1. This was the first game all year, I think, where our OL just went out and dominated, punching the other team in the mouth and doing it repeatedly. That's really satisfying.
2. Coincidentally (or not)... Maybe I missed it, but I don't think Hinton played. The 2nd OL group today was Persi, Jones, El-Hadi, Crippen, Anderson and Gentry. I know Hinton was listed as questionable coming in, but we hadn't heard about an injury prior to that. I wonder if this might be a little air cover for him to move to a redshirt this season so he'll have two more after this one. We absolutely do not need him this year. We have plenty of depth. He can shut it down now.
3. Zeke Berry played; I guess that injury wasn't nearly as bad as we initially heard. Was also good to see Amorion Walker out there.
4. DJ Waller looks enormous for a cornerback. Why do I feel like 12 months with Herbert is going to make him into a WILL linebacker?
5. Speaking of enormous DB's... I don't know if it's the injury or if he just got too big, but Rod Moore looks slow to me. It looked that way last week and REALLY looked it today. Very telling that he was in at the end of the game with the backups.
6. It was exciting to see the EDGE position really start to assert themselves. All 4 flashed today. Keep that trend going, it will change the complexion of the season.
7. Through the nonconference schedule, we were almost right on Jim's stated goal of 50/50 run and pass. In the two games since his return, we're back to running the ball 2:1. JJ made a couple of ridiculous throws, continues to hang near 80% completions, and I think we can officially declare the Bowling Green hiccup a one-off. But through 5 games, he has thrown 105 passes. Caleb Williams has thrown 141, Shedeur Sanders 214, Bo Nix and Drake Maye 132 in one fewer game, and Michael Penix 138 in one fewer game. When other teams have an elite QB, they build the offense around him. That's not what Jim Harbaugh does, and that - not NIL - will ultimately be the reason we don't get Bryce Underwood. There's a lifetime monetary value to winning a Heisman, which matters to a young man whose stated goal is to be a billionaire by 30. A QB will not win a Heisman under Harbaugh - we're just not programmed for that. If Harbaugh won't give JJ the keys, he won't give anyone the keys. And we won't have the elite receivers a QB needs to win a Heisman (we haven't landed a top 100 WR since the 2017 class.) We're going to ride or die as a power running football team. What Harbaugh wants us to be - what he has successfully made us into - is Barry Alvarez/Bret Bielema Wisconsin with better talent. The best 1990's football team in the 2020's. Jadyn Davis or Ryan Montgomery will be fine for what a Harbaugh offense asks of a quarterback: be a more mobile, stronger armed, less entitled Cade. To maximize - not elevate - what a team already is.
8. At backup QB... Tuttle looking decent today was a big positive. Very interesting that Denegal has passed Davis Warren - that Warren buzz from last season didn't have staying power, it seems. Ditto for the Alex Orji buzz from this summer. Orji redshirted last season, so there's no benefit to doing it again this season. But he is quite clearly 5th on the QB depth chart. We're so loaded at the other positions he could possibly play that it seems clear that he's a great athlete who is going to have to go elsewhere to get a chance to play and develop at whatever position. If Warren can get his degree by the end of this academic year, I think he'll take that and go find a program he might start at for 2 years. Or he'll stay one more and take a one-year shot elsewhere. Orji... the writing's on the wall there. Would be surprised if he's not in the portal in January.
9. Next year's starting QB is on someone else's roster right now.
10. Hey, Darrius Clemons and Peyton O'Leary!
2. Coincidentally (or not)... Maybe I missed it, but I don't think Hinton played. The 2nd OL group today was Persi, Jones, El-Hadi, Crippen, Anderson and Gentry. I know Hinton was listed as questionable coming in, but we hadn't heard about an injury prior to that. I wonder if this might be a little air cover for him to move to a redshirt this season so he'll have two more after this one. We absolutely do not need him this year. We have plenty of depth. He can shut it down now.
3. Zeke Berry played; I guess that injury wasn't nearly as bad as we initially heard. Was also good to see Amorion Walker out there.
4. DJ Waller looks enormous for a cornerback. Why do I feel like 12 months with Herbert is going to make him into a WILL linebacker?
5. Speaking of enormous DB's... I don't know if it's the injury or if he just got too big, but Rod Moore looks slow to me. It looked that way last week and REALLY looked it today. Very telling that he was in at the end of the game with the backups.
6. It was exciting to see the EDGE position really start to assert themselves. All 4 flashed today. Keep that trend going, it will change the complexion of the season.
7. Through the nonconference schedule, we were almost right on Jim's stated goal of 50/50 run and pass. In the two games since his return, we're back to running the ball 2:1. JJ made a couple of ridiculous throws, continues to hang near 80% completions, and I think we can officially declare the Bowling Green hiccup a one-off. But through 5 games, he has thrown 105 passes. Caleb Williams has thrown 141, Shedeur Sanders 214, Bo Nix and Drake Maye 132 in one fewer game, and Michael Penix 138 in one fewer game. When other teams have an elite QB, they build the offense around him. That's not what Jim Harbaugh does, and that - not NIL - will ultimately be the reason we don't get Bryce Underwood. There's a lifetime monetary value to winning a Heisman, which matters to a young man whose stated goal is to be a billionaire by 30. A QB will not win a Heisman under Harbaugh - we're just not programmed for that. If Harbaugh won't give JJ the keys, he won't give anyone the keys. And we won't have the elite receivers a QB needs to win a Heisman (we haven't landed a top 100 WR since the 2017 class.) We're going to ride or die as a power running football team. What Harbaugh wants us to be - what he has successfully made us into - is Barry Alvarez/Bret Bielema Wisconsin with better talent. The best 1990's football team in the 2020's. Jadyn Davis or Ryan Montgomery will be fine for what a Harbaugh offense asks of a quarterback: be a more mobile, stronger armed, less entitled Cade. To maximize - not elevate - what a team already is.
8. At backup QB... Tuttle looking decent today was a big positive. Very interesting that Denegal has passed Davis Warren - that Warren buzz from last season didn't have staying power, it seems. Ditto for the Alex Orji buzz from this summer. Orji redshirted last season, so there's no benefit to doing it again this season. But he is quite clearly 5th on the QB depth chart. We're so loaded at the other positions he could possibly play that it seems clear that he's a great athlete who is going to have to go elsewhere to get a chance to play and develop at whatever position. If Warren can get his degree by the end of this academic year, I think he'll take that and go find a program he might start at for 2 years. Or he'll stay one more and take a one-year shot elsewhere. Orji... the writing's on the wall there. Would be surprised if he's not in the portal in January.
9. Next year's starting QB is on someone else's roster right now.
10. Hey, Darrius Clemons and Peyton O'Leary!
Last edited:
