback. As a result, junior Bradie Ewing was forced into a role as more of a spectator as he saw his playing time limited.
Ewing didn’t sit back and accept his role, however. Instead, his recent performance would suggest he used the coaching staff’s decision to start Groy over him as motivation to improve.
“My guess is, if you asked him, he probably took it a little personal when No. 47 started lining up,” said head coach Bret Bielema. “Bradie Ewing is an unbelievable kid. He is so strong mentally that I think when that situation came up, he knew what he needed to do to get on the field, and he’s playing.”
Ewing did not start a game this season until the Badgers’ fifth of the season, at Michigan State. A week earlier against Austin Peay, the native of Richland Center, Wis., added his first two touchdowns of the season, one rushing and one receiving.
In four Big Ten games, Ewing has caught three passes – one each against Michigan State, Ohio State and Iowa – for 18 yards. Against the Hawkeyes, he added his third touchdown of the season, which put Wisconsin up 10-6 at the time.
Even with Ewing’s offensive production going up, Bielema remains, and understandably so, more impressed with his improvement in blocking.
“Two things that probably have cleaned it up for me, for him, that I’ve witnessed,” Bielema said, “he’s playing very mean, he’s very aggressive in what he’s doing, and he’s probably learned to block on the move a lot better.
“When you’re a running back or he’s used to running the football, he hadn’t really ever trained or been coached up on making blocks while you’re moving, and that’s a unique thing. It’s a lot easier said than done, and he’s gotten really good at that.”
With his high school career featuring Ewing running the ball out of the backfield more than blocking for others, the move to fullback has been an adjustment. Looking at Ewing, you would never expect a mean streak out of the clean cut, 6-foot, 234-pound running back who looks more Boy Scout than football player.
As a result, developing that aggressiveness has taken some time as well for Ewing. Lately, especially with his performance against top defensive linemen from Ohio State and Iowa, a lack of aggressiveness is far from the case with Ewing.
“Bradie is, he’s Mr. Wisconsin. I mean, he probably could be the Governor here at some point in his life,” Bielema said. “He’s smart, good looking, family is great people, but it took him awhile to learn how to become mean. I’m sure he wasn’t – I know he has one sister, maybe two sisters – he probably wasn’t wrestling with them in the backyard. I mean, he wasn’t a guy that maybe grew up and had to be tough or aggressive.
“Since he’s come here, it was last Thursday, I mean, a Thursday practice, and the defense had already gone in, and there’s a fight, there’s a scuffle. I’m like, ‘What, who’s doing that? Nobody fights on Thursdays.’
“Bradie was mixing it up, I think, with one of the linebackers. I don’t know if it was [Michael] Trotter or [Josh] Harrison, but I was just chuckling to myself because it was a Thursday, we’re in half-pack practice, and Bradie’s getting in a fight.”
Replacements, bold moves key in victory at Iowa
IOWA CITY — When talking about his football team, Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema likes to say that it’s not what happens, but how you react to what happens. You can’t react much better than the Badgers did Saturday at Kinnick Stadium.
Two days before a pivotal Big Ten matchup with Iowa on the road, Bielema alluded to a number of veteran players that might not be able to go against the Hawkeyes. Come game time, Bielema and the Badgers found themselves without two key players: Nick Toon and Jordan Kohout.
“Brian [Lucas] hit me up early this morning and wanted to confirm the starting lineups, and I basically said ‘I wish I knew,'” Bielema said. “There was as much as seven of our starters that weren’t sure who was going to play or go or not.”
As the game wore on, Wisconsin lost Lance Kendricks, Peter Konz and James White to injury, while John Clay and Mike Taylor battled injuries at various moments in the game.
Even with all of that, the 10th-ranked Badgers came away with a 31-30 victory over the 12th-ranked Hawkeyes, putting themselves in excellent position in the Big Ten title race in the process.
“Iowa is a great team, and they had a great defensive four up front,” Gabe Carimi said. “We came out there and attacked it and got a ‘W’.”
With Kendricks out, tight ends Jacob Pedersen and Jake Byrne stepped up, grabbing four balls for a combined 42 yards. In place of Konz, the Badgers shuffled the offensive line without missing a beat, moving Bill Nagy from tight end to center.
But at no position was there a more impressive replacement than in the backfield.
Relegated to third on the depth chart with the emergence of White, sophomore Montee Ball‘s opportunities have been few and far between this season. But when called upon in a big moment, Ball reacted better than anyone could have expected.
“I stay ready and kept my mind right,” Ball said. “I’m very proud. I had a talk with [running backs] coach [John] Settle, and I told him that I was going to leave it in God’s hands. God has a plan for me and I just felt like it happened today.”
Carrying the ball three times, Ball picked up 18 crucial yards on the ground in the game. More importantly, he broke the plane of the goal line just enough for the game-tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
With the effort of those called upon to step up in critical situations, the Badgers were able to play the game the way they wanted to, which included a number of bold moves by the head coach.
Trailing 13-10 and facing 4th-and-1 on the Hawkeyes’ 2-yard line in the third quarter, the Badgers opted against the game-tying field goal. Instead, they went for it, and one of two Clay touchdown runs put them back on top, 17-13.
Later in the game, with UW trailing 30-24 late in the fourth quarter, Wisconsin got the look they were hoping to see from the Iowa defense on fourth down. The fake punt call was on, and punter Brad Nortman rushed for 17 yards, sending the momentum in the Badgers’ favor.
“It really did work out perfect,” Nortman said. “Our guys sold it perfectly and I went just about until I was about to drop the ball and it just all worked out perfectly. Once I saw it, I just knew we had the perfect play.”
Between the big games by replacements and bold moves in their play calling, the Badgers put together the most important reaction of the day. Following a program-defining victory over No. 1 Ohio State a week earlier, Wisconsin responded with another major win on the road over a Big Ten opponent.
Good teams pull off upsets at home, but it takes a great team to knock off a formidable opponent on the road.
“It was just four quarters of fanatical effort,” Bielema said. “Great individual efforts by some of our guys, but yet, unit efforts. Whether it be offense, defense or special teams, guys really had a tremendous amount of faith and executed.”
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