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Friday, December 13, 2002
No. 14 Wisconsin
at No. 9 Michigan
By Will Weiss
BCSfootball.com
"When you play in our league, if you're not fired up to play 11 times when you work so hard throughout the year -- you play in venues like the Big House in front of a big crowd on TV against a great program -- if you don't get fired up for something like that, then you don't have a heart."
--Wisconsin head coach Barry Alvarez
It is the first real marquee matchup in the Big Ten Conference this season, and though it's only the fifth game for both teams, Saturday's contest between No. 14 Wisconsin and No. 9 Michigan (ABC, 12 p.m. ET) is wrought with postseason implications. The winner gains momentum toward the Big Ten title, inching one step closer towards securing a trip to Pasadena. The loser all of a sudden loses control of its own destiny.
Wisconsin and Michigan enter Ann Arbor with identical 3-1 records, but different frames of mind. The Badgers visit the Big House after suffering a wild double-overtime loss to Northwestern, while Michigan, with some assistance from the officials, rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Illinois.
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ABC analyst Gary Danielson:
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You are going to see an NFL matchup: Jamar Fletcher vs. David Terrell. I hope there is enough room in the press box as I'm sure all the scouts will be there to watch it -- possibly the best corner and the best receiver on the draftboard playing against each other.
Fletcher is rangy and fast. He has a great ability to catch the ball for a college defensive back. He never panics and is savvy for interceptions. He is also a threat after he catches the ball. David Terrell is the most fluid receiver running routes that I have seen at Michigan, better than Derrick Alexander, Amani Toomer, and Mercury Hayes. He is more explosive and can catch the ball acrobatically anywhere near him. This should be the matchup of the week in college football.
The tiebreaker: Drew Henson. With Henson, Terrell should be able to win this matchup. Without Henson, I give it to Fletcher.
There are many interesting matchups: Michigan OG Steve Hutchinson vs. Wisconsin DT Wendell Bryant; The A-Train vs. Michael Bennett -- let's see if Bennett can do something that Ron Dayne never did -- gain 100 yards against Michigan.
Key to the game: Can Wisconsin's offensive line re-establish the dominance it had last year against the Big Ten? Even though the Badgers gained a lot of yards running the ball, they didn't manhandle Northwestern last week. Most of the yardage came on option plays. On the other side, Michigan's injuries have decimated Michigan's defense. If Wisconsin can control the clock and manhandle the Wolverines' front seven, the Badgers have a chance.
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Both teams feature outstanding offenses and possess stars at the skill positions, and the offensive lines of Wisconsin and Michigan are two of the most highly-touted units in the country. The intangibles, however, are what make this game intriguing. First, this is Wisconsin's first game with a full squad. The Badgers' chemistry is a question mark. Second, Michigan Stadium might be the most intimidating place to play in the land. If someone were to define "home field advantage," he might say, "Take in a Wolverines game in Ann Arbor."
Most importantly, which defense will step up? Michigan has sustained a horde of injuries, and Wisconsin's defense fell to 91st in the country after giving up 544 yards to Northwestern on Saturday. Yikes.
"That was probably one of the worst performances we've ever had," Alvarez said.
Both teams have shown a vulnerability to the pass. Neither team has displayed a formidable pass rush, and Michigan has lost half of its starting defensive line. In the secondary, the Badgers have an advantage in coverage with Jamar Fletcher in the lineup for just the second time this season.
When Wisconsin has the ball:
The easy route would be to simply hand the ball off to Michael Bennett, and work from there. Bennett is the nation's leading rusher, and there is no question he is the focal point of the Badger offense. The combination of Wisconsin's size and experience on the O-line, coupled with the rash of injuries Michigan has endured on their D-line, could mean another big day for last year's Big Ten Indoor Track Athlete of the Year.
Keep in mind, though, Michigan has done a good job containing Wisconsin's backs in the past. Ron Dayne gained only 88 yards in last season's battle, zero in the second half.
Wisconsin will have to do more, though, than pound the ball on the ground with Bennett. To do severe damage to this Michigan defense, quarterback Brooks Bollinger will have to open up the offense and throw downfield. Yes, Bollinger threw three touchdown passes last week, but his longest completion was 29 yards.
In the past two games, Michigan has given up four passes of 30 yards or more. Nick Davis averaged just 10 yards per catch last week. He needs to get more involved in the offense to complement the powerful running of Bennett. The return of last year's leading receiver Chris Chambers looms large for Alvarez's offense. Chambers has missed the first four games with a knee injury and Shoegate suspension.
When Michigan has the ball:
The question that immediately comes to mind is, will Drew Henson start at quarterback for Michigan on Saturday?
"I want to wait and see how he proceeds," said Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr. "He obviously passed a very big test at Illinois on the turf, and he has shown no pain. He thinks he's 100 percent."
Even if he doesn't start Saturday, Henson showed why he is the No. 1 quarterback on this team. If not for his gritty play, the Wolverines would be reeling at 2-2.
Like Wisconsin, the meat of Michigan's offense is rooted in its running game, and that means more yards for the "A-Train", Anthony Thomas. Fresh off a 228-yard performance in Champaign, he continues to establish himself as the feature player on the offensive unit.
|  | | Michigan's David Terrell is 13th in the nation in receiving. |
Wisconsin's pass defense ranks 107th in Division I-A (out of 115 teams). Opponents are passing at a whopping 280.2 yards per game clip against the Badgers -- not numbers of a title-contending team. Though Fletcher intercepted three passes against Oregon (the only game he has played this season), Joey Harrington still threw for 362 yards. Again, yikes.
This news bodes well for Michigan's aerial game plan. Junior wide receiver David Terrell is having another solid season in Ann Arbor. He is second in the Big Ten and 13th in the nation in receiving and will be matched against Fletcher, one of the premier cover-men in college football. The winner of that mini-battle could determine the outcome of the game.
News and notes:
The 47-44 double overtime loss was the first of Bollinger's career. His record is now 11-1.
For the fourth straight year, the Wisconsin-Michigan game finds both teams ranked in the Top 25.
Wisconsin has not won in Ann Arbor since 1994, when Darrell Bevell led the unranked Badgers to a 31-19 upset of the 10th-ranked Wolverines.
In his career, Carr is 3-0 against Wisconsin. Alvarez is 2-3 against Michigan.
Michigan leads the all-time series 44-10-1, with the Wolverines winning the last three meetings.
Will Weiss is the assistant editor of BCSfootball.com.
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Drew Henson hits David Terrell with a 57-yard touchdown pass.
Coach Lloyd Carr was proud of Michigan's will to fight.