Meeting the New Badger Basketball Players

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With football season in full swing and the baseball playoffs ramping up, basketball might not be at the forefront of everyone’s sporting interests. However, the Badger basketball team kicked off (sports pun intended) practice two weeks ago and has an exhibition game upcoming against UW-Platteville on October 30. Needless to say we are due for a basketball preview. First up will be the newcomers to the program, highlighting their potential ceiling and floor compared to previous Badger hoopers. In reality most will fall somewhere in between, but this exercise is meant to help provide some possible expectations for each player. It’s important to note these are career projections and not limited to this upcoming season. Let’s get started.

#5 Aaron Moesch 6’8” 200lbs Green Bay SW HS WI

Chose the Badgers over offers from - Eastern Illinois and preferred walk on at UW-Green Bay.

Aaron Moesch joins the Badgers as a preferred walk on. As a senior he averaged 18.4 points and 12.1 rebounds per game in the competitive Fox River Conference and also earned honorable mention all-state. Moesch is not expected to break into the regular rotation immediately, if ever, but brings a high basketball IQ and versatile game to the team. Check out the ball handling on display in the first five seconds of the highlight tape, pretty smooth handle for a 6’8” player. Moesch will fit in nicely with the scout team and with enough progression could see minutes in the eight or nine man rotation when he’s an upper classman.

Badger comp ceiling – Zach Morley. Morley was a versatile forward that spent two years in community college before joining the Badgers early on during Bo’s tenure. Morley was a key member of the Elite Eight squad in 2004-2005 and used court awareness and savvy to excel against much quicker and stronger players. Like Morley, Moesch could use a few years to develop right out of high school in order to be on par athletically with physical Big Ten wing players.

Badger comp floor – JP Gavinksi. Worst case scenario for Moesch is spending four to five years on a perennial Big Ten basketball power and seeing the floor in already has been decided games.

#10 Nigel Hayes 6’7” 250lbs Whitmer HS OH

Chose the Badgers over offers from – Stanford, Ohio State, Xavier, Cincinnati

Getting Nigel Hayes away from Ohio State was a steal. He grew up a Buckeye fan and his older brother was on the football team (he has since left). Luckily Bo Ryan was one of the first to offer a scholarship and Hayes eventually made the right decision to come to Madison. He was a second team all-state performer in Ohio as a junior and senior and left Whitmer as the school’s all-time leader in blocked shots. He can score in a variety of ways and seems comfortable shooting off the dribble or spotting up. And like the clip above demonstrates, he has no issues attacking the rim.

Badger comp ceiling – Alando Tucker lite. Hard comparison to make since very few athletes have hops like Tucker, but Hayes has the same scorer’s mentality. His ceiling will largely depend on if how easily he can adjust to scoring against top level college defenses. Improved footwork in the post will help diversify his offensive arsenal and should make him a scoring threat capable of 15-20 points per game as an upperclassman.

Badger comp floor – Marcus Landry. Let’s be clear, Landry had a great career as a Badger and is currently playing his way onto the LA Lakers. He’s an extremely talented basketball player.  It seems somewhat off-putting to list a NBA level player as someone’s floor, but this comparison is based more on Landry’s role within the team. Landry was a slasher/scorer in high school but developed more of a low post presence, especially on defense, in Madison. Hayes could find himself in a similar position where he’s not asked to attack from the perimeter or off the dribble as much.

#11 Jordan Hill 6’3” 170lbs Exeter Academy NH

Chose the Badgers over offers from – Brown, Florida Gulf Coast, Yale, Dartmouth, Kent State, Lehigh, Santa Clara

Jordan Hill graduated high school in May of 2012 and spent the 2012-2013 school year attending prep school in New Hampshire. Hill was Class A second team All-New England and helped Exeter win their first ever Class A title. He impressed Bo Ryan with his defense on the AAU circuit and has the quickness and length to really disrupt perimeter players. Hill is somewhat of a late bloomer (he will turn 19 in December) and had plenty of room to develop. An already deep guard rotation seems to indicate Hill will be a redshirt candidate this year, but he has plenty of talent to contribute during his time in Madison.

Badger comp ceiling – Michael Flowers. Flowers was a lock down on ball defender and Hill has a similar tenacity and desire to play defense. Hill is a slightly taller and longer than Flowers which will help him guard everything from point guards to small forwards.

Badger comp floor – Rob Wilson. Wilson had plenty of talent but struggled to pick up Bo’s man to man principles and was challenged to find playing time as a result. Hill could face a similar struggle adjusting to Big Ten basketball and get lost in the deep guard rotation.

