2018 Wisconsin Badgers football

[Baldkin]

I am disappointed in the use of Taylor. We don't throw him the football and he really only plays on 1st and 2nd down. I mean, he is supposed to be one of the best players in the nation and we aren't using him much. Makes no sense to me.

 

He has 107 touches in 4 games (89 over the last 3 games) How much do you want them to use him?

[pacopete4]

I am disappointed in the use of Taylor. We don't throw him the football and he really only plays on 1st and 2nd down. I mean, he is supposed to be one of the best players in the nation and we aren't using him much. Makes no sense to me.

 

He has 107 touches in 4 games (89 over the last 3 games) How much do you want them to use him?

 

It wasn't about the lack of touches. It is about them being about as predictable as can be. 1st and 2nd down, Taylor run. We never get him the ball in space and we are taking him off the field on 3rd down more and more. There just has to be a better way to use him or a more efficient way to use him. That was what I was getting at. Not the number of touches.

[tmwiese55]

I wasn't impressed at all by this game. GReat to get the W in a tough environment, found a way to do it and that's great. But, they were gifted 7 pts on the punt. Take that away and with 2ish mins left in that game the offense had scored 7 points. That is just not good for an offense that is supposed to be this good, no way around it. Then they put together an incredible drive to win the game and got a garbage time TD. The offense just has to be better. More play actions and passes on early downs, not just 3rd down shotgun passing when it's obvious. Need some kind of misdirection on offense with jet sweeps and fake jet sweeps, something to threaten the edge.

 

D backs are going to be a struggle all year. They still have time to improve before PSU. Michigan you'd expect a bit of a slugfest game similar to Iowa, but they do have speed that could give the backs trouble as well. The whole team likely has to step up big by Michigan.

[nate82]

 

Bad things--the secondary is terrible and will get lit up by the better teams in the east. The only way to compete in those games will be to win with time of possession and running the ball.

 

I don't think the secondary is terrible they are ok if they are not being left alone on an island. If the D-Line would get a push a little bit that would help the secondary a bit. Right now the D-Line is just getting pushed around and I think they haven't even pressured a QB once this year by hitting the QB or stopping the run in the backfield.

[brewcrewdue80]

I am disappointed in the use of Taylor. We don't throw him the football and he really only plays on 1st and 2nd down. I mean, he is supposed to be one of the best players in the nation and we aren't using him much. Makes no sense to me.

 

He has 107 touches in 4 games (89 over the last 3 games) How much do you want them to use him?

 

It wasn't about the lack of touches. It is about them being about as predictable as can be. 1st and 2nd down, Taylor run. We never get him the ball in space and we are taking him off the field on 3rd down more and more. There just has to be a better way to use him or a more efficient way to use him. That was what I was getting at. Not the number of touches.

 

Have you watched RB #2/3 option this year? Its the worst I've seen in over 20years. Also stat earlier this season was Taylor-0rec last season. Maybe because on the next pass play to Taylor he absolutely bobbled and dropped the pass. So he's a 2down back with best offensive talent to score for your offense. Hand him the ball 1st/2nd downs is what they can only do. The Garbage after him dont leave WI with a running 3rd down&distance to go too often. The offensive threats this year aren't there.

[Samurai Bucky]

 

It wasn't about the lack of touches. It is about them being about as predictable as can be. 1st and 2nd down, Taylor run. We never get him the ball in space and we are taking him off the field on 3rd down more and more. There just has to be a better way to use him or a more efficient way to use him. That was what I was getting at. Not the number of touches.

 

Have you watched RB #2/3 option this year? Its the worst I've seen in over 20years. Also stat earlier this season was Taylor-0rec last season. Maybe because on the next pass play to Taylor he absolutely bobbled and dropped the pass. So he's a 2down back with best offensive talent to score for your offense. Hand him the ball 1st/2nd downs is what they can only do. The Garbage after him dont leave WI with a running 3rd down&distance to go too often. The offensive threats this year aren't there.

Taiwan Deal is fine. The Badgers have historically been inept at catching the ball out of the backfield. The problem with the Badgers this year is the lack of imagination from the play caller. At some point, even if they can continually run between the tackles, you need to do something a little different. A fly sweep here, a play action pass there, and things loosen up.

[LouisEly]

You can't expect them to have a trio of Ball/Gordon/White, but the backups are more than adequate. The play-calling and an overrated OL are more the issues. They rarely if ever run the jet sweep anymore; part of it is not having a backup the caliber of Gordon to run it, part of it is lack of depth at the WR position, but it's a very important play to even fake because it keeps the OLBs and safeties from crashing down on the play. I think Groshek could easily run that play, and easily fake that play and run a wheel route.

