'We just have to find a way to win those one-on-one matchups': Wisconsin's Graham Mertz, receivers will need better connection vs. Nebraska
MADISON – In the second quarter Saturday, long before the game against Iowa took a turn for the worse, Wisconsin faced a third-and-11 at its own 19-yard line.
Quarterback Graham Mertz dropped back for a pass on the play and fired into the middle of the field for Keontez Lewis. The problem was Lewis cut off his route rather than take it into the middle of the field. Mertz’s pass fell incomplete between the hashes and the two players discussed what went wrong as they left the field.
The miscommunication was a symbol of the Badgers’ struggles in their 24-10 loss to the Hawkeyes last week and a key point of correction as the team plays the final two games of the regular season.
Much is still on the line for UW despite its 5-5 overall record: a bowl berth, Jim Leonhard’s push to become permanent head coach and, yes, even a share of the Big Ten West Division title is within reach. But with a trip to Nebraska on tap for Saturday and a home date with Minnesota in the regular-season finale, UW isn’t a sure bet to win either, especially if the passing game isn’t in sync.
What we saw Saturday – 16-for-35 passing for 176 yards and two interceptions that included a pick-6 for Mertz – probably won’t get the job done.
“I’m excited to see how he bounces back because he’s shown that resilience and toughness,” Leonhard said of his quarterback. “Now it’s a matter of getting him to be consistent. He had a stretch where he was playing some really good football, and obviously he ran into a good defense playing at a high level.”
Miscues for the Badgers snowballed into larger mistakes
The miscommunications were lesson on how poor execution can set up a team for things far worse.
When Mertz and Lewis failed to connect in the second quarter, UW was forced to punt, a kick Iowa blocked to set up its first touchdown.
When tight end Jack Eschenbach didn’t appear to know a pass was coming his way on an unsuccessful third-down play late in the third quarter, UW was forced to punt and the Hawkeyes made a 41-yard return that led to a touchdown that following the extra point gave them a 21-10 lead.
If there was any hope for the Badgers after that, it was doused when Lewis didn’t look to find the ball on a fourth-down play early in the fourth quarter after UW had crossed midfield.
They’re the kind of miscues that are easy to spot, but players and coaches don’t often point fingers at anyone.
“Iowa had a great game plan,” Mertz said. “They had a good grasp of what we were trying to work back to on some plays, so I had a couple of misses, a couple to Braelon (Allen). But there were a bunch of different factors that led to that. There really isn’t a particular one.”
Iowa disrupted Wisconsin's receivers' timing, ability to get to right spots
What we do know is that Iowa was the best defense UW faced this season besides Ohio State and that the Hawkeyes’ talent allowed them to present the Badgers with some unique challenges in the passing game.
“They did a couple of good things in terms of doubling the single receiver and then they did different things man-wise that may throw off some timing,” offensive coordinator Bobby Engram said. “The weather plays a factor, but you know, we keep working through it. Graham knows where those guys are going to be and they know they have to get to the spot on time.”
Iowa played physical coverage, which at times knocked the Badgers' receivers off their routes. That affected timing as well as the ability of UW players to get to the correct spots. The Hawkeyes also were able to pressure Mertz, registering four sacks and three hurries.
Iowa did such a good job that part of the Badgers’ preparation this week has been to work on second-level releases, techniques that UW hopes will help free receivers should another defense try a similar approach.
“It definitely was a little frustrating because everyone wants to run a clean route and when you get really physical and grabby it kind of makes it impossible to run a smooth, clean route,” Eschenbach said. “You’ve got to kind of figure it out on the fly.”
The Badgers’ first chance at redemption comes against a revamped Cornhuskers defense that is ranked 13th out of 14 teams in the Big Ten but has shown improvement in recent weeks.
Considering what is at stake for Wisconsin, improvement over last week's performance is a must.
“Sometimes it’s tough in games like this when you’re playing against a tough defense and tough situations,” Engram said. “We just have to find a way to win those one-on-one matchups and make those difficult plays.”
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin needs better connection in passing game vs. Nebraska