#24 Bronson Koenig 6’3” 190lbs Aquinas HS WI

Chose the Badgers over offers from – Duke, North Carolina, Kansas, Marquette, Virginia

Bronson Koenig certainly comes to Madison as the most decorated player of this class. He was AP Wisconsin player of the year as a senior and McDonald’s All American nominee (similar to Sam Dekker (whom Koenig was an AAU teammate)). Koenig is one of the more versatile guards in this country. He excels at breaking down defenses off the dribble and creating easy shots for his teammates. Koenig has excellent vision and court awareness, as well as a flare for delivering no look or behind the back passes (note around the 2:20 mark of the video – how does he get that ball through?!?). In addition he’s a willing defender and capable scorer who can play above the rim. He’s probably the most ready player to contribute of the newcomers, but with the depth at guard, playing time will be a challenge. I think his talent will be too much to keep on the bench for long, especially if the Badgers run more three or four guard lineups.

Badger comp ceiling – Devin Harris part II. Pretty lofty comparison I know. Harris was the best Badger basketball player in the Bo Ryan era and Koenig has this type of talent. Harris was a bit taller and probably quicker, but Koenig has the same court awareness and big game ‘sense of the moment’ that Harris had.

Badger comp floor – Boo Wade. Wade unfortunately had his Wisconsin career cut short due to off the court issues, but he was an accomplished point guard and capable defender. Koenig may not reach All American status, but he will be a solid contributor and one of the conferences better guards.

#30 Vitto Brown – 6’8” 240lbs Bowling Green HS OH

Chose the Badgers over offers from – Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa State, Toledo

Vitto Brown joins the Badgers as the reigning Division 2 co-player of the year in Ohio and AP first team all-state, as well as Bowling Green’s all-time leader in rebounding and blocked shots. Brown is well built and conditioned (he also ran cross country in high school) and is physically ready for Big Ten basketball. The other thing that stands out about Brown is his versatility. At around the 1:48 mark in the clip above, Brown blocks a shot, handles the loose ball and goes coast to coast for the lay in. Brown’s game fits well with the Badgers history of skilled big men. Brown’s presence on the defensive end cannot go unlooked. He will need to develop the positioning and footwork needed for consistently defending players his size and bigger, but he has the athleticism and timing to be an effective shot blocker.

Badger comp ceiling – Keaton Nankivil mixed with less explosive Alando Tucker. Brown has a smooth looking jumper for a big man, like Nankivil, but more capable of scoring off the dribble drive. Like Hayes, Brown does not have the explosiveness of Tucker (again no one does) but he does attack the rim similarly.

Badger comp floor – Jored Bergernhoft (Joe Krabbenhoft + Jared Berggren). Krabbenhoft was a monster on the boards, while Berggren is the all-time leader in blocked shots. If Brown doesn’t find the scoring knack at this level he should still provide above average rebounding and shot blocking.

#35 Riley Dearring 6’5 180lbs Hopkins HS MN

Chose the Badgers over offers from – Drake, Northeastern, Illinois State

Dearring played for Minnesota basketball powerhouse Hopkins and was a Minnesota Mr. Basketball finalist his senior year. He has a quick release on his jumper and is a pure shooter through and through. He does not have the elite athleticism you occasionally see in a wing player but has enough length and quickness to be effective on the defensive end. Dearring is a very talented shooter and there is always room in the rotation for guys that can score. He will find himself playing meaningful minutes before too long. Like Hill, the depth at guard makes Dearring a potential redshirt candidate this season.

Badger comp ceiling – Clayton Hanson. Hanson played on some of Bo’s early teams and was a career 41% three point shooter. Dearring can definitely find a niche as a spot up shooter, especially early in his career. Eventually Dearring can develop into a rangy wing defender capable of handling bigger guards or small forwards.

Badger comp floor – Tim Jarmusz. Limited athleticism at the Big Ten level causes Dearring to struggle finding ways to score but still contributes defensively using long frame to guard multiple positions.

(Author's Note - shout out to LeeRide, fellow Badger fan who helped hash out the comparisons.)

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Neal Olson (@olewr7) 

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, and @10iskristin.

Packers Early 7 Round Mock Draft

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The Packers are coming off their much needed bye week. After a 1-2 start, this bye couldn't have come at a better time. As dry as it is right now for Wisconsin sports, I thought I'd concoct the first installment of NFL Draft prospects for the Packers going into the 2014 NFL Draft. I think it's very important to get familiar with potential prospects for your pro sports teams, which is why I do these. These are purely based on blatant needs the Packers will be looking for in the draft and how these players could fall to them. (I recommend that if you're going to watch the videos that you enlarge them to full screen to really watch the featured player.)