 

I think very conservative play calling is part of it. They have a formation they run a lot where everyone is essentially grouped together, typically with 2-3 TEs, and I don't like it because it puts all 11 defenders in the box as well. On that grouping they pull a guard/center and a TE and it typically only gets 3-4 yards because all of the defenders are in the box. Part of the reason for splitting out WRs is to spread the defenders and keep the free safety deep off of the line of scrimmage. Turning that formation into the jumbo package helped against Iowa.

 

The OL is also overrated. They're good, but they're not Wagner-Groy-Frederick-Costigan-Havenstein. I've never gotten the love for Benzschawel. Edwards and Van Lanen are definitely pass blockers and not maulers. Pressure typically comes from Benzschawel or Deiter.

 

Lastly, they have the weakest group of blocking TEs they've had in a while. Neuville's been hurt, and Penniston and Ferguson are receiving TEs. Thus one of the reasons for going with the jumbo package - better run blockers.

[young guns]

The conservative play calling has been my 1 gripe for years. I get it we run the ball well and don't really have the passing playmakers, but we've started every drive of the game with a run and need a big play so just try a play action.

[tmwiese55]

The WR Taylor is perfect for the jet sweeps. He was a RB in high school. It also is more deceptive when you have a WR to do it with rather than putting in two RBs.

[burnzy24]

Hornibrook is currently 3 for 12 for 25 yards and 2 ints in the 4th quarter and Chryst refuses to bench him.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Hornibrook is currently 3 for 12 for 25 yards and 2 ints in the 4th quarter and Chryst refuses to bench him.

 

Chryst and Mike McCarthy are two peas in a stubborn, uninventive pod.

 

This Wisconsin team came into the season with such high hopes. Looking like another 7-8 win year and a crappy bowl again.

 

Why they don't give any of these young QBs time is anyone's guess. It is quite obvious that Hornibrook is never going to be even a mid-level college QB. I can't stand his slow wind-up and release and pop gun arm

[young guns]

With how terrible hornibrook has looked im surprised how good the running game was in the first half. Get this team a qb and we might ha e something on offense.

[Samurai Bucky]

With how terrible hornibrook has looked im surprised how good the running game was in the first half. Get this team a qb and we might ha e something on offense.

[sarcasm]Aw, c'mon... Hornibrook is a great quarterback.[/sarcasm]

 

I thought the offensive line played better than the score indicated. Michigan stepped up tonight.

 

Bush-league call on "roughing the snapper." IMHO, it was a game changer.

[trwi7]

Chryst punted in the 4th quarter on 4th and 2 at the Michigan 42 down by two touchdowns. Think about how stupid that is for a second.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Hornibrook is currently 3 for 12 for 25 yards and 2 ints in the 4th quarter and Chryst refuses to bench him.

 

Chryst and Mike McCarthy are two peas in a stubborn, uninventive pod.

 

This Wisconsin team came into the season with such high hopes. Looking like another 7-8 win year and a crappy bowl again.

 

Why they don't give any of these young QBs time is anyone's guess. It is quite obvious that Hornibrook is never going to be even a mid-level college QB. I can't stand his slow wind-up and release and pop gun arm

 

I mean, the last four years they've won 13, 11, 10, and 11 games. The last time they won 7 games was 2008. I mean it's semantics, but you're making it sound like 7-8 wins is an every year occurence.

 

Is the QB play great? No, it's awful. Should something be done about it? Yup. But they did JUST come off an undefeated regular season, barely lost in the BIG10 title game, and knocked off Miami in the Orange Bowl, after playing in the Cotton Bowl the year before.

 

I'd love to see them step up and get in the playoff, but saying "another 7-8 win year with a crappy bowl again" is a gross misrepresentation of where this program has been recently.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Hornibrook is currently 3 for 12 for 25 yards and 2 ints in the 4th quarter and Chryst refuses to bench him.

 

Chryst and Mike McCarthy are two peas in a stubborn, uninventive pod.

 

This Wisconsin team came into the season with such high hopes. Looking like another 7-8 win year and a crappy bowl again.

 

Why they don't give any of these young QBs time is anyone's guess. It is quite obvious that Hornibrook is never going to be even a mid-level college QB. I can't stand his slow wind-up and release and pop gun arm

 

I mean, the last four years they've won 13, 11, 10, and 11 games. The last time they won 7 games was 2008. I mean it's semantics, but you're making it sound like 7-8 wins is an every year occurence.

