Wisconsin Starting DE: Loudermilk Ruled Out For Michigan
https://247sports.com/college/wisconsin/Article/Wisconsin-Badgers-Defensive-End-Isaiahh-Loudermilk-Ruled-Out-For-Michigan-Wolverines-Game-123165819/
What a great name...
He is widely regarded as their best pass rushing DE, who has been hobbled for most of the year. This can't help their already poor pass rush. They're 115th nationally in sack rate, and 118th on passing downs. This puts a significant amount of pressure on their ILBs (Edwards and Connelly, who may be the best combo in the BIG).
This in combination with their banged up secondary suggests that we should hopefully be able to throw the ball downfield, which Patterson has proven to be adept at doing.
October 11th, 2018 at 2:41 PM ^
My wife hates it when I cut silent cheese in bed.
October 11th, 2018 at 12:48 PM ^
Pretty big deal. Their backup WDE is a redshirt freshman walk-on who started the first two games and was not good.
October 11th, 2018 at 2:08 PM ^
Agreed. If nothing else this should embolden our staff to call more pass plays and maybe worry a bit less about pass protection, hopefully getting tight ends out faster into routes. If he was able to go at all I think that he would have still played while limited over the backup. This isn’t the UW defense of the past few years in terms of depth and talent. Good linebackers but question marks elsewhere.
October 11th, 2018 at 12:50 PM ^
bombs away then
October 11th, 2018 at 12:54 PM ^
Loudermilk....what a Wisconsin name.
Feel bad for the kid, but Sam Webb made a good point on the podcast the other day that it seems like with Wisconsin's defense, they always seem to be able to plug and play guys and still play at a reasonably high level. If not an elite level.
I know this isn't the same Wisconsin defense as the one we've faced in the last few years, but I still expect a tough game from them on Saturday.
October 11th, 2018 at 1:33 PM ^
They used to be able to. Wisconsin had the luxury for the first stretch of Chryst's time there to have great DCs.
Jim Leonhard is not one of those great DCs. The secondary wasn't even that good the one year he was only the DB coach. Now hes DC/DB. Going from Aranda and WIlcox to a guy that had 1 season of coaching experience before becoming a coordinator is.....a bit of a dip. And I think it's showing.
TJ Edwards is still out there, though.
EDIT: To further about the state of their defensive staff, their ILB coach Bob Bostad never coached defense until Wisconsin hired him in 2017. Before that he was primarily an OL coach in both college and the NFL. So don't know why hes suddenly coaching ILB. Reminds me of when HOke moved Roy Manning to coach the safeties, and that didn't end well.
October 11th, 2018 at 1:33 PM ^
Turn Shea loose.
October 11th, 2018 at 1:41 PM ^
Huge, he is a difference maker.
October 11th, 2018 at 3:27 PM ^
This is one of those games where Michigan better PASS to setup the run. If they run the ball 20+ times and average 1 or 2 ypc, it's going to be hard to support the offensive gameplan.
October 11th, 2018 at 6:25 PM ^
Wisconsin's getting thin. Still a good team, but this is a significant loss.
October 11th, 2018 at 7:06 PM ^
What do you call it when a cow rips one while having its teets massaged?
louder milk!
I’ll show myself out...
October 11th, 2018 at 11:11 PM ^
What I've learned about playing any team that has a lot of injuries is that their backups will step up and play like NFL Hall of Famers against Michigan. Everytime!