Wisconsin Football vs. Washington State: Three Things to Watch For

The Wisconsin football program got off on the right foot to start the Luke Fickell era, earning a 38-17 win over Buffalo. 

There were some hiccups along the way, as to be expected, but UW secured the win against a team they should have beaten. Now, heading into week two, Wisconsin will face a much tougher team, the Washington State Cougars.

Washington State, who defeated the Badgers last season, isn’t a team to scoff at. The Cougars are coming off a dominant 50-24 win over Colorado State, firing on all cylinders in their opening matchup. Safe to say, this upcoming game won’t be a cakewalk for Wisconsin.

Here are three things to watch in week two.

How will Wisconsin football slow down Cam Ward?

Washington State’s quarterback, Cam Ward, was the star of the show in their opening matchup. The junior signal-caller completed 37 of 49 passes for 451 yards and three touchdowns. On top of that, Ward was the Cougars’ leading rusher, logging 40 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Safe to say, the offense will run through Ward in week two.

Against Buffalo, Wisconsin’s defense had some very apparent struggles. I’ll reiterate that some hiccups are to be expected under the new coaching staff, but UW can not make the same mistakes they made in week one, specifically the missed tackles.

If Wisconsin is going to come away with a win and remain unbeaten, stopping Ward will be paramount. 

Can Wisconsin’s running back tandem build off an impressive performance?

Wisconsin football fans knew coming in that the Badgers wouldn’t shy away from the run game in the air raid scheme, but I’d argue that it was a bit of a surprise in just how vital the tailbacks would be against Buffalo.

The two-headed monster of Braelon Allen and Chez Mellusi accounted for 298 of Wisconsin’s 314 rushing yards and a combined four touchdowns. Their contributions were significant, especially with the slightly shaky quarterback play. 

Washington State fared well against the run versus Colorado State, holding the Rams to just 37 rushing yards on 20 attempts. Of course, Mellusi and Allen are different beasts, but Wazzu’s run defense is still solid. 

If the dynamic duo can build off last week’s performance, Wisconsin will be in a great spot.

 Can Wisconsin football QB Tanner Mordecai bounce back?

Expectations soared after Tanner Mordecai transferred to Wisconsin. The fifth-year senior was a stud at SMU, throwing for over 7,152 yards and 72 touchdowns in two seasons. However, his Badgers debut left much to be desired.

The Wisconsin football captain logged just 189 yards on 31 attempts, one touchdown, and two interceptions. I should note that he should have had another touchdown on a perfect throw to Skyler Bell, but it was dropped. That said, Mordecai seemingly lacked confidence at points and was inaccurate on some throws. 

Washington State had some moments where their pass coverage was shaky against Colorado State. If Mordecai can get back on track, UW could win the passing battle and come away with a win.

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