 

Is the QB play great? No, it's awful. Should something be done about it? Yup. But they did JUST come off an undefeated regular season, barely lost in the BIG10 title game, and knocked off Miami in the Orange Bowl, after playing in the Cotton Bowl the year before.

 

I'd love to see them step up and get in the playoff, but saying "another 7-8 win year with a crappy bowl again" is a gross misrepresentation of where this program has been recently.

 

I guess I should have said that this team reminds me of the typical Badger teams from before the Cryst era that won just enough to go to a crappy bowl, despite some pretty high preseason expectations in some cases. I won't argue that they have been very good lately. This is looking like a Sun Bowl or Chick-fil-A Bowl type team, though.

[JohnBriggs12]

Chryst punted in the 4th quarter on 4th and 2 at the Michigan 42 down by two touchdowns. Think about how stupid that is for a second.

 

Predictably, it took Michigan two plays to get the ball back out to where Wisconsin punted from. Chryst is coaching like he's in a fog. When the coach doesn't want to compete, why should the players?

[burnzy24]

If you look at 2016 when Bart Houston was benched, he had gone 10 for 18 and 110 yards midway through the 3rd quarter against Georgia State. Now Michigan is not Georgia State but Alex was at a near historic level of ineptitude last night and has had issues all year. He has regressed as a Junior which is really troubling. If Chryst really doesn't think that Jack Coan can give the team better production than what Alex provided last night then Jack Coan should be looking to transfer.

[jerichoholicninja]

Personally, couldn't give a crap about college sports, but since the Badgers have now lost 2 games and realistically have zero chance at doing anything interesting at the end of the year, do people really care that much anymore? Unlike most other sports, being the second or third best team in your division can get you in the playoffs and you could still fight your way to a championship. But in D1 football, 2 losses or more means you're stuck playing in the PetSmart.com Who Gives A Crap Bowl against Southeastern New Mexico A&M Tech who's just happy to have a bowl and is probably going to win because they actually want to be there.

[JosephC]

Watching Alex Hornibrook and Joel Stave makes me long for the days of watching top flight UW quarterbacks like John Stocco. That's right, John Stocco. How pathetic is that? Hornibrook is just awful. Big 10 level arm-strength, no. Big 10 level accuracy, no. In terms of mobility, I think he might be the worst QB to take the field since Dan Marino. And for how "cerebral" he is, he sure seems to misread coverages over and over. I'm almost expecting Chryst to use the Testaverde-excuse and announce that Hornibrook is color-blind considering how often he throws the ball directly at an opposing player.

 

I have no problem with the way Chryst coached the game last night, but I do have a problem with his choice for a starting QB and his inability to recruit a decent QB. Even the rare 4-star recruits have ended up as completely mediocre players (like Bart Houston). I totally get that the Badgers are a run-first, then run-second and eventually we'll get to the pass type team, and the vast majority of practice time and OL coaching is going to be geared towards running and the pass game will always lag behind. But for Pete's sake, the QB has to be able to complete a simple screen pass. Hornibrook can't even do that. Every time the offensive linemen let the defensive linemen loose, Hornibrook immediately gets happy feet, poops his pants and proceeds to toss the ball right at a defensive lineman. The guy is just awful. He should be playing for the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Bluegolds. He has no business being in a Big 10 uniform. Not even for Rutgers.

 

Can't wait until Hornibrook breaks the school record for number of wins for a quarterback (which, as everyone knows, is currently held by the great Joel Stave). It will be just peachy to hear the talking heads ramble on about how under-rated Hornibrook is and what a wonderful, stabilizing influence he's been for the Badgers and all the various nonsense like that. I think it's pretty obvious at this point that "wins for a quarterback" is just about as meaningful a statistic as "wins for a pitcher" in baseball. Hornibrook and Stave...ugh!

[pacopete4]

Personally, couldn't give a crap about college sports, but since the Badgers have now lost 2 games and realistically have zero chance at doing anything interesting at the end of the year, do people really care that much anymore? Unlike most other sports, being the second or third best team in your division can get you in the playoffs and you could still fight your way to a championship. But in D1 football, 2 losses or more means you're stuck playing in the PetSmart.com Who Gives A Crap Bowl against Southeastern New Mexico A&M Tech who's just happy to have a bowl and is probably going to win because they actually want to be there.

