If Wisconsin is going to walk into the Rose Bowl and knock off No. 12 UCLA on Saturday evening, the Badgers’ defense is going to have to keep doing what it has done all fall: squeeze, disrupt and make life miserable.
UCLA coach Bob Chesney sounded well aware of that on Tuesday when he spoke with reporters and broke down what he sees from Mike Tressel’s group.
“They’re a lot like us. Structurally, they’re a lot like us.
This defensive end is absolutely a problem. He’s very disruptive and can absolutely destroy the run game, and he hunts, like literally hunts, the quarterback.
He’s an interesting player to watch," he said.
Chesney didn’t say the name, but the player he was pointing to is Sebastian Cheeks. Listed as an outside linebacker, he was described by Chesney as a defensive end, and the production backs up the attention.
Cheeks sits second in the nation in pressures with 27, trailing only San Jose State’s Jeremiah Tuiileila, who has 29 in one more game played. Cheeks has also turned that pressure into 2.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and three pass breakups.
For any offense lining up against Wisconsin, that kind of disruption changes everything. If Cheeks is winning off the edge and living in the backfield, the rest of the plan gets a lot harder.
Chesney also pointed to what Wisconsin brings behind him.
“The two guys on the inside are like our guards. 330s (pounds), that type of weight can anchor down," he said. Their linebackers are probably two of the better that we’ve seen to this point in time."
That assessment fits the numbers and the tape. Wisconsin’s defense ranks No. 15 nationally in total defense and fourth in the Big Ten, and the size up front has been a major part of that success. Chesney’s comparison of the interior linemen to 330-pound guards lands right where it should.
He’s also right about the linebackers. Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano have been the best inside backers the Bruins have seen so far.
UCLA has its own defensive numbers to lean on. The Bruins are allowing 308 yards per game, which puts them 32nd nationally, and their run defense has been especially sturdy, giving up just 87.6 rushing yards per game, good for 14th in the country.
But Wisconsin’s defense has been elite this season, and if the Badgers are going to pull the upset in Pasadena, that level has to hold.
In Other News...
UCLA Puts Its Perfect Start To The Test Against Wisconsin
UCLA arrives at the Rose Bowl carrying real momentum, with a 5-0 start and a No. 12 national ranking after knocking off Oregon. For Wisconsin, this is the kind of early-season measuring-stick game that can say plenty about where the Badgers stand, even after opening 4-1 and putting themselves in position for a meaningful October road test.
The matchup also puts a spotlight on how Wisconsin handles a Bruin offense that has leaned on Wayne Knight and a running game that has been hard to slow. The betting market appears to favor UCLA to keep rolling, but the Badgers have enough on the board already to make this a useful indicator of whether they can hang with a team that has looked the part of a top-15 contender so far. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsins Fast Start Has Fans Debating Whos Delivering And Who Isnt
Wisconsins 4-1 start and 2-0 mark in conference play have done more than boost the mood around Camp Randall. They have also sharpened the conversation about which players have helped drive the early success and which ones still have room to come around as the season settles in. Through five games, the Badgers have seen some clearly positive surprises emerge from roles that were not always expected to produce this much so soon.
Jacob Harris, Gavin Lahm and Sebastian Cheeks have stood out as players outperforming expectations, while PJ Wilkins, Justus Boone and Abu Sama III have not quite matched the level Wisconsin has needed from them yet. Those kinds of early-season judgments are never final, especially this early in the year, but they do matter for a team trying to keep building on a strong start and sort out where the biggest gains still have to come from. [Read more 🡒]
Colton Joseph Has Extra Motivation For Wisconsins Biggest Road Test
Colton Joseph has a built-in storyline for Wisconsins trip to UCLA, and it starts with the setting as much as the opponent. The quarterback said he is excited to play in his home state and experience the Rose Bowl for the first time, a neat twist for a Badgers team heading into one of its biggest road tests of the season. Coming out of the bye week, Joseph also pointed to the work the offense put in during the break, with the offensive line spending time preparing for the challenge ahead.
Wisconsin has a little extra edge after being left out of the AP Top 25, and Joseph said the group understands the importance of responding on the road. UCLAs defense will demand clean football, and ball security came up as a major point of emphasis in his media availability. With family support in the stands and a familiar backdrop for him personally, Joseph enters the game with more than just a conference matchup on his mind. [Read more 🡒]