Week 2: Marshall at Wisconsin

It took P.J. Hill just one quarter last week to crack the 100-yard mark; by game’s end he had eclipsed 200 yards for just the second time in his career. The Badgers need a productive and healthy running game to compete for a Big Ten title, and Hill’s first week performance was a nice start. What was more encouraging, though, was the success had by backups Zach Brown (87 yards) and John Clay (5.9 yards per carry). This week all three will again be a factor, but fans can also expect to see more from quarterback Allan Evridge, who attempted just 10 throws last week. Marshall allowed more than 200 yards passing in its win over Illinois State, and though much of that came when the Thundering Herd had a commanding lead, it does indicate Marshall’s secondary can be thrown upon.

If Marshall is to compete in this game it must do a better job on third down. Last week the team converted just one of 10 third down opportunities, and against a ball control team like Wisconsin that won’t get the job done. The Thundering Herd’s biggest playmaker is probably aptly-named 6-foot-3 wideout Darius Passmore, who had 111 yards last week and two touchdowns. If Wisconsin is able to get its running game going out of the gate, same as it did last week against Akron, Marshall will indeed need to pass more than it might prefer, which will put pressure on the senior receiver and his quarterback, Mark Cann.

Notes:

Thanks to last week’s numbers, Hill is only nine yards short of 3,000 career rushing yards. In the first quarter against Akron he notched his 30th career rushing score.

This is the first meeting between these two schools.

Last week Marshall needed just 21 minutes to score 35 points; the Badgers gobbled up almost 36 minutes of clock in their win.

Key Player (Thundering Herd) – Darius Marshall, RB

The compact back gained 115 yards in the opener. Wisconsin’s front line is much thicker and meaner than Illinois State’s group, meaning yards will be tougher for the sophomore to find in this game.

Key Player (Badgers) – Allen Langford, CB

Wisconsin’s most experienced cornerback will be asked to help contain Passmore and the Thundering Herd attack. So far Langford has looked sharp in his senior season, but he is not a shutdown corner and Marshall will not shy away from throwing at him.

Wisconsin by 17