UW will likely be without Davis again
MADISON – Wisconsin likely won't have its full complement of wide receivers Saturday at Iowa.
Head coach Paul Chryst on Thursday disclosed that senior Danny Davis is expected to miss his third consecutive game.
Davis, who suffered an apparent concussion in the victory over Michigan on Nov. 14, has three catches for 78 yards and a touchdown and has rushed eight times for 69 yards and a touchdown.
The absence of Davis means UW's passing attack could again be limited, with the top two wide receivers being senior Kendric Pryor and freshman Chimere
Dike.
Pryor has eight catches for 119 yards in three games. He missed the Northwestern game with an apparent concussion and was knocked out of the Indiana game last week.
Dike has seven catches for 121 yards and a touchdown. Senior Jack Dunn leads the wide receivers in catches (10) but is averaging only 6.4 yards per catch.
Davis had a 12-yard touchdown catch in UW's 28-17 victory over Iowa in 2018 in Iowa City. He scored twice in UW's 24-22 victory over the Hawkeyes last season in Madison, a 17-yard run and a 4-yard catch.
UW was without both Pryor and Davis at Northwestern and quarterback Graham Mertz completed only 23 of 41 passes for 230 yards in a 17-7 loss. He threw three interceptions and one touchdown, a 49-yarder to Dike.
UW had only Pryor last week against Indiana. Pryor had three catches for 48 yards and Mertz finished 20 of 34 for 202 yards in the 14-6 loss. He had no touchdowns and one interception. Dike added three catches for 40 yards and A.J. Abbott recorded his first catch, for 9 yards.
“You always try to make sure – as far as the plan – that you're giving your players the best chance,” Chryst said.
Considering the UW coaches expect Davis won't be available, they've at least been able to tailor a game plan for other players this week.
“What can be more challenging is when you have the plan set up and someone early in the game…you lose (them) in the rhythm of the game,” Chryst said. “So what do these guys do well and how do we build around it?
“You try to do that as best you can.”
Quote to note
UW defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard isn't afraid to speak his mind. So it wasn't surprising to hear Leonhard offer a blunt assessment when discussing what is at stake Saturday and how the players have prepared for Iowa.
“We need a win,” he said. “We're struggling.
“We're not executing the way we want to, in any phase. The urgency has been high all week and that's all you can ask of your guys.”