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TheMichiganDaily, www.michigandaily.com

Breakdown: Michigan vs. Wisconsin

After four weeks of having a

clear advantage over its opponents
in nearly every phase of the game,
the No. 4 Michigan football team
will finally face a challenge this
weekend when No. 8 Wisconsin
comes to Ann Arbor.

Not much was expected from

the Badgers before the season
— especially considering their
current
stretch
features
four

straight games against the four
best teams in the Big Ten last
season, with three of those on the
road. But Wisconsin surprised
everyone by jumping out to a 4-0
start, knocking off then-No. 5
Louisiana State at Lambeau Field
in Green Bay, Wisc., and then-No. 8
Michigan State in East Lansing and
setting up a top-10 showdown with
the Wolverines this weekend.

The Daily breaks down what

should be the biggest game played
at Michigan Stadium this season.

Michigan
rush
offense
vs.

Wisconsin rush defense

The Wolverines’ running backs

had their best game of the season
last week against Penn State, picking
up 326 yards and six touchdowns
on the ground. Michigan’s stable
of four running backs, led by senior
De’Veon Smith, all found the end
zone, making running back coach
Tyrone Wheatley’s distribution of
carries look ingenious.

Wisconsin has the pieces to

stuff that run game, though, and
it probably won’t need to pack the
box to do so like Central Florida
did three weeks ago. The Badgers
have allowed just 3.2 yards per
carry
and
only
one
rushing

touchdown.
They
kept
LSU’s

Leonard Fournette out of the end
zone and held the Spartans to just
two field goals last week.

Edge: Wisconsin

Michigan
pass
offense
vs.

Wisconsin pass defense

On paper, fifth-year senior wide

receivers Jehu Chesson and Amara
Darboh look to have an advantage
against
Wisconsin’s
secondary.

Both stand over 6 feet tall — and
senior tight end Jake Butt checks
in at 6-foot-6 — while Badgers

cornerbacks Sojourn Shelton and
Derrick Tindal are 5-foot-9 and
5-foot-11, respectively.

But size hasn’t hurt the Wisconsin

duo so far, as they have combined
for ten pass breakups this season,
tied for the second-most by any
teammates in the country. And with
the Wolverines having won so many
blowout games so far this season,
redshirt sophomore quarterback
Wilton Speight hasn’t had to throw
the deep ball too often yet.

Michigan
certainly
has
the

talent to win this matchup, but it
won’t be easy.

Edge: Wisconsin

Wisconsin
rush
offense
vs.

Michigan rush defense

Wisconsin’s Corey Clement is

a very talented running back, but
Michigan’s defense is on another
level than most other teams in the
country right now. The Wolverines
lead the nation in tackles for loss
with 44 — redshirt sophomore
linebacker Jabrill Peppers has 9.5
by himself — and haven’t allowed
many backs to get the best of them,
save for a few big plays.

Case in point: running back

Saquon Barkley was essentially
the only functioning part of the
Nittany Lions’ offense last week,
both out of the backfield and as a
pass catcher, and Michigan still
limited him to 136 total yards and
no touchdowns.

The Wolverines may even be

more dangerous now that they are
fully healthy — senior defensive
end Taco Charlton (ankle) was
back in the lineup last weekend,
and redshirt sophomore defensive
tackle Bryan Mone (undisclosed
leg injury) practiced this week and
could make his return Saturday.

Edge: Michigan

Wisconsin
pass
offense
vs.

Michigan pass defense

The
Wolverines’
secondary

suffered a huge loss last week
when fifth-year senior cornerback
Jeremy Clark tore his anterior
cruciate ligament, but it also
welcomed back an All-American
in
senior
cornerback
Jourdan

Lewis. Replacing Clark will take
a concerted effort from redshirt
sophomore Brandon Watson and

freshmen David Long and Lavert
Hill,
but
Michigan’s
starting

lineup remains strong. Lewis’
counterpart,
senior
Channing

Stribling, was ranked as the best
corner in the Big Ten by Pro
Football Focus College Football
before Lewis’ return.

The Wolverines will have to

contend with wide receivers Jazz
Peavy and Robert Wheelwright,
both of whom have already eclipsed
200 receiving yards this season.
And for the first time all season,
they’ll also have to deal with a pass-
catching tight end, Troy Fumagalli,
who has 14 catches for 169 yards.
New Badgers quarterback Alex
Hornibrook has been very steady
for a redshirt freshman, especially
against Michigan State last week,
but Lewis and Stribling present a
difficult obstacle.

Edge: Michigan

Special teams

Peppers is quickly establishing

a reputation as one of the best punt
returners in the country, racking
up an FBS-best 227 return yards
and a touchdown. He very nearly
took another punt to the house last
week, but he stumbled in the red
zone and had the play brought back
because of sideline interference.
Additionally, Michigan and Texas
are the only two teams in the
country to have blocked three kicks
or punts.

On the opposing side, Wisconsin

kicker Rafael Gaglianone is out
for the season with a back injury
after starting 7-for-8 on field
goals (4-for-4 on kicks longer
than 40 yards) and 10-for-10 on
extra points. The Badgers rank in
the middle of the pack in ESPN’s
special teams efficiency (58th in
the FBS), while the Wolverines
rank second.

Edge: Michigan

Intangibles

This is the first top-10 matchup

in Ann Arbor since Michigan
knocked off Ohio State in 2003,
and the excitement among the
Wolverines’ fan base has reached
a
fever
pitch.
Even
though

the team hasn’t faced a real
challenge yet, Michigan is a Big
Ten and national championship
hopeful in the eyes of its fans and
players alike.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh

has said that the team is treating
every opponent like a top-10
team, but now it has a chance to
beat a real one. The Wolverines
haven’t faced Wisconsin since
2010, and it’s the first time that
the two teams have ever met
while both were ranked in the
top 10.

The Wolverines will need some

quality wins to state their case for
the playoff, so Saturday is a great
time to start.

Edge: Michigan

Prediction:
Michigan
24,

Wisconsin 17

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Redshirt sophomore Jabrill Peppers could affect Saturday’s game in multiple phases, including offense.

JACOB GASE

Daily Sports Editor

Wolverines, Badgers should have advantages with stout defenses, but special teams could make difference