Round 1 - Cyril Richardson, G/OT, Baylor

Depending on the Packers draft position, this would be the logical choice as our first round pick. Cyril Richardson could go in the Top 15, but he could also go late in the first round. I've seen him scattered all around draft boards. Richardson can play both guard and tackle on the offensive line. As we've seen so blatantly this year and in years past, Aaron Rodgers needs to be protected a heckuva lot more than he does. It seems every year the line suffers a huge injury that bumps somebody into a position on the line they are experienced at. This year = prime example. Bryan Bulaga gets hurt, insert rookie right tackle David Bahktiari at left tackle. I'm probably in the minority, but the only offensive lineman I trust to protect Aaron Rodgers in Josh Sitton. I want to get on the TJ Lang club, but too often I see him being lost. Now, maybe its him getting used to the new position this year (went from left guard to right guard)? Who knows.

Focusing on Cyril, this is a big boy. He knows how to protect a quarterback. The highlight video shows that. Richardson is 6'5", 340 pounds. He's a mammoth of a man and a true force. At Baylor, he was their starting left tackle for some guy named Robert Griffin III. After RG3 was drafted, Richardson shifted to left guard. He excels at both positions. For his size, he's very light on his feet. Guard, in my opinion, is his natural position.

Round 2 - Josh Huff, WR, Oregon

A little back story on why I see a wide receiver coming off the board so early for the Packers...

James Jones - Free Agent in 2014
Jermichael Finley - Free Agent in 2014
Jordy Nelson - Free Agent in 2015
Randall Cobb - Free Agent in 2015

See where I'm going with this? We all know how Ted operates. We all know that those four individuals won't all be Packers come 2015. We are going to have to replenish the targets that the gun shoots at. Catch my drift? Josh Huff may not have the elite speed, but is one of the most physical and tough wide receivers in this draft class. Rob Rang from NFLDraftScout.com wrote this up on him...

"...a difficult match up for cornerbacks. Huff uses his body well to shield defenders from the ball and he is a strong runner after the catch, demonstrating the balance and leg-drive to spin and run through arm tackles. Huff is not a future No. 1 target in the NFL, but his size and strength should make him an effective complementary wideout capable of contributing early in his pro career."

I did say he doesn't have elite speed. However, he still runs a 4.48 40 yard dash. That is definitely enough to qualify as a kick returner, something the Packers also need dearly. The team values Randall Cobb too much as a wide receiver to risk injury and having him return kicks for us anymore. It is unfortunate that the Jeremy Ross experiment didn't pan out, but it's back to the drawing board. Maybe Reggie Dunn will give us a spark.

Round 3 - Bennett Jackson, CB, Notre Dame

Bennett Jackson is like sap on your hands after you touch a pine tree. He's like duct tape. He's a leech. He's one of the best defensive backs and the Packers could really use the depth. The most unique attribute about Jackson is that he's a former wide receiver. That being said, you could assume that he strives so well at corner because he knows the ins and outs of the position he's defending.

Last year for the Fighting Irish he recording 65 tackles (3rd best on the team) and 4 interceptions. Through the first five games of this season, he has accumulated 31 tackles, 1 sack and 1 interception that turned into a pick-six for Bennett.

Round 4 - Max Bullough, ILB, Michigan State

Max is a firecracker. He's calls the shots on defense. Players have compared him to Matt Wilhelm, who you might remember from the Packers 2010 Super Bowl XLV Championship team.

The Packers have an acceptable inside linebacker core, but every year it is lacking one major piece to the puzzle. That, my friends, is the pass rush. Clay Matthews can't do it all. Max has a knack for being physical and being a major presence in slowing a run game down.What he has in strength he lacks in speed. You don't want him in pass coverage, but it's something he can improve on during his senior year.

Speaking of the run defense, Max Bullough's #1 run defense in the country has given up a total of 229 rushing yards over the last 4 games. That averages out to be 57.25 yards per game. Absolutely mind blowing.

(I think you'll all like the next inside linebacker I feature in 2.0)

Round 5 - Boseko Lokombo, OLB, Oregon



With the shadows of Kiko Alonso and Michael Clay gone, meet Boseko Lokombo. Coming into this season, he's accounted for 39 total tackles (26 solo tackles), 4.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions and a forced fumble. He also has 4 defensive touchdowns on his resume. Lokombo will likely be a finalist for the 2013 Butkus Award.

