A lot can change in two weeks. Heading into the Oct. 6 game in Champaign against Illinois, Wisconsin was ranked No. 5 in the country and was sitting pretty at 2-0 in the Big Ten. But after consecutive losses to Illinois and Penn State, Wisconsin has dropped out of the top 25 and are tied with three other teams for fourth place in the Big Ten.

A big reason why Wisconsin has dropped so hard and so fast is its inability to stop the run. The Badgers are currently giving up 162.6 rushing yards per game, but they have given up an average of 250 rushing yards in their last three games.

It’s hard to say NIU would have any sort of advantage against a stronger and more talented Badger squad, but NIU does have tailback Justin Anderson, the ninth-leading rusher in the nation.

“We are a running team and we’ll continue to do that,” head coach Joe Novak said. “Justin has had a great year but in the grand scheme of things wins are more important than yards.”

On the other hand, one of the Huskies’ biggest weaknesses happens to be the Badgers’ strength. NIU has had trouble scoring in the second half, having been shut out three times in the final 30 minutes. Wisconsin’s defense, however, thrives in the second half as they have only given up an average of 9.6 second half points.

The Badgers have also allowed 73.8 fewer yards after halftime.
Linebacker Jonathan Casillas is the leader of the Badger defense as well as the most decorated. The junior is on watch lists for the best linebacker in the country, defensive IMPACT Player of the Year and college football’s top defensive player. So far, Casillas has lived up to the hype as he leads the team in tackles with 53.

You can’t discuss about the Wisconsin defense without mentioning sophomore Elijah Hodge. The sophomore and fellow linebacker is the Badgers’ second leading tackler despite missing the game against Illinois and seems to be involved in every play.

Junior defensive end Matt Shaughnessy is the Badgers most gifted athlete on the D-line. The Connecticut native leads his team in tackles for a loss with six and leads all UW linemen with 30 stops.

Despite the defensive shortcomings, the Badgers have faced two teams that are among the nations top 10 in rushing offense and have played tougher competition than NIU throughout the season.

Grade- B-

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