UW defense preps for big-play barrage
Penn State’s playmakers go long
Madison — With his team clinging to a five-point lead in a game it had to win to advance to the Big Ten title game, Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley made the Michigan State defense look silly.
Facing second and 12 from his 45 midway through the third quarter, McSorley took the snap from the shotgun and retreated until he was 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Seeing an opening in Michigan State’s four-man rush, McSorley darted toward the line of scrimmage between left tackle and left guard.
When he reached the 47 he fired a strike to tight end Mike Gesicki, and the 6-foot-6, 252pounder caught the ball between two defenders at the 2yard line and backed into the end zone.
“I’ve liked watching him until this week,” Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said of McSorley, “when you’re getting ready to play him.”
Chryst and the members of UW’s stout defense should get a firsthand look at McSorley when the teams meet at 7:17 p.m. Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium. The numbers to ponder: Penn State’s offense has generated 80 plays of 20 yards or more this season, 57 passes and 23 runs.
UW’s defense has surrendered 40 plays of 20 yards or more this season, 31 passes and nine runs.
Penn State managed just two plays of 20 yards or longer in a 49-10 loss at Michigan but had six (four runs, two passes) in a 24-21 victory over Ohio State.
With McSorley, tailback Saquon Barkley, wide receiver Chris Godwin and Gesicki, Penn State boasts arguably the best quartet of playmakers in the Big Ten.
McSorley has 21 touchdown
passes and five interceptions in 327 attempts, an average of one interception every 65.4 attempts.
“He makes a lot of plays, certainly pushing the ball down the field,” Chryst said.
Barkley leads the Big Ten in all-purpose yards – 1,219 rushing and 327 receiving on 21 catches.
Godwin leads the team in catches (47), touchdown catches (nine) and receiving yards per game (63.5).
Gesicki has 44 receptions and averages 13.9 yards per reception.
“They are a big-play team,” UW senior outside linebacker Vince Biegel said. “They’ve got a lot of weapons on their offense that we’ll have to account for. But I’m excited about the weapons that we have on defense.”
UW’s edge in the battle of big plays could come at the line of scrimmage.
Penn State’s No. 1 offensive line consists of two redshirt freshman, one freshman, one redshirt sophomore and one redshirt senior, center Brian Gaia.
UW’s front seven has anchored a unit that is allowing 13.7 points per game, the No. 2 mark in the Big Ten.
UW is fifth in the Big Ten in sacks with 31 and has been able to apply enough pressure to take quarterbacks out of their comfort zone.
As a result, UW has intercepted 21 passes this season. That is nine more than the Badgers had in 13 games last season.
Safety Leo Musso leads the team with five, followed by safety D’Cota Dixon (four) and cornerback Sojourn Shelton (four), cornerback Derrick Tindal (three), linebacker T.J. Edwards (two) and linebackers Leon Jacobs, Ryan Connelly and T.J. Watt with one apiece.
“One-hundred percent of the credit goes to the guys up front,” Musso said. “They’re doing a great job getting to the quarterback. Our names are getting called but it is really the front seven doing their job. They don’t get as much credit as they deserve.
“We have the easy job of covering guys and catching the ball. They have the hard job of beating double-teams and triple-teams, eating up blocks and getting to the quarterback. That is the tough part, really.”
Shelton acknowledged UW’s defensive backs will be tested but said the Badgers will be ready.
“As a player, you’ve just got to be willing to compete,” he said. “I can say that about our secondary. No matter who we play, we’re going to compete for the ball.
“We’ve put ourselves in good position to attack the ball and cause turnovers. That is something we’re going to have to carry over Saturday.”