Rutgers is heading back on the road with the betting market not giving the Scarlet Knights much breathing room. FanDuel has Wisconsin installed as a 15.5-point favorite for Saturday’s matchup in Madison, with the over/under set at 45.5 points.
Both teams are coming off losses, but the Badgers’ defeat looked a lot uglier on the scoreboard. Wisconsin was shut out by Iowa, 30-0, while Rutgers dropped a 28-21 home game to Michigan.
Even with that setback, Wisconsin has put together a strong start at 5-3, a sharp bounce from last season’s 4-8 finish. A big reason for that turnaround has been quarterback Colton Joseph, who has handled a heavy workload and given the Badgers production as both a passer and runner. Joseph has completed 104 of 187 passes for 1,346 yards, 11 touchdowns and no interceptions, while also carrying 91 times for 371 yards and four scores.
That said, his latest outing raised questions. Joseph was benched against Iowa after struggling, and freshman Ryan Hopkins took over. Hopkins finished 8-of-13 for 93 yards and an interception.
Wisconsin’s ground game doesn’t stop with Joseph. Abu Sama III has 57 carries for 318 yards and one touchdown, and Darion Dupree has added 54 carries for 237 yards and one touchdown. Put together, it’s a run-first offense with multiple options to lean on.
The real backbone of the Badgers, though, is on defense. Wisconsin has allowed 21 points or more in only two games this season and has held four opponents to 10 points or fewer.
That group also stifled USC, limiting the Trojans to a single touchdown. The Badgers have piled up 14 sacks, along with seven interceptions and six forced fumbles.
Sebastian Cheeks has been one of the standout names on that side of the ball. The linebacker has 31 total tackles, six sacks and two forced fumbles.
Rutgers will see a defense with a lot in common with the one it just faced against Michigan: physical up front, dangerous in the run game, and not always clean through the air. That could make the return of starting quarterback Dylan Lonergan especially important for the Scarlet Knights, who stayed within striking distance of Michigan despite completing only three passes.
Kickoff is set for 4:15 EST on Saturday, November 7, in Madison, with live coverage on the Big Ten Network.
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