 

This is how I view it too. Nothing much to play for. Loses the seasons luster. I’ll sell my tickets for the Illini game [sarcasm](to Illini fans of course)[/sarcasm] because I’d rather stick that money towards the Crew or a Packer game that means something.

[JosephC]

Personally, couldn't give a crap about college sports, but since the Badgers have now lost 2 games and realistically have zero chance at doing anything interesting at the end of the year, do people really care that much anymore? Unlike most other sports, being the second or third best team in your division can get you in the playoffs and you could still fight your way to a championship. But in D1 football, 2 losses or more means you're stuck playing in the PetSmart.com Who Gives A Crap Bowl against Southeastern New Mexico A&M Tech who's just happy to have a bowl and is probably going to win because they actually want to be there.

 

I like the college football system. After watching last night's game I'm completely convinced that UW has absolutely no business playing for a national championship because they are not at that level. Adding too many teams to a playoff system completely dilutes any meaning a regular season has. Seriously, what significance do regular season NCAA men's basketball, NBA or NHL games have? I view them all as extended pre-season games that really only determine if a team is a five seed or three seed once it gets to the playoffs. So why should I spend my money or waste my time paying attention to all those meaningless regular season games?

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Watching Alex Hornibrook and Joel Stave makes me long for the days of watching top flight UW quarterbacks like John Stocco. That's right, John Stocco. How pathetic is that? Hornibrook is just awful. Big 10 level arm-strength, no. Big 10 level accuracy, no. In terms of mobility, I think he might be the worst QB to take the field since Dan Marino. And for how "cerebral" he is, he sure seems to misread coverages over and over. I'm almost expecting Chryst to use the Testaverde-excuse and announce that Hornibrook is color-blind considering how often he throws the ball directly at an opposing player.

 

I have no problem with the way Chryst coached the game last night, but I do have a problem with his choice for a starting QB and his inability to recruit a decent QB. Even the rare 4-star recruits have ended up as completely mediocre players (like Bart Houston). I totally get that the Badgers are a run-first, then run-second and eventually we'll get to the pass type team, and the vast majority of practice time and OL coaching is going to be geared towards running and the pass game will always lag behind. But for Pete's sake, the QB has to be able to complete a simple screen pass. Hornibrook can't even do that. Every time the offensive linemen let the defensive linemen loose, Hornibrook immediately gets happy feet, poops his pants and proceeds to toss the ball right at a defensive lineman. The guy is just awful. He should be playing for the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Bluegolds. He has no business being in a Big 10 uniform. Not even for Rutgers.

 

Can't wait until Hornibrook breaks the school record for number of wins for a quarterback (which, as everyone knows, is currently held by the great Joel Stave). It will be just peachy to hear the talking heads ramble on about how under-rated Hornibrook is and what a wonderful, stabilizing influence he's been for the Badgers and all the various nonsense like that. I think it's pretty obvious at this point that "wins for a quarterback" is just about as meaningful a statistic as "wins for a pitcher" in baseball. Hornibrook and Stave...ugh!

 

I have yet to understand how this team continues to recruit top-flight RBs and OL, yet can't even stumble into a decent QB option. Just once I'd love to see a QB that can throw the ball more than 30 yards without it looking like a wounded duck. The Badgers have a QB type that they recruit, and that type is skinny, unathletic and with mediocre throwing ability.

[MrTPlush]

Not defending Hornibrook, but...

 

-His receivers dropped numerous passes

-They got zero seperation all game

-His line was complete trash all game

-There play calls and gameplan make throwing the football a joke

 

Pretty convinced no QB would have looked decent under center in that game. Hornibrook is pretty bad by all means, but the guys around him don’t help at all.

[LouisEly]

Taylor averages over 5 yards a carry against one of the best defenses in the country on the road in a night game, and he only gets 17 carries. Several times they have 3rd and 3 (give or take a yard) and go in shotgun with Groshek instead of Taylor and the jumbo package. That's on the coaching and play calling.

 

Michigan knew that the Badgers were passing and they could pin their ears back and go after the passer. You're not going to have a lot of time to throw if the defense is pinning their ears back and blitzing corners and safeties.

 

They were without their top 2 DEs, their top 2 CBs, and their starting safeties for most of the game. By the 2nd half they were playing a walk-on (Bondoc) at free safety due to injuries to Nelson, Dixon, and Pearson. They were playing a walk-on (Hennigsen) at DE due to injuries. The defense held as long as they could, but because they abandoned the run they were on the field too long and when the injuries piled up they ran out of gas.