Main reason for drafting him - security blanket in case Nick Perry doesn't live up to his potential. You can never have too much depth at linebacker on a football team in my opinion.

Here's an interesting note on Boseko that I came upon - Back in May of this year he was selected in the CFL draft to the B.C. Lions. He is obviously continuing his college career and still is 100% focused on the NFL, but by being drafted by the CFL as a redshirt junior gives him something to fall back on in case the NFL doesn't work out. Basically, the CFL can draft red shirt juniors and can wait to sign them until their college careers are over with. Also, if they choose to go to the NFL instead, they can still be signed by the team they were drafted by after their NFL career.

Round 6 - Jacob Pederson, TE, Wisconsin



Probably not the first Badger you thought I'd feature in one of these. In any event, Pederson addresses a huge hole for the Packers. The Packers just don't have a legitimate tight end behind Jermichael Finley, and that shows whenever Finley doesn't play. You don't realize how important Finley is until he's gone. Well, not anymore.

Jacob Pederson is pretty much Jermichael Finley in another body. They both are 6'5". They both weight 240. They both are play-makers and game changers. For the most part, they have good hands. They are both pivotal. The thing I really like about Pederson is that he isn't afraid to throw a block. Like I mentioned above with the offensive line, any extra help and protection the team can give Aaron Rodgers the better.

Round 7 - Jimmie Ward, SS, Northern Illinois 

The last time the Packers drafted someone from Northern Illinois was in 1994. LeShon Johnson was a running back for the Pack for two years. Unless your name is Michael Turner, you aren't really known for playing at NUI. Until you meet Jimmie Ward.

Ward has potential to be a stud. He plays the strong safety position extremely well. He's a lock down kind of player. He's always in the middle of plays either tackling breaking up passes. Ward is known as one of the locker room leaders and voices of the team. Coaching staff has nothing but great things to say about him. He's currently playing through a serious injury on his left hand/wrist area. It has been in a cast for a few weeks now.

The Packers need serious help in the secondary. Not saying we lack the talent now, because we don't. we have a few regular starters beat up and hurt right now, and much like the offensive line, we have guys subbing in at positions they aren't used to which turns into disasters. Ward would be a great option late in the draft to address this particular issue and if anything provide depth and competition.

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Andrew Vrchota (@AndrewVrchota)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, and @10iskristin.

Recapping 2013 for the Milwaukee Brewers - Pitchers

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I am not going out on a limb when I say that the Brewers 2013 season was a bit of a disappointment. At 74-88, finishing ahead of the Cubs was the lone bright sport from a final record perspective. Despite playing in a division that sent three teams to the postseason, I believe that the organization and the fans expected much more from the club than we got in 2013. I will recap the season in two parts for the blog, starting with the pitching.

Upon the signing of Kyle Lohse just before the regular season began, it was believed that the Brewers rotation could be a strong point, with Lohse and Gallardo teaming up to form a solid 1-2 punch, followed by Marco Estrada, Mike Fiers, and youngster Wily Peralta. The crew was also hoping to get a strong return season from Chris Narveson, who missed all of 2012 thanks to a torn rotator cuff.

It’s safe to say that things didn’t go as planned with the rotation. Gallardo did not pitch like a number 1 starter much at all throughout the course of the season, and an early season DUI didn’t help his popularity. Gallardo pitched to a 12-10 record and a 4.18 ERA that was much helped by a very strong finish in his last few starts. While his home runs and walks allowed were down quite a bit from last year, he struck out just 144 batters, his first time under 200 in four years.

Lohse was the bright spot in the rotation, finishing with a record of 11-10 and a 3.35 ERA. He did give up a surprisingly high number of home runs, allowing 26 balls to clear the fence, his most since 2004, but was without question the strongest member of this year’s starting staff. He is 35 now, but remains under contract for two more season and has shown no signs of slowing down.

After his first full workload on the mound, Peralta heads into 2014 with high expectations

