What areas to watch when Wisconsin football hosts Middle Tennessee
Key players to know and what Badgers fans should keep tabs on during Wisconsin's Week 2 matchup.
A nonconference clash awaits with an SEC foe next Saturday, but Luke Fickell’s not worried about his University of Wisconsin football team looking ahead.
Wisconsin (1-0) travels to No. 21 Alabama next week for the back end of a home-and-home series, but it hosts Middle Tennessee State (0-1) for a 3 p.m. CT kickoff Saturday (FS1). The Badgers are a 28½- point favorites against the Blue Raiders, according to Draft Kings, who suffered a 34-14 home loss to FCS program Austin Peay last weekend.
Fickell cited his team’s competitive maturity that doesn’t make him fret, and also the fact that it has a unique schedule this week. Wisconsin comes off a season-opening win over Miami (Ohio) that was played last Thursday, and the coach said they were going to have an extra day to practice.
“If you want to know the truth, I'm probably more animated and a little bit more on edge on practice yesterday and today, then maybe I will be as we get into the nature of the Big Ten schedule,” Fickell said. “And it's just to make sure that we all are on the same page, coaches and players.
“To understand, this is an incredible journey, and we got to take advantage of every opportunity, regardless of whether it's practice on a Tuesday or Wednesday, or it's a game on Saturday, who your opponent is. We know where we have to get to, and we need every opportunity to get there, and I think our guys understand that. There's a group of leaders that definitely embody that.”
Here’s what to know about MTSU, and what areas Wisconsin fans should be paying attention to this weekend.
A coach familiar to big-time programs
Derek Mason’s time with Power Four teams dates back over two decades to his work with wide receivers and special teams at Utah in 2002. He switched to coaching on the other side of the line of scrimmage and has been defensive coordinator at Stanford, Auburn and Oklahoma State. He most notably led Vanderbilt as its football coach from 2014-20.
Mason’s 3-10 as MTSU coach entering Saturday’s game.
A Wisconsin native on Middle Tennessee roster
Freshman Baylen Woodman is a Janesville Craig product who has received kickoff specialist duties for the Blue Raiders. He appears to be one of the brights spots for MTSU in their season-opening home loss, recording touchbacks on all three attempts against Austin Peay.