Q: What does BYU need to do to beat Wisconsin?

Cougars on Offense
Wisconsin's defense, thus far, has been very stellar. They are currently 5th in the nation in points allowed per game (15). They have held 5 of their 8 opponents to 10 or fewer points. They are 15th in the nation against the pass (195 yards per game) and 5th against the rush (90 yards per game). While Wisconsin's D has been stellar overall, in their two losses to Ohio State and Arizona State the Badgers gave up an average of 31.5 points.

Ohio State's key to success against the Badgers was their dual threat QB, Braxton Miller. Miller didn't have a ton of yards through the air (198) but he threw for four TDs and ran for 83 yards. Arizona State aired it out more against the Badgers and threw for 352 yards, but coincidentally scored all four of their TDs on the ground. These two games (which happen to be the only two good offenses the Badgers have faced) show that Wisconsin's D can be beaten.

Taysom Hill will need to have another big game. His skill set is very akin to Miller (though Miller is decidedly the more efficient passer as of right now). Wisconsin will look to do what most teams have done thus far against the Y: force Hill to throw. Hill has shown the last five games that he can throw when his protection is solid. The O-line will have to stand up and give him time to make his reads and give him a pocket to throw from. They were better at this against Boise State but still gave up three sacks and let Hill get hit far too often. If they cannot protect Hill in the passing game, the Badgers will be able to stack the box and shut down the run game.

Another key to success will be to have solid outings from multiple running backs. The Badgers are a physical and hard hitting team. Hill and Williams have both proved that they are tough players but taking too many shots leads to injuries--Hill blew out his knee last year and Williams has been sidelined with multiple injuries thus far. Lasike, Brown and Hine will need to step up and play well enough to keep Williams and Hill healthy.  





Cougars on Defense
The Cougars should mirrored what the Badgers will try to do: force the opponent to pass. Wisconsin is a physical team that likes to establish its run game immediately. Almost 2/3's of the Badgers offensive plays have been running plays. Not by coincidence, the two games that Wisconsin lost were the two games where they threw most. BYU will need to focus on shutting down the Badgers rushing attack early and often. If they allow Wisconsin to have short yardage to go on 3rd downs, it will be a long day for the Cougars. If the front 7 consistently holds UW to 3rd and 4 or longer, it will give the D a very good chance of keeping points off the board. 

As with the offense, the Cougars will have to be very prudent with their use of substitutions and make sure they are keeping guys fresh. Recently, Kyle Van Noy admitted that he and his fellow defenders are "beat up" due to the increased tempo of the offense. The Badgers whole game plan revolves around punching their opponent in the mouths and beating them up with a bruising running game. BYU will need to rotate the backers and linemen in order to prevent fourth quarter meltdowns.  

Q: How do you think BYU will handle the size if Wisconsin's offensive and defensive line?

I feel very strongly that BYU's front seven can hang with just about anybody in the nation. While the Cougars are giving up more running yards than they did in 2012, I attribute most of that to the increased number of plays the opponents are running due to the Y's offensive scheme rather than any real downgrade in toughness and ability. While the Cougs have fallen to 40th in the nation in terms of yards allowed per game on the ground, they have only allowed 4 rushing touchdowns in 8 games. Wisconsin is the best running team that BYU will have faced but I feel confident that the D will be ready for their scheme and if the offense can put enough points on the board, the Cougars will hold the Badgers to a minimal score. 

On the other side of the ball, I am very frightened about the O-line. BYU has done a terrible job at protecting Hill all season. Fortunately for the Cougars, the Badgers are not a particularly blitz happy team (they are only 44th in the nation in sacks). Unfortunately for the Cougars, the Badgers are very good at staying in their gaps (they play a similar 3-4 to BYU's) and shutting down rushing attacks. Other than the Texas game, BYU has not gotten a great push at the line of scrimmage from the O-line. While Hill has had many explosive runs due to his speed around the edge, Williams has taken an absolute beating this year running between the tackles. It seems like every 5 yard run he has had, he's had to drag defenders with him. In BYU's current scheme, the run opens up the pass. If the Cougs cannot get a consistent push against UW, it could be ugly like the Utah game.  
 
Q: What has Taysom done to improve? 

It seems like there are many factors going into Taysom's improvement as a passer. I don't think I have seen any D-1 player progress so rapidly in a season before. Through three games, I was not sure Hill would ever become even an average passer. His passes were all coming out of his hand with way too much pepper and he was often nowhere near being on target. The last five games, Hill has looked much more comfortable. He is putting touch on his throws and most of his passes are accurate. It looks like he has a deeper understanding of the offense and the scheme the Cougars are running. A lot of credit needs to be given to his natural ability (he has a very lively arm). A lot of credit needs to go to his work ethic and diligence in learning the scheme. But, no student can be a great student without a great teacher. Robert Anae has tweaked the overall scheme of the offense just enough to allow Hill to flourish. He seems to have a good feel for where Hill is at as a passer and has done a good job in his playcalling. More than anything, though, it seems that he has gotten Hill and the rest of the offense to buy into the "Go Hard, Go Fast" mentality and has tutored Hill well. 

Q: Predictions for the game?

 It is put up or shut up time for the Cougs. They have not played a meaningful game in November for quite some time, now. This is a great opportunity to show whether or not they are a legitimate top 25 contender or just another run-of-the-mill team. The game is on national TV at a prime time slot against a Top 25 AQ team in front of a hostile crowd. I personally think the Cougars are for real and this 5 game win streak is not a fluke. I think they will show it, tomorrow. 

BYU 28, Wisconsin 21