Why Wisconsin Football Will Win Its Rematch Against Washington State

Wisconsin football returns to work this week in preparation for their second game of the season. The Badgers will look to perform better than they did in their underwhelming season-opening victory against Buffalo.

Saturday will mark the first time the team hits the road this season as they take on Washington State in the second leg of their home-and-home series. Here is why the Badgers will emerge victorious against the Cougars in 2023.

Wisconsin Football now knows what they need to improve on

A few things stood out from their season opener that need work for the Badgers. The ones being concentrated on the most are the passing game and the lack of a pass rush. I’m not as worried as some are about the passing game. If not for a dropped deep pass in the second quarter, we’d have a completely different conversation about how Tanner Mordecai performed in his first start as a Badger. Let’s focus on the pass rush instead.

In their first game, the Badgers finished with zero sacks, three quarterback hits, and 16 pressures as a team. Those numbers can be attributed to Buffalo, for the most part, seeming to try to get the ball out quickly against Wisconsin’s defense. However, those numbers must improve to beat Washington State on Saturday.

Washington State’s quarterback, Cameron Ward, threw for 451 yards and three touchdowns in his team’s season opener on Saturday. The Cougars have become known for having some of the best passing offenses in college football since Mike Leach’s tenure there, starting in 2012.

The best way for the Badgers to combat their high-powered passing offense will be to generate pressure on Ward. I realize their pass rush was better than zero sacks would indicate, but getting home still needs to be a priority for the team this week to pull out a win in Pullman.

Players from last year’s Wisconsin Football team remember the sting of last year’s loss to Washington State

Last season’s loss to Washington State put the Paul Chryst era of Wisconsin football on life support. Although Chryst was given a few games after the game, it felt like that loss was the last straw for Chryst. There are many players left from Chryst’s tenure on this season’s team who will remember how difficult that loss was.

Even the players who weren’t around for last season’s game still know what happened and should be on guard not to let it happen again. There should be extra motivation from the entire team to play their absolute best and avoid an upset by the Cougars in back-to-back seasons.

Final Thoughts

Wisconsin has the better football team in this matchup, but as we saw last year, that isn’t what matters when the teams take the field. How you execute on that given Saturday will determine who wins. The Badgers have extra reason to be motivated after a sloppy opening game with a chance to avenge their defeat in 2022 at the hands of the Cougars. Putting Ward under pressure will go a long way in helping them come out victorious.

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