Inside the Huddle: O-line looks to make leap
September 10, 2015 | Mike Lucas
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Sept. 10, 2015
BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com
MADISON, Wis. -- Miami University presents more than one unknown for Wisconsin beyond the most obvious one: the RedHawks (nee Redskins) and the Badgers have never played in football. (They've met once in men's basketball and six times in men's hockey).
Another unknown is the X's and O's.
"From past experiences, we're going to prepare for everything," said UW center Dan Voltz, "because we've had teams that have shown one thing on tape and then they'll bring a whole different defense against us. Western Illinois did and Bowling Green also did some different stuff up front."
Last season, Western Illinois stacked the box and shut down the run. The Badgers managed just 54 rushing yards on 30 attempts, a 1.8 yards per carry average. Melvin Gordon was held to 17 rushes and 37 yards. But in taking away one dimension, the Leathernecks left themselves vulnerable to another.
Tanner McEvoy, then the starting quarterback, completed 23 of 28 throws for 283 yards and three touchdowns in Wisconsin's 37-3 victory. On the other hand, Bowling Green matched up better with its pass defense but couldn't tackle the tailback. The Badgers ran for a school-record 644 yards in a 68-17 rout.
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"We're going to prepare for their base front," Voltz said of the RedHawks, who were 10th in the MAC in scoring defense (31.8) and total defense (434.2) in 2014. "And we're going to prepare for some different looks that we've seen in the past from them. But the way we're approaching it, no matter what they bring, we want to execute up front. That (any unknown) is not an excuse for not moving the ball."
Alabama simply outmanned Wisconsin. The front seven was as good as advertised, and as deep one through nine, and the Badgers couldn't get any movement on the line of scrimmage. Taking away three sacks of Joel Stave, they ran it only 18 times for a 64 net yards. Wide receiver Alex Erickson had the longest run -- 25 yards -- on a jet sweep. The second longest was 5 yards.
"They're a good front, but we expected a better outcome for ourselves," Voltz said. "But that didn't happen. We didn't execute up front. We didn't play physical enough. We didn't stay on our blocks. Those are things that we obviously have to correct this week, and we will fix it."
Wisconsin had 17 first downs and 12 came through the air (only two by rushing, three by penalty); a top-heavy pass-to-run ration not often seen with the offense. But Stave looked comfortable executing the short passing game. If you can't run for five or six yards, why not throw for five or six yards? The Badgers averaged 5.8 yards per pass attempt (8.8 per completion).
"There were a lot of positives from the game despite the loss," Voltz said. "We did a lot of things really well. Everybody is talking about the passing game and how well Joel played. We did some good things in protection. And we've got some things to work on. But for a first game of the year that's what you find out -- where you are -- and luckily we still have the whole season ahead of us."
Voltz was asked about the potential for a letdown against Miami, especially in the context of just having spent nine months preparing for Alabama, one of the elite programs in college football. He politely corrected the questioner by saying, "In reality, you prepare nine months for the season. Obviously, there was an emphasis on that first game. But that's in the past."
On what is different about this week, Voltz said, "People have asked, 'Are you going to prepare for this team (Miami) different than Alabama?' You don't. You prepare for everybody the same, whether it's the No. 1-ranked team in the country or a Division II or III team. You have to respect everybody, you have to respect your opponent. We've taken a lot of pride in our practices this week."
Chalk up that attitude to experience. Voltz, a redshirt junior, understands the consequences for taking somebody lightly. "I've been around," he said, "when we've made it closer than it should be against certain teams that people may think that we should beat easily … The good thing when you look at a loss is that you have a lot to improve on and a lot to work on during the week of practice."
Coming into the 2015 season, Voltz and left tackle Tyler Marz were the only returning starters on an offensive line that started a redshirt freshman (left guard Michael Deiter); a redshirt sophomore (right tackle Hayden Biegel; and a redshirt junior (right guard Walker Williams) against Alabama.
"I thought all the dudes that had their first start played pretty well," Voltz said. "Given everything, and it's tough making your first start in general, and then doing it against an opponent like that in an environment like that (AT&T Stadium), it's tough. But I don't think they would want it any other way. They got a good learning experience from that."
Deiter wouldn't disagree. "Even with the outcome of the game, it was fun, it was a big-time learning experience," said Deiter, a redshirt freshman from Curtice, Ohio; some 200 miles from the Miami campus in Oxford. "I know what to expect from games from here on out."
Adjusting to the atmosphere and the speed of the game were among Deiter's challenges. After watching the tape, he said, "There were some good things and there were some bad things. There's a lot of stuff to clean up. From week-to-week you get either get better or you get worse."
Cliché but true, and Deiter is counting on the former; he's focused on improvement. "From week one to week two should be a big jump," he continued. "You've played your first game and you've got a feel for it. The season has begun. It's time to go. You know what I mean?"
Voltz does, and he knows what a home game means. "I wouldn't say they were more nerve-racking but they're more exciting," he said. "Getting to play at Camp Randall is special for all of us. Running out and seeing that great crowd and support, all you want to do is play well for the fans."
Running out of that tunnel still means that much to a seasoned veteran like Voltz? Really?
"I've played quite a number of games in Camp Randall," he said, "but every time you run out there, it gives you goosebumps. It's a special feeling, it's something a road game can't give you. I've been looking forward to this all offseason."
Stave, a fifth-year senior, hence an even more seasoned vet than Voltz, was on the same page. "I've been out on the field hundreds of times for practice and workouts and I've been out there just throwing it around in an empty stadium," Stave said. "But anytime you get a chance to run out there with fans in the seats for a game it's got a different feeling to it, and it's always exciting."