After the two veteran arms in the starting rotation, the Brewers were counting on a number on younger guys to step up and handle the back end, but didn’t quite receive the results they were hoping for. Wily Peralta actually pitched rather well, at times, in his first full season in the show but he did not go without struggle. The Brewers would like to see him strike out more batters, especially considering his impressive fastball which ranked among the best in terms of average velocity in the national league. He showed an ability to go deep into games, even throwing the Brewers first complete game shutout since 2011 when he struck out a career high six Reds on July 9th. This was a bit of a turning point in Peralta’s season, as his ERA sat at an ugly 5.27 entering the night. He finished with a record of 11-15 and a 4.37 ERA. Beyond Peralta however, the young arms the organization hoped to lean on didn’t really pan out. Fiers struggled mightily, spending much of the year in the minors after failing to get batters out in his first few starts and Mark Rogers continued to battle injuries that have hampered him his entire career. Youngsters Hiram Burgos and Johnny Hellweg, who have impressed in the minor leagues, also had their share of struggles in their time with the big league club and spent much of the year continuing to develop in the lower levels. Tyler Thornburg and Jimmy Nelson were the final two budding stars to get a shot with the big league club during the season. Thornburg was particularly impressive, pitching to a 2.03 ERA between starting and relief appearance and remains a possible candidate for the starting rotation moving forward. Nelson put up another solid season in the minor leagues before getting a shot with the club in September. In four appearances, including one start, Nelson struck out eight batters over 10 innings while allowing one run.

The final two pieces of the starting pitching puzzle, Chris Narveson and Marco Estrada spent the year battling injuries as well. Narveson was again sidelined all season and continues to look to make a push for a starting spot in 2014. Estrada actually pitched rather well in the time he was able to see the field, coming out with a 3.87 ERA in 21 starts. He remains a favorite to make the rotation in 2014, but must continue to work on decreasing his home runs allowed and prove that he can stay healthy for an entire season.

Moving forward, the crew looks to be in the same position they were entering the year in regards to starting pitching. Gallardo and Lohse will top the rotation ahead of several questions marks as to who can fill the final three spots. Peralta and Estrada will likely make up the three and four spots with several others vying for the fifth.  Thornburg, Nelson, Fiers, Burgos and Hellweg need to prove that they can pitch with the big boys over a full season.

That's no Photoshop. That's John Axford as a Cardinal.

Heading into 2013 it was no secret that the Brewers bullpen needed to improve. After ranking dead last in ERA in the national league at 4.66 in 2012, Doug Melvin put great emphasis on retooling the group to produce better results. Whatever he did seemed to work, as the 2013 squad ranked third in the league with a 3.19 ERA. Jim Henderson led the way with 28 saves, kicking out an impressive 2.70 ERA with 75 strikeouts in 60 innings. His power fastball has proved to be effective in the closer’s role and he looks to have a firm grasp on that spot heading into 2014. Brandon Kintzler earned a spot in the bullpen after an impressive showing with the club late in 2013 and stepped up in a big way for the crew, tossing the most innings out of the group and putting up an impressive 2.69 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 77 innings while holding opponents to a .234 batting average. He looks to be a promising piece of the pen moving forward. One of the arms that Melvin went out and got for the relief corps during the offseason was Tom Gorzelanny. The veteran added value as a lefty with starting experience and an ability to throw multiple innings out of the bullpen. He did very well filling in as a starter when needed and was particularly valuable out of the bullpen. Gorzelanny pitched just 36 innings of relief but was impressive, finishing with a 2.70 ERA in those outings. Another offseason addition that proved to be valuable was Burke Badenhop, who Melvin acquired from the Rays in a trade for Raul Mondesi, Jr. Ron Roenicke leaned heavily on Badenhop early in the season and the righty performed well when called upon. At the end of the season his ERA sat at 3.47 after tossing 62 plus innings. Michael Gonzalez was also acquired in the offseason after an impressive season with the National in 2012 where he put up a 3.03 ERA. Gonzalez had his struggles with the Brewers however, finishing with a 4.68 ERA and will likely land somewhere else in free agency. Two pitchers that the Brewers have leaned on heavily in the past in John Axford and Francisco Rodriguez were dealt during the season and found success with their new clubs. It was sad to see Axford go, but exciting to see him get another shot at the post-season with the Cardinals. Looking to next year, the Brewers have several promising bullpen arms in youngsters Rob Wooten, Donovan Hand and Michael Blazek, who all experienced a moderate amount of success this season. It is also possible that we will see any of the younger guys mentioned above as possible starters end up in the bullpen in 2014 along with Alfredo Figaro, who performed well as a spot starter and long man, posting a 2.94 ERA in relief.

I could see Melvin making some minor moves to improve the pitching staff heading into 2014, but I think we will mostly see guys that we saw this year. The bullpen seems to have the necessary pieces to see repeated success and the rotation simply needs youngsters to develop and prove they can pitch at the big league level. If they can do that, and guys can stay healthy, I think the Brewers pitching can be a strong point in 2014.

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Joseph Norton (@JoeP_Norton)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, and @10iskristin.

