BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. – There's statistical evidence to prove that the Wisconsin offense is more potent now than it was just a few weeks ago.
Yes, UW ranks in the bottom half of the 128 Football Bowl Subdivision teams with 32 scrimmage plays of 20 yards or more.
Yes, the Badgers are situated well down the FBS list with nine runs from scrimmage of 20-plus yards.
Yes, Wisconsin is averaging 24.3 points per game and 5.3 yards per play — ranking 10th and 12th among Big Ten Conference schools, respectively — after seven outings.
In other words, nothing to get too riled up about.
"Still feel like we're not really explosive yet," UW coach Paul Chryst said during his weekly press conference Monday. "We have a long way to go."
But the 11th-ranked Badgers are making tangible progress and, as a result, are still featured prominently in the Big Ten title discussion.
Wisconsin has had 14 big plays from scrimmage in its last two outings, including its longest run and pass play of the season.
Senior tailback Corey Clement broke off a 68-yard run against Ohio State on Oct. 15 and true freshman wide receiver Quintez Cephus hauled in a 57-yard throw from redshirt freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook versus Iowa on Saturday.
It all represents a significant upgrade from the first five games when UW managed a combined 18 plays of 20 yards or longer. That includes a season-low two versus Michigan and three each against LSU, Georgia State and Michigan State.
Chryst said the improvement, however modest, can be traced to seizing the moment.
"We've had a lot of opportunities," he said. "We haven't always been connecting on them.
"We're not changing the number of calls or trying to manufacture any more or less. Maybe we're being a little bit more opportunistic."
It would be helpful if that trend continued. The Badgers (5-2 overall, 2-2 in the Big Ten) host seventh-ranked Nebraska (7-0, 4-0) at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday at 6 p.m.
You now need a full hand to count all the top-10 teams UW has faced this season. The Cornhuskers are the fifth — joining LSU, Michigan State, Michigan and Ohio State — in what represents a first for the program.
The Badgers previously played four top-10 clubs in a single season — 1956, '59, '60 and '61 — but never this many.
The overall quality of the schedule helps explain why UW hasn't had a great deal of explosive plays this season.
Michigan, Ohio State and LSU are first, fifth and 14th in total defense in FBS, respectively.
Michigan is first, Ohio State fifth, LSU eighth and Iowa 19th in scoring defense, respectively.
In the category of big plays allowed of 10 yards or longer, UW has played six of the top 40: Michigan is first, Ohio State 10th, LSU is 17th, Michigan State 25th, Georgia State 39th and Iowa 40th.
Things won't get much easier for the Badgers versus Nebraska, which is 14th in scoring defense, 21st in total defense and 31st in fewest big plays allowed entering their primetime duel.
What no doubt bugs Chryst is that 10 of the 32 big plays have come on drives that didn't produce any points. That was especially the case during a 17-9 victory over Iowa in which four of the six came on fruitless possessions.
"We're getting down there, we're moving the ball, and not finishing drives and not finishing plays," UW redshirt freshman Alex Hornibrook said. "We've just got to finish. That's all there is to it."
Granted, the game in Iowa City was unusual for the Badgers in that two quarterbacks — Hornibrook and fifth-year senior Bart Houston — saw action behind an offensive line that utilized eight bodies and no less than four different combinations.
For reference, UW had 30 plays of 20 yards or more at this juncture last season.
Two years ago, with Heisman Trophy finalist Melvin Gordon as the offensive focal point, Wisconsin had 46 long plays from scrimmage after seven games. Gordon, a record-setting tailback, was responsible for 17 of those.
Getting more out of the current UW offense starts and ends with better cohesion.
"Whether it's one block, one cut, one throw that can be better, those plays are just everything is happening together," Hornibrook said Monday.
"We're very close," senior tailback Dare Ogunbowale said. "We've been seeing the last couple weeks, it's one guy here and one guy there. Whether it's a block or whether it's just a read, it's always one guy."
Those lapses, however small, need to be cleaned up.
"Guys have to execute," Ogunbowale said. "(Running backs) Coach (John) Settle always says, 'When you're in, you're on.' That means when you're on the field you've got to go and there's no excuses.
"We've got to make sure all 11 guys are doing their jobs."
An inability to finish helps explain why the Badgers ranked 111th in red-zone efficiency. They've converted 21 of 28 drives inside the 20 into points. Fifteen of those are TDs.
"It's got to get better," Chryst said after UW was 3-for-5 in the red zone versus the Hawkeyes. One failed drive ended with a fumble at the 1 by Clement. Another resulted in a missed 32-yard field goal by senior kicker Andrew Endicott.
The recent surge in big plays for Wisconsin could be linked to the emergence of some youngsters. In addition to Cephus' catch, fellow true freshman wide receiver A.J. Taylor picked up 23 yards on a jet sweep.
"When we change it up and different people are playing, they're in there because we think they can get the job done," Hornibrook said. "Seeing different guys in the huddle — seeing different guys on the field — it's good and it's helping us."
