Wisconsin was upset by the Washington State Cougars in Week 2. The Badgers were favored by 5 points but ended up losing by 9 in a 31-22 defeat.

It wasn’t all bad for the Badgers. Tanner Mordecai actually played better in Week 2 than he did in Week 1 against Buffalo. The QB went 25/40 for 278 yards and 1 TD. The run game struggled to get going, however, and star RB Braelon Allen was held to just 20 yards.

The Badgers will have one more game before B1G play begins, with Georgia Southern coming to town in Week 3.

Player of the Week: Hunter Wohler

Wohler led both teams in solo tackles with 10. The safety finished with 13 total tackles, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 pass defended.

On a day in which the Badgers’ defense didn’t play great, Wohler stood out as a bright spot. The safety led the team in tackles in Week 1 as well, finishing with double-digit stops in both games so far. If the Badgers can keep getting double-digit tackles from Wohler, the defense will only get better as the season goes along.

Newcomer of the Week: Tanner Mordecai

Mordecai did not have the best debut for Wisconsin against Buffalo. The former Oklahoma and SMU QB threw for just 189 yards with 1 TD and 2 interceptions.

Against a better opponent, however, Mordecai improved. The QB completed 62.5% of his passes for 278 yards and 1 TD. Perhaps most encouraging, Mordecai did not throw any interceptions. He did lose 2 fumbles, but his decision-making as a passer was better.

Mordecai should only get better as the season progresses and he gets more comfortable in a new system.

Biggest surprise: Maema Njongmeta’s big game

Njongmeta finished with 10 tackles, 1 sack, and 3 tackles for loss. This huge performance came just a week after the linebacker was a non-factor against Buffalo.

Njongmeta collected just 2 tackles against the Bulls and didn’t record any sacks or tackles for loss.

Against the Cougars, Njongmeta looked like the best player on the field, beside Hunter Wohler. Njongmeta was a force at times for the Badgers in 2022, so it was nice to see some of that again this season. Njongmeta and Wohler will need to continue the big performances if the Badgers’ defense hopes to improve.

Biggest concern: The pass rush was almost non-existent

Against Washington State, the Wisconsin Badgers could not get a consistent pass rush. Yes, the team collected 4 sacks, but at crucial times Cam Ward was able to run around for an eternity and end up finding a wide-open receiver.

It’s hard to blame the secondary when the QB has so much time to throw. Eventually, these receivers will break away and get open. It’s clear that Keeanu Benton and Nick Herbig are missed tremendously on this defense.

When B1G play starts, the team will need to have more consistency from the pass rush.

Developing trend: Will Pauling WR1

Through 2 weeks, Pauling leads the Badgers in receiving yards with 133. Pauling collected 5 catches for 55 yards in Week 1 and racked up 78 yards on 5 catches in Week 2. It certainly appears like Pauling is becoming the favorite target of Tanner Mordecai.

Pauling is only 2 catches away from his 2022 total of 12. The receiver was an afterthought at Cincinnati but seems to be a huge piece of the game plan in Madison. Last year’s leading WR Chimere Dike has yet to factor in as much with Mordecai under center. This could be Pauling’s show now.

Key stat: 3

This is the amount of turnovers committed by the Badgers in Week 2. While Mordecai didn’t throw any picks, he did lose 2 fumbles. Chez Mellusi also lost a fumble.

While it’s encouraging that Mordecai wasn’t picked off, the team has got to protect the ball better. Against B1G opponents, 3 turnovers may be too much to overcome. Against WSU, 3 turnovers and an inability to get a consistent pass rush doomed the team’s chances.

First impression about Week 3

The Badgers will welcome the Georgia Southern Eagles to Madison in Week 3. If this sounds like an easy game, think back to last season. The Nebraska Cornhuskers probably circled the Eagles on their calendar as an easy win, and that ended up with Scott Frost being fired after a disastrous loss.

The Eagles have shown an ability to knock off quality opponents and should not be taken lightly. They have gotten off to a 2-0 start with wins over the Citadel and UAB. This game could easily be one that is overlooked by the Badgers as they know B1G play is right around the corner.

Luke Fickell must be sure to have his players locked in for this match. Take control of the game against GSU and head into B1G play on a positive note.

After the GSU game, the Badgers will travel to Purdue to take on the Boilermakers to open conference action. Going into that game with a 1-2 record would be brutal for the Badgers, who hope to have new momentum under Fickell.