Week 3 Reaction: Packers v. Bengals

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It is amazing to hear some of the blow back from the Packers loss last Sunday.  Twitter has blown up asking, no, demanding Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson be fired.  “Mike McCarthy can’t call plays” and “Ted Thompson can’t build a team” are phrases bouncing all over the place.  Packer Nation, take a deep breath.  Let’s dive a little deeper into the game.

First of all, the play-calling is not to blame.  Mike McCarthy obviously called for Johnathan Franklin to fumble on 4th and 1 (insert eye roll).  The play calling is not to blame, the Green Bay Packers did not get the luck of the bounce and that play helped decide the outcome of the game.  The final 4th down play should have been effective, it was the left tackle who did not complete his assignment.  Bakhtiari should have taken Michael Johnson to the ground with his block, however he missed his block and Johnson was able to block the pass.  Again, not play selection, execution was the issue.

Aaron Rodgers needs to be better.  The Packers are going as far as Rodgers takes them, plain and simple.  Aaron Rodgers has spoiled Packers fans with amazing play since he has become the starter.  Fans really need to appreciate the level he plays at day in and day out.  All that being said, Rodgers had a sub standard game and the Packers cannot afford sub standard.  The first interception was not Rodgers fault.  James Jones needs to finish running his route and he just gave up.  The second interception was on Rodgers.  That throw needs to be put in a spot where only Cobb can catch the ball or it will go out of bounds.  Rodgers needs to lead the team to victory, but the blame should not be put squarely on Rodgers shoulders.  The team needs to execute and finish the game strong.

Photo: acmepackingcompany.com

The Packers need to be able to take advantage when they get good field position.  The game was not lost when Franklin fumbled, it was lost during four series in the 1st and 2nd quarters.  Four consecutive series the Packers had amazing field position: GB 42, CIN 26, CIN 37 and CIN 21.  The Packers wound up with a grand total of six points from those possessions.  If this team is going to make a run at the postseason, the team needs to be held accountable for it’s execution, or lack there of.

Finally, some good news, the bye week has arrived!  When the Packers schedule came out, many fans were outraged by the week 4 bye.  Fast forward to present day and the bye week could not come at a more perfect time.  The list of injuries is a mile long, now add Finley with a concussion, Starks with a knee and Matthews with a hamstring.  The Packers should be able to get healthy and start to make a run.  Morgan Burnett and Casey Hayward should be back to shore up a depleted secondary.  The running game will have a version of Thunder and Lightning with Lacy and Franklin.  Good things are coming Packer fans!  The Packers will regret letting this game slip through their fingers, but this is not the end of the season. 

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Steve Perhach (@Stevie2Westside)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @TABrown23, and @10iskristin.

Week 4 Recap Badgers v. Boilermakers

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The Badgers opened Big Ten play shaking off the hangover from the poor officiated game last week handling Purdue in methodical fashion. It was a decisive response from what had to be a frustrating week dealing with the aftermath of the Arizona State game. It was nice to get back to deciding games on the field instead of analyzing screen shots of Stave's knee and highlighting the rule book. Without further ado, the week 4 Buckys!

James White en-route to the end zone against Purdue

Badgers running game has been nearly unstoppable this year. James White and Melvin Gordon are caught up in an exciting game of ‘anything you can do I can do better’ which has been a treat to watch for Badger fans, and misery for opponents. Currently the Badgers have three running backs in the top 40 for rushing yards Gordon(1), White(10) and Corey Clement (36). Additionally it seems the Badgers are finding ways to get White and Gordon on the field at the same time more often putting even more pressure on defenses. While the rush yards are likely to come a little bit harder in Big Ten play, the Badgers running back traditional is alive and well.

Joel Stave remains inconsistent. For whatever reason he has lost accuracy on his deep throws and has yet to shake off the habit of staring down receivers. Stave will need to be better in order to win at Ohio State this week and come up with two or three big throws to sustain drives or connect on long touchdown pass to swing momentum. As good as the running game has been, Ohio State’s defense will be good enough to shut it down if the offense becomes one dimensional.

One week after struggling big time to shut down the high octane Sun Devil offense, the Badger defense came out and reestablished themselves against Purdue. The Boilermakers came into the game averaging 272 yards of total offense per game, not a juggernaut but any stretch of the imagination, yet the Badgers held them to 180 yards total and just 3.1 yards per play. Sophomore(or hopefully redshirt freshman if his application ever gets approved from the Big Ten) Vince Biegel started at linebacker and was extremely disruptive in the Purdue backfield. True freshman Sojourn Shelton continued his excellent play adding another interception and is really developing into a top flight lock down corner.

