 |
BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — In the weeks leading up to their 2016 season opener, members of the Wisconsin football team were pelted with doubtful sentiment.
They're too young. The 114-person roster included 13 seniors — the fourth fewest among Power Five schools — and only eight were in the two-deep.
They're too non-descript. The quarterback was making his first career start. The left tackle was making his Division I debut after transferring from Division III. Two of the top three pass catchers had zero career touchdown receptions between them. The offensive backfield was minus a 1,000-yard rusher for the first time since 2005.
They're too vulnerable. The top returning tackler was out with an injury. The defensive coordinator was new. The guy he replaced was working for the fellow on the opposing sideline for the opener. The secondary coach had never been an assistant before.
In short, observers looked at the Badgers, unranked in any of the preseason polls for the first time since 2009, and thought they would be overmatched by fifth-rated LSU, which brought 17 returning starters and the Heisman Trophy favorite to the Lambeau Field College Classic in Green Bay. Fox Sports' Colin Cowherd famously pegged UW to finish the season with a 6-6 record.
Wisconsin Coach Paul Chryst said it was okay that his lineup was young and that a lot of unproven players would have to step up as the season evolved.
"We have to mature and be ready in a hurry," he said.
"I think we are young," senior outside linebacker Vince Biegel said, "but I think we've got guys who've played a lot of games."
The Badgers began 2016 with an air of mystery about them. They were 10-3 the prior season, their first with Chryst calling the shots, but their only victory over a team that finished the year above .500 came in the Holiday Bowl when they claimed a 23-21 decision over USC (8-6).
The test that awaited them in SEC powerhouse LSU was just the tip of the competitive iceberg, though. Wisconsin was gearing up to play the most daunting schedule in program history.
The degree of difficulty for 2016 was unprecedented. Wisconsin would face six schools ranked in the Associated Press top 10 at the time of their meeting, the most in a single year in program history. The previous high was four in 1956, '59, '60 and '61.
The encounter with LSU, with its 16 future NFL draft picks and raucous, well-traveled fan base, marked the first time the Badgers had played a game at storied Lambeau Field, not to mention the first time they played at an in-state venue outside of Madison since 1905.
Normally, an early-season Big Ten-SEC matchup would carry a lot of fanfare. Add Lambeau to the mix and this was a marquee matchup. ESPN's College GameDay was on hand (with celebrity guest picker Aaron Rodgers). An estimated 30,000 LSU fans made the trek north, despite a ticket allotment of just 22,000. And Wisconsin fans had circled the matchup since it had been announced in 2013.
UW proceeded to rally and stage a stunning 16-14 victory over the Tigers, who won a national title in 2007 and advanced to the championship game in 2011.
It was just the fourth time in the modern era, since 1946, that the Badgers climbed out of a fourth-quarter hole to defeat a top-five opponent. The others: No. 5 Purdue in 2004 (20-17); No. 4 Nebraska in 1974 (21-20); and No. 5 Minnesota in 1962 (14-9).
The Tigers featured running back Leonard Fournette, the reigning FBS rushing champion and Heisman front-runner, and a defense that would finish fifth nationally in scoring and 10th overall when the season was done.
Fournette was deemed the No. 1 recruit in the nation when he made his college debut vs. the Badgers in the 2014 season opener. He was largely a non-factor, rushing for 18 yards on eight carries during the Tigers' 28-24 victory at NRG Stadium in Houston.
Two seasons later, Fournette was seen by many as the best player in the nation when he came to Lambeau. He accounted for 176 yards of total offense on 26 touches — including 138 on the ground via 23 carries — but his impact was kept to a minimum.
A year after setting a school record with 22 touchdowns, he never did find the end zone, nor did he go on to win the Heisman.
Fournette, chosen by Jacksonville with the fourth overall pick of the 2017 NFL draft, left Green Bay with one small consolation. He wound up being the only running back to rush for 100 yards against the Badgers in '16. Wisconsin finished third nationally against the run and seventh in total defense overall, which is impressive when you know it faced eight backs who finished the season in the 1,000-yard club: Saquon Barkley of Penn State; LeShun Daniels and Akrum Wadley of Iowa; Jarvion Franklin of Western Michigan; Derrius Guice of LSU; Justin Jackson of Northwestern; Rodney Smith of Minnesota; and Mike Wells of Ohio State.
Wisconsin didn't play like a young, non-descript, vulnerable club.
Its defense, choreographed in part by first-year coordinator Justin Wilcox and secondary coach Jim Leonhard, forced three turnovers, limited the Tigers to 14 first downs, 50 plays from scrimmage and allowed two third-down conversions in 10 attempts.
Its starting quarterback, senior Bart Houston, completed 19 of 31 throws for 205 yards and recorded 11 of 21 first downs through the air. He was going against a defense that knew his every weakness and tendency, thanks to LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, who had the same role in Madison from 2013 to '15.
Its left tackle, junior Ryan Ramczyk, played so well that he became a consensus All-American and a first-round NFL draft pick of New Orleans.
Its top pass receiver, junior tight end Troy Fumagalli, didn't get his first career TD, but he caught seven passes good for six first downs and a personal-best 100 yards.
Its top running back, senior Corey Clement, carried 21 times for 86 yards and a TD, putting him on pace to become a 1,000-yard rusher and a first-team all-Big Ten Conference pick.
Its defense hung tough despite missing top tackler, sophomore T.J. Edwards, and losing another starter, sophomore Chris Orr, to injury on the first play from scrimmage.
"It's a case where, yeah, we might be young," senior cornerback Sojourn Shelton said, "but the guys here don't act young."
"many" - Google News
September 14, 2020 at 02:00PM
https://ift.tt/35GTism
Dream Season: Many doubted 2016 Badgers, including LSU - University of Wisconsin Badgers
"many" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2OYUfnl
https://ift.tt/3f9EULr
No comments:
Post a Comment