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TheMichiganDaily, www.michigandaily.com

Behind Enemy Lines: A conversation with 
Jonah Malkin, a Wisconsin broadcaster

By ETHAN WOLFE

Daily Sports Writer

The No. 12 Michigan football 
team has as much confidence as 
it’s had in two seasons, riding 
a five-game win streak into 
Saturday.
No. 15 Wisconsin is a team 
that’s looking to re-find that 
confidence. After a devastating 
home loss to BYU in Week Three, 
the Badgers have responded 
with a resounding road win at 
Iowa and a runaway victory 
over Nebraska. 
Unlike 
previous 
Wisconsin 
teams 
with 
powerhouse 
defenses, 
it’s 
the 
offense, 
led by running 
back 
and 
Heisman-
hopeful 
Jonathan 
Taylor, that is 
carrying 
the 
strongest team 
in the Big Ten West.
The Daily spoke to Jonah 
Malkin, a radio broadcaster 
for WSUM 91.7 FM Madison, 
to 
learn 
about 
Wisconsin’s 
strengths and weaknesses, and 
what to expect during Saturday’s 
high-stakes game at Michigan 
Stadium.
The Michigan Daily: What 
has been the atmosphere around 
the team since that loss to BYU?
Jonah Malkin: I’d say it’s 
cautiously optimistic. The reason 
is because after that BYU game, 
Wisconsin did respond well on 
the road at Iowa, had the bye 
week and collected another win 
a couple days ago at Nebraska. 
I 
say 
cautiously 
optimistic 
because the secondary — the 
defense is really banged up 
going into this weekend against 
Michigan. 
While 
there 
is 
certainly a lot of optimism and 
confidence brewing in the locker 
room, it’s cautious optimism 
because 
it’s 
gonna 
be 
the 
toughest atmosphere most likely 
that they’ve played this year, 
and they’re missing some key 
cogs on the defensive side. The 
confidence is still there, a lot of 
young guys are looking forward 

to the opportunity to step up.
TMD: 
What’s 
the 
injury 
report looking like? What impact 
will it have on the game?
Malkin: They’re gonna be 
missing a number of starters is 
what it seems like. About four 
of the starters are questionable. 
The 
defensive 
end, 
Isaiahh 
Loudermilk, 
isn’t 
gonna 
be 
playing, which is a big loss 
because Wisconsin doesn’t have 
a great pass rush at all. He was 
one of those guys in the front 
three in the 3-4 defense that 
could put pressure on opposing 
quarterbacks. Most importantly, 
though, in the secondary there’s 
a lot of guys on the injury report. 
Faion Hicks is questionable, 
D’Cota Dixon is questionable. 
They are both gonna play but 
they’re not 100 percent. Caesar 
Williams is probably not gonna 
play, 
he’s 
questionable, 
the 
starting 
cornerback. 
Scott 
Nelson is missing the first 
half because he was called 
for targeting at the end of the 
game against Nebraska. Deron 
Harrell, who is kind of a backup 
cornerback even though he got 
first-team snaps Saturday, is 
also questionable with a head 
injury.
I’m 
concerned 
about 
the 
secondary because, to me, the 
passing game is gonna be the 
difference in the game. It’s 
gonna come out to the play of 
Shea Patterson making long 
plays. 
The 
secondary 
is 
so 
beaten up and there’s a lot of 
young, inexperienced players 
and Wisconsin has already given 
up a number of big plays over 
the air so far this season. I have 
a feeling that that’s gonna be a 
difference in the game.
TMD: How do you assess 
Wisconsin opening as eight-
point underdogs at Michigan?
Malkin: I understand why 
they made that the line. I 
personally think it’s gonna be 
a closer contest, between three 
and six (points). I project it’ll be 
a low-scoring game, a 24-20 kind 
of game. But then again, I can 
understand why the line is what 
it is. A touchdown is a pretty 
fair assessment, especially on 
the road, first night game of the 
year. And the stakes couldn’t 
be higher for both teams. For 

both of these teams, this is the 
difference between which team 
still has a chance to make the 
playoff and who doesn’t.
TMD: Last year, Wisconsin 
finished third in total defense. 
At the moment, it’s ranked 41st 
in the country. Was a decline 
expected? What do you attribute 
that slide to?
Malkin: I don’t think anyone 
was 
expecting 
the 
defense 
to be nearly as dominant and 
elite as it was last year. It was 
an 
unreasonable 
expectation 
given how much turnover they 
lost — pretty much their entire 
front three and starters in the 
secondary. I don’t think people 
expected them to be 41st. There 
was more optimism surrounding 
the secondary in training camp 
and all the coaches were raving 
about the corners and safeties, 
and not as much about the 
defensive line. … They expected 
the offense to be the aspect of 
the team that will carry it, but 
I definitely think they expected 
the pass defense to be a little bit 
better. The rush defense is still 
respectable. … Overall, not an 
elite defense, not even top-10, 
but maybe a top-20 program was 

expected.
TMD: Is there an offensive 
weapon not named Jonathan 
Taylor that you expect could 
break out on Saturday?
Malkin: 
Jonathan 
Taylor 
is what he is, and obviously 
that’ll be crucial for Wisconsin 
to win. But I actually think it’s 
probably gonna be a big game 
for Jake Ferguson, the starting 
tight end. My guess is that he’ll 
be the security blanket that Alex 
Hornibrook is gonna rely on 
for third down opportunities. 
Michigan 
is 
(a 
good) 
pass 
defense, they’ve held opponents 
to the fewest passing yards per 
game in the country, so you’re 
not going to rip off too many big 
plays off of them. Third down 
conversion 
defense, 
they’re 
good but not unbreakable. The 
tight end play will be really big 
and Jake Ferguson — he’s led 
Wisconsin in receiving yards 
two of their five games. He may 
be targeted a lot more against 
Michigan.
TMD: Who will have the 
better 
day 
between 
Alex 
Hornibrook and Shea Patterson?
Malkin: That’s tough. I think 
Shea Patterson is innately the 

more talented quarterback. He’s 
by far much more of a dual-
threat, can scramble, mobile guy. 
Hornibrook’s not like that at all. 
I think Patterson will register 
more stats at the end of the day. 
He’s got a more explosive arm 
and can use his legs. I don’t think 
his completion percentage will 
be as good as Hornibrook, I think 
he’s a more accurate thrower 
on 
average. 
Not 
necessarily 
meaning that Hornibrook will 
complete more big play throws, 
but his percentage will be better. 
It’s hard to measure who will 
play better necessarily, but I do 
think Hornibrook will step up 
and play well on the road. He’s 
done it before, he doesn’t get 
fazed by pressure on the road. 
… If Michigan is gonna win, it’s 
gonna be on the play of their 
defense and not necessarily on 
Patterson making tremendous 
throws.
TMD: Prediction?
Malkin: I think the score will 
be 24-20 regardless of who wins. 
I believe in Wisconsin. Should 
they probably be favored? I don’t 
know, but I can see them still 
pulling out a win. It’ll be the 
hardest game of the year.

Wisconsin 
at Michigan

Matchup: 
Wisconsin 4-1; 
Michigan 5-1

When: Saturday 
7:30 P.M.

Where: 
Michigan 
Stadium

TV/Radio: ABC

CAMERON HUNT/Daily
The Wolverines will face No. 15 Wisconsin on Saturday, a team featuring offensive threats like runing back Jonathan Taylor.

