The Wisconsin Badgers got the result they wanted Saturday, beating Western Illinois 36-9 at Camp Randall Stadium, but the performance came with the kind of uneven stretches that keep the tape room busy.
The run game showed flashes of force, though not with the same rhythm snap to snap. The passing game, meanwhile, was inconsistent again. And when you dig into the snap counts and PFF grades, a few things stand out - including a new leader in the backfield rotation.
At quarterback, Colton Joseph handled the bulk of the work, logging 47 snaps and posting a 71.5 grade. Ryan Hopkins got eight snaps and finished with a 76.0 grade, with Wisconsin using the late lead to get him some game action. That lines up with the idea that Hopkins is the QB2, which is a positive sign for the future.
The backfield rotation was the most interesting shift. Abu Sama III started and was heavily involved early, piling up 103 yards on his first two snaps.
He ended up with 16 snaps and a 61.4 grade. But as the game went on, Wisconsin leaned more on Darrion Dupree and Bryan Jackson II, who had 19 and 17 snaps, respectively.
Dupree graded at 58.8, Jackson at 55.5, and the two helped power an eight-play, 68-yard touchdown drive that came entirely on runs. Nate Palmer also worked in for two snaps, and he appears to have taken on a return role because of injuries.
At receiver, the workload was spread around, though the Badgers narrowed the rotation after Malachi Coleman was ruled out with an injury. Chris Brooks Jr. led the group with 39 snaps and a 64.3 grade.
Tyrell Henry was the highest-graded receiver on the day at 81.0, while Eugene Hilton Jr. logged 26 snaps and a 61.8 grade. Shamar Rigby added 20 snaps and a 53.6 grade.
Coleman had nine snaps before leaving, while Kash Brock, Zion Kearney, and Jackson McGohan each chipped in smaller roles. With Wisconsin not pushing the ball downfield as often, Henry saw a heavy dose of targets.
Health in that room will be worth watching next week.
Tight end usage also reflected the injury picture. With Ryan Schwendeman out, Wisconsin turned to its top three: Grant Stec, Emmett Bork, and Jacob Harris.
Stec led the group with 34 snaps and a 62.1 grade, Bork followed with 22 snaps and a 62.8 grade, and Harris played 21 snaps with a 55.5 grade. Nizyi Davis appeared for one snap.
Harris was mostly running routes, and Colton Joseph missed him on a couple of chances, both underneath and deeper.
Up front, Wisconsin kept its starting five on the field for every snap. Colin Cubberly, Austin Kawecki, Kevin Heywood, PJ Wilkins, and Stylz Blackmon each played all 47 snaps.
Cubberly posted the best grade of the group at 73.0, while Kawecki finished at 60.2, Heywood at 66.6, Wilkins at 66.0, and Blackmon at 65.7. The backup linemen - Lucas Simmons-Johansson, Barrett Nelson, Blake Cherry, Ryan Cory, and Hardy Watts - each logged eight snaps.
One notable development: Blackmon was the clear starter at right guard, and Blake Cherry didn’t enter until the final snaps with Hopkins. That’s a change from last week, when the two rotated.
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