Football – Wisconsin Athletics – Baggot: Five things to know vs. BYU

Insight and quick hits on the Badgers’ matchup with the Cougars

BY ANDY BAGGOT

UWBadgers.com Insider

MADISON, Wis. — Sixth-ranked Wisconsin wraps up the non-conference play by hosting BYU at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium. Here are five things to know:

Club Membership Awaits

The Badgers have played 1,242 college football games dating back to 1889 and are on the verge of a milestone. They are 699-490-53 (.584) overall and are vying to become the 26th Football Bowl Subdivision program and the fifth Big Ten Conference entity to reach the 700-win level. Wisconsin has been on quite a tear of late, reaching the No. 500 (San Jose State in 1997), the No. 600 (Illinois in 2008) and, barring the extraordinary, the No. 700 plateau in the last 21 seasons. For some perspective, it took the Badgers 23 seasons to go from No. 300 (Marquette in 1954) to No. 400 (Oregon in 1977). By the way, the four Big Ten teams ahead of Wisconsin are all in the top 10 for all-time wins: Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska and Penn State.

🏈 Wisconsin vs. BYU 🕚 Saturday, 2:30 p.m. CT 📍 Camp Randall Stadium A select number of tickets are available. Join us on Saturday! 🎟 http://go.wisc.edu/3e38mk

— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) September 13, 2018

Big-Play Barometer

It’s early, but a fun stat to monitor regarding the Badgers has to do with big plays. To wit, they have 14 plays from scrimmage of 20 yards or more — 10 passes and four runs — while opponents have one: a 48-yard pass play by Western Kentucky. That plus-13 ratio for Wisconsin is easily the best among 12 other Big Ten teams that have played twice. Ohio State (plus-8) and Maryland (plus-5) are next on the list.

Naming Rights

Speaking of those big plays for Wisconsin, nine belong to a guy named Taylor. A.J., the junior wide receiver, has six catches (25, 21, 28, 21, 44 and 31) a year after totaling eight big plays in 14 outings. Jonathan, the sophomore tailback, has three runs (47, 30, 43) a year after leading the Badgers with 17 big plays.

Personality & Production Appreciate Rafael Gaglianone as much as we do? This week’s Varsity Magazine is a must-read. 💻📱 http://go.wisc.edu/varsity-9-3

— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) September 13, 2018

In a Groove

Wisconsin has won a school-record 20 consecutive regular-season games, a run that dates back to a 30-23 overtime loss to Ohio State on Oct. 22, 2016. The only other double-digit regular-season winning streaks in the 130-year history of the Badgers occurred Nov. 10, 1900 to Oct. 25, 1902 (17 games); Sept. 30, 2006 to Sept. 29, 2007 (13 games); Oct. 9, 2010 to Oct. 15, 2011 (13 games); and Oct. 2, 1999 to Sept. 16, 2000 (10 games).

Getting Tuned Up

The Badgers are in position to sweep the non-conference portion of their regular-season schedule for the 17th time since 1990. They are a combined 74-14-1 (.837) against non-league opponents during the last 28-plus seasons and have won a school-record 41 straight at Camp Randall Stadium. The list of opposing teams includes 26 from Power Five conferences and 10 schools ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 rankings.