The Wisconsin Badgers snatched a win against the Western Illinois Leathernecks on Saturday, but don’t let the final score fool ya, this was no walk in the park. It was an absolute rollercoaster for the defense, which frankly, looked totally out of sync at times, especially when trying to stop the run against a team that got stomped 41-10 by Illinois State just the week before. Seriously, that’s not a good look.
The Defensive Line Got Pushed Around Too Much
Coach wanted to rotate a ton of guys on the defensive line, and they did exactly that. Hammond Russell IV, Junior Poyser, and Charles Perkins saw the most action upfront, with Nolan Vils, Dillan Johnson, and Jacob Anderson all getting significant snaps too. But here’s the kicker: even with all that fresh blood, Western Illinois’s offensive line apparently “bested them at times.” That’s a huge problem. You can’t let a team like that run wild.
Now, there were some bright spots in the unit, thank goodness. Dillan Johnson, for example, absolutely exploded with an 87.8 PFF grade on his 14 snaps, showing a ton of improvement from Week 1. This kid could definitely earn more playing time, and honestly, he probably should. DeNigel Cooper also put up a strong 78.9 grade on his 22 snaps, and Charles Perkins hit a respectable 73.9 on 17 snaps. But despite these individual wins, the overall unit was just too “up-and-down” and couldn’t consistently dominate.
Outside Linebackers and Linebackers Showed Glimmers of Hope
On the edge, Sebastian Cheeks was everywhere, clocking 49 snaps and earning a 78.0 grade. He was the “lone difference-maker at times” for that front, and opponents are definitely paying extra attention to him. Tyreese Fearbry looked better as well, with a 72.7 grade on 39 snaps, but he’s gotta keep that upward trajectory going. Nicolas Clayton has been relegated to a specialist with just 13 snaps, and Justus Boone hasn’t broken into the main rotation either.
The inside linebackers, though? They were legit. Cooper Catalano played almost the entire game with 57 snaps and a fantastic 82.2 grade. Mason Posa got hurt after 33 snaps, but he still managed an 80.6 grade before leaving the field. Thomas Heiberger stepped right in, played 24 snaps, and matched Catalano with an 82.3 grade. Those three guys really graded out “quite well,” which is exactly what you want from your core linebackers. Taylor Schaefer (77.7 grade on 7 snaps) also got in some work. Even with those strong performances, the defense as a whole still needs to find its identity and put a complete game together.
This team needs to figure out how to stop the run, plain and simple. Individual brilliance from guys like Dillan Johnson, Sebastian Cheeks, and those top linebackers is awesome, but it’s not enough if the unit keeps getting pushed around. It’s early in the season, but these struggles against a weaker opponent are a red flag. The Badgers gotta clean this up, or it’s gonna be a long season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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