How does UW defense improve in 2021? More turnovers, sacks
MADISON – If you are searching to identify the reasons Wisconsin won only four of seven games last season and missed out on the Big Ten title game for the second time in three seasons, substandard defensive play was not a factor.
UW last season led the Big Ten in total yards allowed (299.9 per game) and finished third in points allowed (17.4 per game).
The Badgers held opponents to 17 points or fewer in five games but still lost two of those games.
West Division champion Northwestern recorded a 17-7 victory over UW despite gaining just 263 yards.
Indiana recorded a 14-6 victory over UW despite gaining just 217 yards.
Nevertheless, members of the unit who are back for the 2021 season weren't satisfied with the overall performance of the unit.
“The numbers look good overall,”
safety Collin Wilder said, “but at the end of the day, we’ve got to take the ball away and I didn’t think we did a great job of that, including myself.”
UW finished tied for 70th nationally in turnovers forced with 12 – eight interceptions and four fumble recoveries – in seven games.
Six other Big Ten teams forced more turnovers. Indiana led the way with 20 in eight games, followed by Rutgers (20 in nine games), Ohio State (19 in eight games), Northwestern (19 in nine games), Iowa (18 in eight games) and Illinois (15 in eight games).
Four of UW’s interceptions came a 42-28 victory over Wake Forest in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
“What we did in the Mayo Bowl is what I wanted us to do all year,” said Wilder, who had one of the team’s four interceptions. “We didn’t necessarily do that, especially when we needed it the most in big games.
“That is the biggest thing we need to improve on as a defense, taking the ball away.”
UW’s first test comes at 11 a.m. Saturday against visiting Penn State. The Nittany Lions last season finished with 17 turnovers (nine interceptions, eight lost fumbles) and a minus-eight turnover margin.
Consider the tale of the turnovers in UW’s losses to Northwestern, Indiana and Iowa in 2020. Combined, UW finished with a minus-five turnover margin in the three losses.
Northwestern was plus-three vs. UW (3-0). Indiana was plus-one (2-1) and Iowa was plus-one (2-1).
Safety Scott Nelson led UW in interceptions with two – one against Michigan and one against Wake Forest. Six other players had one interception, including linebacker Jack Sanborn.
“I think for the most part, my pass coverage has been pretty decent since I’ve been here,” Sanborn said. “But I think just taking my pass coverage to another level where I can make plays on the ball and create game-changing plays, like interceptions.
“I see a few plays, even last year in a shortened season, where if I got a better break, if I had better eyes … if I saw a certain receiver do something then I know something might be coming behind me.
“That is an area I need to get better to help our defense.”
UW recovered four fumbles, including one by long-snapper Adam Bay on punt coverage.
“Each year is a new opportunity,” head coach Paul Chryst said.
UW must replace ends Isaiahh Loudermilk and Garrett Rand and safety Eric Burrell. Yet nine of the players who started in the bowl game are back, including lineman Keeanu Benton, all four linebackers and four members of the secondary.
“Just because they’re back, they don’t want to be and we don’t want them to be the same person,” Chryst said. “I’m kind of anxious to see how this defense comes together.”
As is defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard.
Sacks are only one measure of how well a defense performs. But UW last season recorded 11 sacks in 229 dropbacks, an average of one sack every 20.8 drop-backs. That came one season after UW recorded 51 sacks in 466 dropbacks, an average of one very 9.1 dropbacks, in 2019.
"This year that is a huge emphasis of ours," Leonhard said, "getting back to be being disruptive."