Wisconsin's offense doesn't need overhaul but some fine-tuning wouldn't hurt

MADISON – Only two Big Ten teams have scored more frequently than Wisconsin through the first six games of the college football season:

Ohio State leads the league in scoring at 47.3 points per game, followed by Penn State at 39.7 and UW at 36.3.

Yet no UW coach or player will argue that the offense is functioning efficiently or at a consistently high level at the midpoint of the season.

“It’s a concern right now,” left tackle Michael Deiter said after the Badgers’ 17-9 victory over Purdue. “We won today but it’s a concern. We’re better than that. We know it. We’ve got to get better.”

UW (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) moved up one spot to No. 5 in the Amway coaches poll on Sunday, thanks to losses by then-No. 2 Clemson and then-No. 4 Washington.

Although UW’s offense shined early against Purdue, three turnovers and six penalties contributed to an ugly stretch of six possessions that netted just three points.

UW rolled up 148 yards and two touchdowns on just 12 plays – 12.3 yards per play – on its first two possessions.

The next six possessions were considerably less efficient: 44 plays, 244 yards (5.5 average), three turnovers and three points. 

REPORT CARD:Defense highlights victory over Purdue

“If you look at how much production we have and we only had 17 points,” Deiter said, “that kind of hurts.”

Both interceptions thrown by Alex Hornibrook were avoidable. 

On the first turnover, Hornibrook expected freshman wide receiver Danny Davis to take his route to the inside and find a soft spot in the Purdue zone.

The ball was thrown directly to that soft spot, but Davis stayed outside and cornerback Da’Wan Hunte had an easy interception at the Boilermakers’ 14. That miscue prevented UW from padding its 14-3 lead and Hunte’s 42-yard return put the ball at the UW 44.

On the second turnover, UW faced third and 12 from the Purdue 31. The call was a screen to tailback Rachid Ibrahim to the right side. Purdue read the play, however, and Ibrahim was surrounded by defenders. 

Hornibrook should have thrown the ball to the turf at Ibrahim’s feet but instead tried to complete the pass. The ball bounced out of Ibrahim’s hands and into the arms of end Danny Ezechukwu, who gained 38 yards to the UW 28.

That set up a field goal that allowed Purdue to pull within 17-9 with 4 minutes 7 seconds left in the third quarter.

“The screen,” UW coach Paul Chryst said, “if it’s not there you’ve got to find a way to not try to force it in there.”

Hornibrook neeed to make a better decision but Ibrahim should have caught the ball, and three penalties earlier in the drive led to the third-and-12 situation.

A holding penalty on tight end Kyle Penniston on the eighth play of the drive came on a 5-yard run by Bradrick Shaw. 

Instead of second and 5 at the Purdue 24, UW faced first and 20 at the 39. 

A penalty on Ibrahim for blocking in the back came at the end of a 16-yard reception by Quintez Cephus.

Instead of first and 10 at the Purdue 17, UW faced second and 8 at the 27.

A false-start penalty on center Tyler Biadasz, his second of the game, came on the next play. 

Instead of facing third and 7 at the 26, UW faced third and 12. That led to the screen call.

So instead of getting at least a field goal and a 20-6 lead, UW lost the ball and saw its 11-point lead trimmed to eight.

“Turnovers, penalties makes for a sloppy game,” Deiter said. “It’s uphill sledding. Stuff we have to fix. It’s too many. We’ve got to get better.”

Freshman tailback Jonathan Taylor was magnificent and finished with 219 yards and a touchdown, his third game of at least 200 yards, on 30 carries.

Yet he didn’t protect the ball well enough on the first play of the final quarter and lost a fumble on second and goal at the 4.

The offense did a 180-degree turn after Leon Jacobs’ interception and ran off the final 8:14 by driving 77 yards on 16 plays. 

Yet the bottom line is that UW finished with 295 rushing yards and 494 total yards, converted 64.3% of its third-down chances (9 of 14) and held the ball for 39:18 and scored only 17 points. That included three points in the final 53:48 of the game. 

“I think everyone’s got stuff individually to work on,” Deiter said. “Turnovers never are going to help you, especially on the goal line. 

“But it’s all 11 guys just being on the same page, playing to the best of their abilities. That’s all it is.”