Badgers vs. Wildcats Week 8 Preview: Interview with the Enemy

The Wisconsin Badgers face the Northwestern Wildcats on Saturday looking for their third straight win after defeating the Purdue Boilermakers and Rutgers Scarlet Knights in recent weeks.

Before the game, we caught up with our friends at Inside NU and answered a series of questions about the Badgers leading up to this game.

Q: After starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke's season ended following a torn ACL against Alabama, the Badgers turned to Braedyn Locke, who has shown great potential in three full starts. What do you think of his performances?

Locke started the year with some issues against Alabama, but that's to be expected from a second-year quarterback facing a top-five team after being thrown in there. The biggest growth in recent weeks has been his desire to drive the ball downfield, which has opened up the offense significantly and shown what potential Wisconsin could have with the redshirt sophomore as its starting quarterback.

I think there are still some things to correct from a decision-making perspective, while his accuracy against some tougher opponents is definitely in question. But it's been a good two weeks for Locke, who has improved significantly compared to last year.

Q: The Badgers raged in Piscataway last weekend, defeating Rutgers 42-7. What clicked for Wisconsin in a dominant performance against the Scarlet Knights? Was it just another flash in the pan after the Purdue loss, or is Wisconsin really capable of this?

I think it was a part of both. Rutgers didn't appear to be a good football team as Wisconsin managed to end the run that had been difficult in previous weeks. The Badgers also eliminated the passing attack, with Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis missing several throws and facing drops.

The offense worked again, with Locke firing from the field early to open the offense while the offense dominated against Rutgers' lighter boxes as they tried to better defend the pass with their two-high shells. Wisconsin is playing good complementary football right now, and that continued against Rutgers.

Q: After a disappointing first season at the helm for Luke Fickell, how would you assess how he has adapted in his second year at the helm? What do you think of Fickell's coaching this season?

I think he did a good job making adjustments after a slow start. With Fickell, many assumed that this project might only be a one- or two-year rebuild to Wisconsin's old standards, but with standards so high in the Big Ten, it could take another year or two to materialize that calms.

However, with a solid start to the year despite a tougher schedule and continued strong classes on the recruiting front, it's been a pretty good year for Fickell so far. Now it's time to see how he performs against a strong group of opponents.

Q: Eighth in the conference in yards per game and yards per game allowed. What X-factors on both sides of the football should you watch out for this weekend?

On offense, it has to be wide receiver Vinny Anthony, who has been a big play machine all year long and leads all of college football in yards per catch among qualifying leaders. He was Locke's go-to guy for deep balls and route-level speed, and the duo seemed to make an explosive play every game. Elsewhere, running back Tawee Walker has really hit his stride, showing high efficiency behind a strong offensive line in each of the last two weeks and scoring three touchdowns in both games.

Defensively, the entire secondary is the X-factor as it has been the be-all and end-all of Wisconsin's defensive success this year. The pass rush is still developing and leading to clean pockets for quarterbacks. Therefore, it is important that the secondary maintains coverage as before.

Q: What do you think the Badgers need to do to beat the Wildcats after losing to Northwestern in Madison last season?

Fickell said it best this week: It's all about the trenches. Last year, Wisconsin was dominated at the line of scrimmage, leading to the ugly loss to an up-and-coming Northwestern team.

This year, Wisconsin's offensive line has played at a high level as one of the best units in the country, which will be important as both Tawee Walker gets big opportunities and Braedyn Locke gets time to play.

Defensively, Wisconsin has been up and down, especially in the pressure department, but against a strong running back in Kyle Monangai, Wisconsin has held its own and will look to continue that effort against Northwestern this weekend.

Q: What is your outcome prediction for the game and why?

Since Wisconsin has progressed well in recent weeks, I expect the Badgers to get the win here on the road, but Northwestern should also find a way to put up some points given quarterback Jack Lausch's dual-threat ability.

I'd say Wisconsin 34, Northwestern 20.