Honorable Mention Bucky – no matter how often these happen or how cliché they might seem, they are still awesome

Looking Forward – Ohio State

Another big road test for the Badgers and getting a win over the 4th ranked Buckeyes in Columbus would go a long way to forget the shenanigans that lead to a loss on their last road trip this season. Much like the Badgers, Ohio State has started out the year with an unimpressive non-conference slate. Unlike the Badgers they won their Pac12 road game against California. The biggest question facing the Buckeyes this week is who will start at quarterback? Kenny Guiton has started the past two games for preseason Heisman hopefully Braxton Miller, but most accounts indicate Miller will be healthy enough to play Saturday against the Badgers. The good news is Badger DC Dave Aranda should have enough film on Guiton in the 2+ games he's played to have a plan of attack for either QB. The key to both will be slowing down the read option. Urban Meyer's offense is predicated on getting fast athletes in space to make plays. The front seven has been stout against the run so far and the overall team defensive speed is improved compared to years past. This years defense has the pieces to slow down the Buckeyes offense but it will definitely be the biggest challenge they’ll face all year.

Offensively the Badgers need to find a way to be productive in the passing game. One dimensional offense will not cut it against Ohio State. Look for offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig to work the short to intermediate passing game early via screens and play action to build Stave’s confidence. Running between the tackles will be a challenge this week so anyway to get the ball into the hands of playmakers Gordon, White and Jared Abbrederis attacking the edges of the defense will be huge.

The Badgers quest to go to four straight Rose Bowls largely comes down to winning this game. Stealing a victory against a top five team on the road always requires a few breaks to go your way and this game might come down to a fake punt or other type gadget play to win. The Badgers have enough talent to compete but in the end the quarterback play is the difference.

Final Score: 21-27  Note – this is first Badger loss I predicted for the season, I’d be fine if I’m wrong

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Neal Olson (@olewr7)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @TABrown23, and @10iskristin.

Week 3 Recap Badgers v. Sun Devils

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Wow, where to start. The Badger’s 2013 schedule has a few potential bumps in the road and the trip to Arizona State was one of them. I don’t think anyone quite expected this debacle. The last 18 seconds of the

Gordon ran wild against the Sun Devils

game has been rehashed ad nauseam already so I won’t delve into it further. Hopefully this becomes a small asterisk on what will otherwise be a successful season for the Badgers. Like Gary Andersen smartly noted in his weekly press conference, you cannot allow the ending of the Arizona State game beat you twice, time to move on. Before previewing Purdue, a quick non-botched officiating review.

Once again Melvin Gordon was absolutely spectacular. Gordon was clearly the most dynamic player on offense against Arizona State. Currently he is second in rushing yards and third in rushing yards per attempt in the country. Most amazingly he has needed only 37 carries to amass 477 yards and 4 TDs . Pretty safe to say OC Andy Ludwig needs to find more ways to get the ball into Gordon’s hands more.

Joel Stave and Andy Ludwig did not have their best day. Stave looked tentative and rattled early on and never quite settle down. However, he wasn't done any favors by the offensive play calling. Remember Stave is a true sophomore and was making only his ninth career start in an extremely hostile environment. They were backed up on the first two drives (first drive started on the 3, the second on the 8), a challenging situation for a young QB on the road. Yet both series saw only one run and two pass plays called putting all the pressure on Stave and not playing to the Badgers strength. Additionally it seemed most of the pass plays were deep drops with long developing routes, with very little of the play action setup the Badger offense has relied on so heavily in the past. Lastly, the inside running game bogged down even though the Arizona State defensive line was much smaller. For the most part the Badgers offensive line earns it’s keep by executing trap plays pulling from the backside of the formation to lead the running back through the designed hole. The undersized but quicker Sun Devil defenders were successful in shooting the gaps created by the pulling Badger lineman and disrupted the timing and bottled up the hole before it could even open. Ludwig was slow to adjust play scheme until late in the game. Most noteably on Melvin Gordon’s second touchdown run when they abandoned pulling any lineman and used a simple one step zone read straight ahead. Both Gordon and lead blocking back Derek Staus waltzed into the end zone untouched.

The Badgers secondary was picked on heavily to the tune of 352 passing yards. Certainly there is room for improvement here, but for the most part they were in good position and happened to get beat by good throws and solid catching from the Sun Devil receivers. I don't even mind the penalties. Playing physical in the secondary will result in an occasional penalty and I would much rather deal with a flag or two that sit back in a soft zone. Arizona State will have a lot of good passing days and ultimately the defense did enough to put the team in a position to win the game.

