BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — Ninth-ranked Wisconsin travels to Nebraska for a Saturday night battle for ownership of the Freedom Trophy. Here are five things to know as the Badgers prepare for a prime-time kickoff against the Huskers (7 p.m., BTN):
A PLATEAU BECKONS
At his current rate, UW tailback Jonathan Taylor will reach the 1,000-yard rushing plateau faster than any true freshman in program history. He's averaging 129.5 yards per outing through the first four games and has 518 rushing yards heading into a Big Ten Conference game at Nebraska on Saturday. That puts Taylor on pace to reach 1,000 in game No. 8. It took Ron Dayne 9 games in 1996 and James White 11 games in 2010 to reach 1,000. Taylor has an outside shot at the NCAA record for true freshmen, which is seven games. That list includes Florida's Emmitt Smith in 1987 (1,011 yards); San Diego State's Marshall Faulk in 1991 (1,157); and Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson (1,023) and North Texas' Jamario Thomas (1,216) in 2004.
DECIDING FACTOR
Wisconsin has won five of its six meetings with the Cornhuskers since they joined the Big Ten in 2011. The Badgers have prevailed three times by 30 or more points — 48-17 in 2011, 70-31 in '12 and 59-24 in '14 — and twice in games decided in the final seconds: 23-21 in 2015 and 23-17 in overtime last season. A common thread in all six games — including the 30-27 regular-season victory by the Huskers in 2012 — is that Nebraska has never won the turnover battle.
HERE'S THE KICKER
Despite a brush with adversity, the Badgers lead the Big Ten in kickoff average at 64.6 yards, including touchbacks on 18 of 28 kickoffs. That's despite losing junior specialist P.J. Rosowski to a leg injury in Week 2, one that has him listed as questionable heading into the Nebraska game. No worries, though. Sophomore Zach Hintze has stepped into the fray and performed at a high level. He's forced a touchback on 14 of 19 kickoffs over the last three outings, a .737 ratio that ranks first in the Big Ten and 12th nationally.
LET THERE BE LIGHT
Nebraska has won 20 consecutive night games at Memorial Stadium, including a victory over the Badgers in 2012, and is 46-5 at home under the lights overall. Wisconsin has not played a true road night game since Paul Chryst became the coach in 2015, but has won 9 of 10 true road games overall. Going back to 1991, the Badgers are 16-9 in true road night games, including a 5-4 mark vs. Big Ten opponents.
RUN OF THE MILL
In its two losses this season, Nebraska rushed a combined 65 times for 194 yards, which works out to 2.98 yards per attempt. Those two opponents, Oregon and Northern Illinois, are ranked 14th and 21st in the nation in rushing defense, respectively. Now the Cornhuskers will engage UW, which ranks fourth nationally against the run. Wisconsin opponents have been limited to 2.43 yards per rush, which is the third-best mark among Football Bowl Subdivision teams behind Michigan (2.20) and South Florida (2.35).
