Wisconsin vs. Northwestern: Key Players, Notes, & Betting Lines
Get to know the Badgers next opponent: Northwestern.
Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers football team will host Davis Braun and the Northwestern Wildcats at Camp Randall on Saturday.
Northwestern comes into this game with a record of 4-5 and are losers of two of their last three, but they have been playing competitive football all month long and shouldn't be overlooked.
Following a turbulent offseason, Coach Braun has the Wildcats performing far better than anyone, myself included, had expected. Northwestern lost 10-7 last weekend against Iowa and even managed to take down Maryland 33-27 at home the previous week.
As it stands, kickoff is set for 2:30 PM central time on Saturday and will air on FS1. But before that happens, here is a look at some key players, a few matchup notes, and the opening spread for the Wisconsin Badgers matchup vs. Northwestern.
Key Players
WR Bryce Kirtz: The Northwestern Wildcats have one of the worst offenses in the Big Ten (shoutout to Iowa) and don't have a ton of playmakers to gameplan around.
However, senior wideout Bryce Kirtz is putting together a strong final season and is one to watch on Saturday. He's appeared in eight games this season and caught 33 passes for a team-high 507 receiving yards (15.4 yards per catch) and hauled in four touchdowns.
Kirtz's receiving yardage total is currently 5th in the Big Ten -- and he's also the team's highest-graded offensive player, according to PFF.
Northwestern will challenge the Wisconsin football secondary through the air on Saturday, which means players like Ricardo Hallman and Nyzier Fourqurean will need to bring their A game against a team with nothing to lose.
CB Rod Heard II: Northwestern is a middle-of-the-road defensive team in the Big Ten, but their pass defense is surprisingly good this season, ranking No. 4 in the conference with just 173.6 passing yards allowed per game.
One of the reasons they've been so successful is senior cornerback Rod Heard II, who has registered 44 tackles, two pass deflections, one sack, a forced fumble, and an interception in nine games.
According to Pro Football Focus, Heard has a coverage grade of 76.9, which is considered very good -- and is among the top 10 graded cornerbacks in the Big Ten. Given the Wisconsin football team's year-long offensive struggles, particularly through the air, don't be surprised to see the Badgers rely on quick hitters to open things up.