Inside the Huddle: Safeties elevate play through trust and teaching
December 02, 2017 | Football, Mike Lucas
Badgers, tackle David Edwards focus on task at hand against Buckeyes
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BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — When Natrell Jamerson first made the move from nickel cornerback to free safety, Joe Ferguson was a sounding board, a teaching assistant, a source of information.
"Joe helped a lot," said Jamerson, who made the position change last spring. "He wasn't playing as much as (Leo) Musso and D'Cota (Dixon), but he knew just as much as they did."
During Jamerson's orientation, his adjustment period to safety, he tapped into Ferguson's knowledge of the position and the defense as a whole.
"The biggest thing is getting everyone lined up," Ferguson said. "I showed him what to look for as far as keys and where he needed to be looking all the time.
"It was kind of like taking a younger guy under your wing and teaching him. But obviously since Natrell has been in the defense, he picked it up a lot quicker.
"That's why he was able to come in and be a great player so fast."
When Ferguson replaced the injured Dixon in the lineup at Illinois (Oct. 28), Jamerson returned the earlier favor by easing Ferguson's transition from backup to starter at strong safety.
"I was able to communicate things that I saw to him (Jamerson)," said Ferguson, a fifth-year senior, "and he was able to communicate what he saw to me. It seemed like the trust was always there.
"What any good back end does is communicate with each other — and trust each other — and that's what we had pretty much right away."
Jamerson took polite exception to the degree of his influence on Ferguson.
"As far as me teaching him anything," he said, "Ferg has always been ready."
Both have had the ultimate teammate/mentor in Dixon, a savvy, battle-tested veteran and a first-team All-Big Ten safety. Jamerson and Ferguson received honorable mention.
"When D'Cota's not playing," Jamerson said, "he's coaching in practice and on the sidelines in games. He asks us what we saw when we come out and he tells us what he saw and how to play it."
Congrats, D'Cota, T.J. & Nick! ?? #OnWisconsin || #Badgers
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) November 28, 2017
After starting four of the last five games for Dixon, Ferguson added, "It has just been nice to have an extra pair of eyes to help you out on something that you might have missed."
It's more about seeing the entire field, he said, than just seeing your keys. That will be important Saturday night against an Ohio State offense that can stretch a defense vertically and horizontally.
Everything revolves around fifth-year senior quarterback J.T. Barrett, who has thrown for a school-record 9,109 career yards and 102 touchdowns and rushed for 3,137 yards and 40 scores.
"Whenever they struggle, they just put the ball in his hands and tell him to go win the game and he gets it done," Ferguson said of Barrett, who has a 36-6 record as a starter.
"If you hope to beat them, you have to try and contain him. He's a good passer and a great runner. He does a lot of things well and you have to be on your 'A' game pre-snap and post-snap, too."
Congrats to Joe, Leon, Natrell, Olive and Ryan ?? #OnWisconsin || #Badgers
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) November 28, 2017
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Barrett is built like a college tailback. In last season's overtime win over Wisconsin, he led the Buckeyes in rushing with 21 carries for 92 yards and two touchdowns.
"He's a big guy and a hard runner," Jamerson said. "When he's tackled, he's usually falling forward. We just have to bring our feet, wrap up and bring him down."
Barrett left Ohio State's last game, at Michigan, in the second half with a knee injury but all signs point to him starting against Wisconsin. His understudy, redshirt freshman Dwayne Haskins, acquitted himself well against the Wolverines in Ann Arbor.
After Barrett was forced out of the game in the third quarter, Haskins completed 6 of 7 passes for 94 yards and guided the Buckeyes to 17 consecutive points to seal the victory.
"He's a quarterback who can run, too," Ferguson said of Haskins, a four-star recruit out of Maryland. "He's not as strong (as Barrett), but he's just as athletic. He can make plays and hurt you."
The Buckeyes lead the Big Ten in rushing offense (250.3 yards per game). They have 31 TDs. The Badgers lead the nation in rushing defense (80.5 ypg). They given up only four touchdowns.
Freshman J.K. Dobbins and sophomore Mike Weber have developed into a formidable one-two punch at tailback for the Buckeyes. Dobbins has rushed for 1,190 yards and Weber for 672.
"He (Dobbins) can juke anybody out, he can cut on a dime," Ferguson said. "We've seen some cuts on film where he has made people look absolutely silly.
"(Weber) is similar but probably more of a bruiser. Both are incredibly athletic. They wouldn't be running backs at Ohio State if they weren't."
Once a Badger, always a Badger Some familiar faces wanted to show their support for the #Badgers before tomorrow's Big Ten Championship Game Leave your own good luck message in the comments below ??
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) December 1, 2017
What A Difference A Year Makes
In breaking down tape this week of last season's overtime loss to Ohio State, David Edwards couldn't wait to critique the No. 79 alternating with Jacob Maxwell at right tackle for Wisconsin.
His movements were not efficient — hands, elbows, whatever — his stance was really wide.
"He looked like a tight end playing tackle," Edwards observed.
And that's because he was. Edwards (No. 79) was a tight end just two years ago.
