Wisconsin Football: Five Takeaways From The Akron Win

[Da-news-now]

A week following their thrilling 16-14 victory over SEC power LSU at Lambeau Field, the Badgers came home to Camp Randall Stadium to take on the Akron Zips. Wisconsin is one of the top 10 teams in the country and showed it by dismantling Akron 54-10.

It Runs In The Family


Wisconsin alumnus J.J. Watt is one of – if not the best – defensive players in the NFL. Watt was dominant during his time in Madison, but those days are far in the past. However, Badger fans may think they are in déjà vu when they see a player coming off the edge with “Watt” on the back of his jersey. T.J. Watt is making a name for himself besides being “J.J.’s little brother.”

The youngest of the Watt trio at UW had three tackles and one sack last week and was one of the key players in a sack safety. Watt already has 10 tackles in two games this season.

Clement Could Have Had An Even Bigger Day


Senior running back Corey Clement ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns in only one half of play. Clement tweaked his ankle at the end of the first half, when the score was 30-10. Who knows what Clement’s final numbers would have been if he continued to play. The running back is having issues getting back to full health for this weekend, and his limited reps in practice late in the week suggest the team may try to save him for the important games coming in Big Ten play.


Third Down Dominance


It’s no surprise the Badgers dominated this game, but the third down efficiency numbers are staggering. The Badgers converted on 10 of 15 third downs, extending drives as they gained 586 yards on the day. The defense excelled in third and fourth down situations, with the Badgers holding the Zips to only one third down conversions out of 10 attempts, and shutting the Zips down on their only fourth down attempt. For perspective, LSU was held to only two third down conversions in week one, meaning overall through 2 weeks opponents have been held to only two third down conversions by the Badgers.

Bart Houston Continues To Impress


MADISON, WI – SEPTEMBER 10: Bart Houston #13 of the Wisconsin Badgers throws a pass in the third quarter against the Akron Zips at Camp Randall Stadium on September 10, 2016 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)


Bart Houston didn’t throw a touchdown pass against LSU but he still emerged as leader in the upset. Houston looked sharp against the Zips, converting on 15 of 22 passing attempts for 231 yards and two touchdowns. Those two touchdowns went to junior Jazz Peavy, who grabbed seven balls for 100 yards. Houston was slinging the ball around the field all day, hitting Peavy for a long of 34 yards, Robert Wheelwright for 47, and A.J. Taylor for 35 yards.

The Defense Has Had Two Straight Great Showings


The Badger defense held the then ranked No. 5 team in country to 257 yards and two touchdowns, and was just as strong against Akron. The Badgers held the Zips to 86 yards on the ground and only 224 total yards on the day. The defense has also forced five turnovers and seven sacks in two games. The defense will likely have another strong outing this week against Georgia State, but will have another big test when they play at Michigan State the following week.


The Badgers have been playing very well on both sides of the ball through two games this season. They have a huge game in two weeks, but cannot lose their focus this week against Georgia State. Even though they are heavy favorites, they need to stay sharp. Corey Clement’s health will be priority number one for him, but it would be nice to see him play well for a third straight game. The defense should be able to easily shut down the Panthers, as they have been one of the best defenses in the country so far this season and GSU’s offense has had issues keeping opponents off the scoreboard.

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