Wisconsin vs. Washington State: Preview, prediction and game info for matchup at Camp Randall Stadium
Wisconsin (1-0) vs. Washington State (1-0)
When: 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Camp Randall Stadium.
TV: Fox with Jason Benetti (play-by-play), Brock Huard (analysis).
Radio: AM-920 in Milwaukee and a state network with Matt Lepay (play-by-play), Mike Lucas (analysis) and Mark Tauscher (analysis).
Line: UW by 17½.
Series: UW leads, 2-0.
Coaches: UW’s Paul Chryst (66-23, eighth season; 85-42, 11th overall) vs. Washington State’s Jake Dickert (4-2, second season overall).
FOUR THINGS TO WATCH WHEN WISCONSIN PLAYS WASHINGTON ST.
How will UW’s secondary handle the Cougars’ air attack?
Washington State’s offense doesn’t feature tight ends or fullbacks. The Cougars prefer to attack with three, four and five wide receivers. They passed 41 times and ran 25 times in their Week 1 victory over Idaho. Quarterback Cameron Ward completed 26 of 41 attempts for 228 yards and three touchdowns in the 24-17 victory. He can take off and run but generally tries to stay in the pocket and give his receivers time to work free. Tailback Nakia Watson, who played two seasons at UW, rushed 18 times for 117 yards and is a legitimate threat if UW defenders don’t control their gaps. The No. 1 issue for UW could be secondary depth. Safety Hunter Wohler (leg) is expected to miss several weeks. Cornerbacks Alexander Smith and Justin Clark, both held out of the opener because of hamstring injuries, could sit again this week.
Graham Mertz’s bodyguards will be tested
UW quarterback Graham Mertz completed 14 of 16 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown in the opener, in part because the pass protection was above average. He was sacked two times and scrambled out of the pocket on two other plays but usually had a clean pocket from which to survey the field. Washington State’s pass rush is more disruptive than Illinois State’s. Five players had at least one sack in the opener and the Cougars recorded seven overall in their victory over Idaho. Yes, UW’s line is much more talented than Idaho’s unit. But the Cougars will try to speed up Mertz and make him force throws into tighter windows.
Can UW flourish in the red zone in Week 2?
UW struggled to score touchdowns in the red zone in 2021, though the results were better in the opener last week. The Badgers last season scored 20 touchdowns on 37 red-zone trips in league play and scored 28 touchdowns on 42 overall red-zone chances. They scored three touchdowns on four red-zone chances in the opener against Illinois State — a 1-yard run by Braelon Allen, a 16-yard pass from Mertz to Chimere Dike and a 1-yard run by Isaac Guerendo. That was against an FCS foe. Can UW enjoy similar success against a Pacific 12 foe with better talent?
Will the punt-return unit provide UW a spark?
UW’s coaches want more big plays from the punt returners this season. Dean Engram had only two chances for returns on seven punts in the opener and didn’t fare well. He lost 7 yards on his first return and gained nothing on his second return. Washington State’s Nick Haberer punted four times in the opener and Idaho managed just one return, for 1 yard.
History lesson: UW and Washington State have met twice previously
UW and Washington State met in 1976 and 2007, both times at Camp Randall Stadium.
Bret Bielema was in his second season as UW’s head coach when the teams met in 2007.
Tyler Donovan, a standout from Arrowhead High School, was UW’s starting quarterback.
Luke Swan, who joined the program as a walk-on from Fennimore, was the team’s No. 1 wide receiver.
Donovan and Swan had huge days to lead UW to a 42-21 victory over the Cougars.
Donovan completed 19 of 29 attempts (65.5%) for 284 yards and three touchdowns and scored on a 1-yard run.
Swan had eight catches for 170 yards, an average of 21.3 yards per catch, and two touchdowns.
UW also got a combined 144 rushing yards from P.J. Hill (21-84-2 TDs) and Lance Smith (11-60).
Did you know? Chimere Dike's reception in season opener was longest for UW since 2010
Chimere Dike had three catches for 106 yards in the opener against Illinois State.
That marked his first time with at least 100 receiving yards in his 21 games at UW.
Dike’s 74-yard reception, which led to a UW touchdown, was the Badgers’ longest pass play since Jared Abbrederis caught a 74-yard touchdown pass from Jon Budmayr in 2010 against Indiana.
Jeff Potrykus' prediction
Both UW and Washington State opened against FCS foes last week. UW sputtered early before rolling Illinois State, 38-0. The Cougars fell into a 10-point hole before rallying past Idaho, 24-17. The Badgers are the better team and if they can contain Washington State and move the ball on the ground efficiently, they’ll win comfortably. UW should improve to 2-0 with a 31-10 decision.
Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.
DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin vs. Washington State football: Keys to the game, prediction