"That was really my first true action during the (2016) season and I thought that helped me a lot moving forward," said Edwards, who beat out Maxwell two weeks later and started the final seven games.
"The biggest thing for me was just confidence — confidence in the techniques. And then having trust in my set, trust in my hands, trust in my feet … the growth in all of that has helped me."
Congrats, David! ?? #OnWisconsin || #Badgers
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) November 29, 2017
So much so that when Edwards was doing his film study on the Buckeyes from last year, he cringed watching defensive end Sam Hubbard "blowing me off the ball and getting to Alex."
Hubbard had one of Ohio State's four sacks of quarterback Alex Hornibrook. Jayln Holmes, Tyquan Lewis and Nick Bosa accounted for the other three. All four primo pass rushers are back.
Bosa leads the defense with 12.5 tackles for loss and 6 sacks. Hubbard has 10 TFLs and 4.5 sacks. Lewis, the 2016 Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, has 21.5 career sacks, including 5 this season.
"They've matured," Edwards said. "And they're really athletic and that's really obvious."
The Buckeyes will use multiple combinations on the defensive line. Six players have started at least seven games apiece; 10 have at least two TFLs and as many as 12 will be in the rotation.
Edwards, a second-team All-Big Ten selection, is excited to see how the Badgers measure up, excited to be returning to Indianapolis for another championship game, excited by the moment.
"Coach (Paul) Chryst and his staff have done a really good job of preaching to us, 'It's about the moment. And it's not bigger than what it is,'" said Edwards, a redshirt sophomore.
"I'm trying to focus on the day and the task at hand. I don't think anything is different. It's just the opponent and the stage that we're on.
"But I don't think our approach changes. We know what to expect in terms of the crowd and the facilities (Lucas Oil Stadium). It's the kind of game that you come here to play.
"When I'm 40 or 50 years old, I'm going to remember the Big Ten championship games against Penn State and Ohio State. And that's going to be really cool."
Note To Quote
Prior to breaking off a 41-yard run on an end around at Minnesota, fullback Austin Ramesh had rushed for 44 yards in 10 previous games combined (he was injured and didn't play at Indiana). Ramesh is no stranger to toting the rock. At Northland Pines High School, he led the state in rushing as a junior with 2,263 yards and 19 touchdowns. Michigan State recruited Ramesh as a tailback. The Badgers originally projected him as a linebacker. In the spring of 2014, though, he was the leading rusher in the spring game. As a redshirt freshman, Ramesh was competing for the No. 3 tailback position with Taiwan Deal before moving to fullback after Derek Watt broke his foot against LSU. Asked about Ramesh's running skills, quarterback Alex Hornibrook said, "He's always had those tools. He's a great blocker, but he's also athletic and can move. Out of fullbacks, you don't usually see that."
Getting excited for Saturday? ?? Varsity Magazine takes a look back at the defining moments so far for @BadgerFootball this season ???? http://go.wisc.edu/varsity-8-14
— Wisconsin Badgers (@UWBadgers) November 30, 2017
First And 10: Ohio State
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- Had three DBs taken in the first round of the 2017 draft: Gareon Conley, Marshon Lattimore and Malik Hooker. Cornerback Eli Apple was also a first-rounder in 2016.
- Denzel Ward, first-team All-Big Ten, is top returning player in the secondary. Viewed as first-round talent. Had career-high eight tackles, two pass breakups, blocked extra point against Michigan.
- Seven different receivers have caught at least 20 passes; nine have caught at least 17. K.J. Hill has 51 catches, Paris Campbell has 38, Terry McLaurin has 26.
- Receiving corps has 37 touchdown receptions. Only Missouri (43) and Oklahoma (40) have more. Wisconsin has 21. Johnnie Dixon has eight TDs, Binjimen Victor has seven.
- Lost starting guard Branden Bowen to season-ending injury against Maryland (Oct. 7). Center Billy Price has started a school-record 53 consecutive games.
- J.K. Dobbins needs just 48 yards to break Maurice Clarett's freshman rushing record of 1,237 yards set in 2002. Has rushed for 181 against Indiana and 172 against Army.
- Dobbins (5-10, 208) fractured his fibula on the very first play of his senior year in high school (LaGrange, Texas). Had surgery. Missed season. Had already committed to Buckeyes.
- Curtis Samuel (now with the Carolina Panthers) and Mike Weber each rushed for 43 yards against the Badgers last season. Weber has had TD runs of 25, 43, 47 and 82 the past three games.
- J.T. Barrett is tied with Art Schlichter for most career wins at OSU (36). Only the second FBS player to rush for 40 TDs and pass for 100. Central Michigan's Dan LeFevour was the other.
- Barrett had a streak of 190 passes without an interception snapped on his first throw at Iowa (Amani Hooker's 30-yard pick-six). His career TD/INT ratio is 102/28.
Quote To Note
On what stands out about Alex Hornibook's makeup, right tackle David Edwards said, "When he makes a mistake or throws an interception, it really doesn't faze him; the highs and lows of the game, a touchdown or an interception, don't faze him. He's even-keeled. Everyone has confidence in him that he's going to make the best play for us. We have his back and he has ours."
