BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin hits the road to play Big Ten foe Northwestern Saturday. Despite holding the all-time series edge, the Badgers are looking for their first win at Ryan Field since 1999. Here are five things you should know about Wisconsin's matchup with the Wildcats:
DON'T RUSH TO JUDGMENT
The eighth-ranked Badgers have won their last 23 games in which they've limited opponents to less than 100 yards rushing, a streak that stretches back to 2012. They are 4-0 this season — 88 vs. Akron, 33 vs. Georgia State, 75 vs. Michigan State and 83 vs. Iowa — and are about to face a club that has failed to crack 100 yards in four of its eight outings and ranks 104th out of 128 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in rushing offense. But before you get too amped up, know that Northwestern has running back Justin Jackson, who is 132 yards away from becoming the first back in school history to have three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. In addition, keep in mind the Wildcats have turned in their three best rushing performances this season against top-20 teams: 310 vs. No. 9 Nebraska, 208 vs. No. 6 Ohio State and 198 vs. No. 17 Western Michigan.
CENTURY CITY
After a slow start, UW senior tailback Corey Clement is averaging 99.9 yards rushing per game and put himself in realistic position to become the 17th back in program history to reach 1,000 for a season. Since totaling 319 yards in his first four outings, an average of 3.9 yards per touch, Clement has amassed 380 in his last three games, which works out to 4.8 per carry. Clement should be extra motivated to face the Wildcats, who held him to 24 yards on 10 carries last season. That represents Clement's worst career yardage total with double-digit attempts.
RARE AIR
This marks the sixth week this season the Badgers have been ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll, which is remarkable when you consider they didn't show up in the preseason AP Top 25. For perspective, UW spent nine weeks in the top 10 in 1954, '58, '98, 2010 and '11. The standard was set in 1959 and ' 99 when Wisconsin was in the top 10 for 10 weeks while winning Big Ten Conference championships and earning Rose Bowl berths.
30 SOMETHING
Over the last 10 seasons, the Badgers are 30-7 (.811) in games played in November. That's an amazing record when you consider they were 25-26-2 (.491) from 1990 to 2005. Four of the seven losses since '06 have come on the road. Two of the setbacks came at the hands of Northwestern (2009, '15).
PASSING GRADE
UW has yielded four touchdown passes while intercepting 10 this season. That's the best opponent TD-to-INT ratio of any FBS club. The four scoring passes allowed — one each to LSU, Georgia State, Michigan and Ohio State — is tied with LSU for the nation's fewest.
