Week 1 vs. Buffalo - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
With the internet and its infinite resources and ability to connect with each other it is really easy for a hype train to get started and equally as easy for that train to get out of hand. I think a lot of Badger fans lost sight (including myself) of the fact that the team is coming off of a 6 loss season in which the coaching staff got fired, a new staff was hired and there was a massive roster rebuild in a completely new system. And that's exactly the team we saw on Saturday. Deliberate and cautious the Badgers had a game plan and they stuck too it without digging too deep and showing their complete hand in Week 1. But like it or not the new Air Raid offense did exactly what it was advertised to do: It got the ball to playmakers in space and gave them opportunities to make plays. Let's dig into the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Week 1 vs. Buffalo. Was it as bad as the casual fans thought it was or are the bones of a good offense there but we just couldn't see it?
The Good
This should come as no surprise but the running game was exceptional. A nice mix of gap and zone scheme saw Braelon and Chez into the 2nd level before they had contact for much of the game which was made easier by Buffalo's attempts to limit the RPO and QB run game thus lightening the box and giving the backs room to work.
The passing game was efficient and Mordecai did a good job spreading the ball around. Seven different Badgers caught passes (eight if you include Mordecai himself) and Tanner showed good patience and presence in the pocket allowing him to work through his progression and complete accurate passes. In the past many of those same dropbacks would have resulted in the QB being flushed out of the pocket and forcing a bad pass (Mertz) or coverage sacks (Hornibrook, Stave).
The Bad
Other than the dropped ball to Skyler Bell and Chimere Dike's TD there weren't really many shots down the field. This could have very well been a game planning decision based on what would work best against Buffalo's defense or it could be a result of other factors most notably pass protection. At times the offensive line looked sluggish in protection and you could see by Mordecai's drops that played a factor in play selection. He relied mostly on "top gun" (1 step) and "quick 3" footwork which limits the shots you can take downfield. It's hard to call a game planning decision "bad" but hopefully the conservative approach is not a personnel issue.
The Ugly
There is no way around it the two interceptions were bad throws. The first INT trying to hit Ashcraft coming across the field was hampered by the true freshman slowing his route down because of poor leverage, but the ball was thrown behind when it probably should have just been air mailed out of bound. The second INT hit a Mug dropper right in his hands that Tanner just didn't see. He was expecting the spot route to sit right over the ball and "out of nowhere" the LB just snagged it. Mordecai should have had better situational awareness on that play given the down and distance and Buffalo's proclivity to show 6-7 man pressures but to drop out of it quickly (hence the lack of throws over the middle of the field for most of the game).
So what conclusion can we draw from this outcome? To those who know what the Air Raid truly is that is exactly what we saw with a healthy dose of old school Wisconsin power running. There were a lot of good things happening in that game. Mordecai has the live arm and the ability to make throws that is only going to get better as this offense settles into its groove. The growing pains are also there and shows that the coaching staff has plenty to work on...but they should because this team is coming off a 6 loss season. Rome wasn't built in a day but they are mixing up that ancient concrete that will still be standing long after we are gone.
PLAY OF THE DAY - GOLD 66 Mesh F Arrow
note: terminology is my own and not an accurate representation of how Phil Longo calls plays
29 Yard TD to Chimere Dike
Situation- 1:09 left in the 2nd Quarter. 1st and 10 on Buffalo's 29 yard line
Personnel- 11 personnel (Z Dike, H Bell, Y Rucci, X Williams, F Allen)
Concept- Dagger
Progression - Seam to Dig to Mesh (F alert, outlet)
Defense- Split field Quarter Quarter with a robber to the field, man to the boundary
The Play
The Badgers come out in a 3x1 formation to the field with field side WR (Z) with a reduced split inside the numbers, the slot (H) just outside the hash, and the TE (Y) splitting the difference. Backside the boundary WR (X) is on top of the numbers. On the snap Tanner takes a quick three drop with his eyes on the field side safety. As the safety rolls down to rob the H/C zone Mordecai resets his hips and throws a laser beam to Dike on the Dig. Really nice job feeling the leverage of the boundary safety rotating over the top and making sure whatever decision he made he was wrong. If he had rolled flatter then Skyler would have been wide open up the seam because the other deep defender (the field CB) had outside leverage on Dike and would have been in no position to make a play on the ball.