The Wisconsin Badgers face a daunting task on Saturday: a road matchup against the Alabama Crimson Tide. The contest is the second part of a home-and-home series that began last season, where Alabama beat Wisconsin 42-10 after Badgers starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke went down with an ACL injury. This season, the Badgers are facing an Alabama squad that was upset in Week 1 by Florida State, a team that went 2-10 last year. If there was any season to beat Alabama on the road, it’s this one.
Wisconsin will still carry some injuries of its own into this game, with starting quarterback Billy Edwards expected to remain sidelined due to a knee injury that he suffered in Week 1. Center Jake Renfro has also been struggling with an injury, which forced the Badgers to shuffle the offensive line against Middle Tennessee.
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Wisconsin will need to have an incredible performance on Saturday to have a chance at a win. But it’s still a small possibility that the team gets the job done. Here are the stats that could define Saturday’s game in Tuscaloosa:
1. 53.4% completion percentage
Alabama’s starting quarterback, Ty Simpson, was forced to throw more than expected during its Week 1 game against the Seminoles. He struggled to find his footing against the Florida State defense. Wisconsin’s defense has impressed thus far, being one of the better units at limiting yards on the ground by the opponent. That will be crucial in this game, as the Badgers only have a chance if they can force Alabama to pass when they’d normally run the ball.
2. Eight sacks
The Wisconsin defense has already generated eight sacks in just two games this season, which is almost halfway towards its sack total from 2024. Florida State created a lot of havoc defensively with its edge rushers, sacking Simpson three times in Week 1. Players like Mason Reiger, Brandon Lane, Sebastian Cheeks, and Christian Alliegro will need to be aggressive and pressure the quarterback as much as possible in this contest.
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3. 230 rushing yards
Alabama was hurt the most defensively by FSU’s strong rushing attack. The Seminoles ran for 230 yards against the Crimson Tide, which helped them control both the time of possession and the flow of the game. Players like Dilin Jones, Darrion Dupree, and wide receiver Trech Kekahuna will need to be the biggest playmakers offensively for the Badgers. Wisconsin struggled to find a rhythm last weekend against Middle Tennessee due to the last-minute offensive line shakeup. With another game of experience under their belt, expect the Badgers’ offensive linemen to be more consistent and ready to help create holes for the running backs.
4. Zero penalties
Despite a new offensive line and some younger guys getting playing time, the Badgers had their first game since 2016 with zero penalties. This is a major statistic. Giving opposing teams, especially programs as good as Alabama, extra yardage is a momentum killer. If the Badgers can play a clean game on Saturday like they did last weekend, they could be in the game until the very end.
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5. 102 receiving yards
Missouri State tight end transfer Lance Mason had a breakout game against MTSU, catching seven passes for 102 receiving yards and one touchdown. Mason and current starting quarterback Danny O’Neil clearly have chemistry in the passing attack. Making sure they can feed Mason the ball and maintain a balanced offensive game plan will be crucial for head coach Luke Fickell and offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Five stats to define Wisconsin football’s matchup against Alabama