Honorable Mention Bucky – Chris Borland is awesome. If not for the referee’s botching the last 18 seconds everyone would be talking about this fake punt.

Looking Forward – Purdue

First a little history. The past two times these teams have played the Badgers have outscored the Boilermakers 100-31 and averaged 415 rushing yards per game. In 2011 the Badgers were coming off back to back Hail Mary losses and took out their frustrations on the Boilers. Last year Montee Ball ran for three touchdowns and moved ahead of Ron Dayne for first place on the Big Ten career TDs. Needless to say Purdue can’t feel terribly confident heading to Madison to face a Badger team looking to take out last week’s frustrations.

In my preseason preview I noted how Dave Aranda loved to bring pressure when he was the defensive coordinator at Utah State. Through three games this year the Badgers rank 116 in the country in sacks per game, not exactly what I expected. Purdue is a pass happy offense so the opportunity to turn up the blitz percentage will be there again this week. However I suspect Aranda is hesitant to leave his young secondary vulnerable with no safety help by bringing extra pass rushers, something to keep an eye on as the season progresses.

This game will also be telling in regard to how Gary Andersen handles his first hurdle as Badger head coach. Both in postgame comments and weekly press conference, Andersen has handled the end of the Arizona State game with class and dignity. But ultimately it comes down to how the team performs on Saturday. As long as the offense starts quickly and scores points early, this game is relatively low on the threat level. If Stave starts shaky and the run game sputters the Boilermakers could hang tough make the Badgers sweat this game out for four quarters. I think the Badgers come out in this game a little out of sync before finding their stride and running the game out of reach in the 4^th quarter.

Final Score: 35-10

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Neal Olson (@olewr7)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @TABrown23, and @10iskristin.

Week 1 Preview: Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers

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It has finally arrived, and football will be with us until February 5th.  There is no better season, than football season.  I never take much stock in the preseason, but it is worth noting the Packers finished with a 1-3 record.  I have a lot of questions going into the season and Week 1, so let’s dive in and hopefully get some answers.

579

Everyone should know this number.  The Packers defense allowed 579 yards against them in the playoff loss to the 49ers.  Colin Kaepernick personally ran for 181 yards, a rushing record for a quarterback in the playoffs.  So, what has changed for the Packers on defense?  I really think 1st round draft pick, Datone Jones, will be a difference maker for the Packers early and often.  He has the ability to break through and disrupt the read option in the backfield.  Nick Perry is back after being on the IR for half the season last year.  He is a definite improvement over Erik Walden (signed with Colts).  I will be intrigued to see if his pass coverage has improved with another year under his belt.  Let’s not forget, the Packers coaching staff studied the read option all off season and took a trip to Texas A&M to help learn more about it.  I truly hope they are more prepared for it this time around.  As long as the Packers can stay healthy on the defensive side of the ball, I really feel they will be stronger than most people are giving them credit for.

The Offensive Line

Let’s face it, the offensive line is going to be a question mark all year.  Their blocking in the preseason, left a lot to be desired.  With a rookie at left tackle and a second year pro at right tackle, it will be imperative that Rodgers gets rid of the ball quickly.  Especially in the first half, the ball should be gone within 3 seconds and the Packers need to be able to run the ball with some effectiveness.  The 49ers defense is still one of the best in the league and their front seven is their strong suit.  In order for the Packers to pull off a win, the ground game needs to be a priority.  If they can establish the run, strong play action plays follow and the front four cannot assume Rodgers is throwing every down.  The biggest key to victory today is through the ground.

Is Aaron Rodgers still the MVP?

Okay, before everyone calls me unspeakable names, take a little time and think about last year.  We are all very used to Aaron Rodgers being perfect.  Last year, he was VERY good, but there were several occasions where he missed on throws that should have been made.  Really think about it and you will start to remember some of those times.  We have been so spoiled by quarterbacks over the past 20 years, but if this team is going to make another run at the Super Bowl, Aaron Rodgers cannot be very good, he has to be the MVP.  Everyone knows he has it in him, but I think he needs that chip on his shoulder mentality again this year.

Today’s game is going to be a dog fight.  The 49ers are great team with a great head coach.  We will finally have some answers we have been waiting for all season.  My final prediction for today’s game: 49ers – 38 Packers – 31.  It should be quite a game, but I don’t think the offensive line will hold up, I don’t think we have enough on defense to stop their offense consistently, and I think Colin Kaepernick will rush for over 100 yards today.  All that being said, it will still be a good year to be a Packers fan!

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Steve Perhach (@Stevie2Westside)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @TABrown23, and @10iskristin.