2017 Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic Preview Wisconsin vs. Western Michigan

Written by Charlie Beuttel

Twitter: @charlie_cds3

 

2017 Cotton Bowl Preview: Wisconsin Badgers (10-3) vs Western Michigan Broncos (13-0)

 

Cotton Bowl Overview

The 2017 showdown between regional foes Wisconsin and Western Michigan will be the 81st edition of the historic Cotton Bowl Classic. The inaugural bowl game dates all the way back to 1937 when TCU defeated Marquette 16-6.

The Cotton Bowl Classic was played every year from 1937-2009 at the historic Cotton Bowl stadium in Dallas. In 2010 the game was moved to the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. In 2015 the Cotton Bowl was part of the second annual College Football playoff when No. 2 Alabama shutout No. 3 Michigan State 38-0 in one of the two semifinal games. The 2016 Cotton Bowl should be another exciting classic as the undefeated Western Michigan Broncos will take on the Wisconsin Badgers.

Wisconsin finished the season 10-3 and clinched a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game but fell to Penn State 38-31. Western Michigan is one of only two teams to finish the regular season undefeated and winning the MAC Championship Game 29-23 over Ohio on Dec. 2 finishing the year 13-0.

Western Michigan Broncos

The Broncos are undefeated and two of their most notable wins came on the road in the first three weeks of the season beating Northwestern, 22-21, on Sept. 3 and routed Illinois, 34-10, on Sept. 17.  Western Michigan blew out most of their opponents with only Northwestern and Ohio losing by less than 10 points. The next closest winning margin was 14 when the Broncos beat Eastern Michigan 45-31 on Oct. 22. Their undefeated streak has raised Western Michigan from an unranked and relatively unknown program to currently being ranked No. 15 in the country.

Wisconsin will be their toughest opponent this season but there will be no doubt that the Broncos will be ready to cap off their spectacular run by taking down a Top 10 team.

Western Michigan uses their balanced attack to score an incredible 43.54 points per game. During the season, the Broncos averaged 237 rushing yards and 259.69 passing yards per contest to absolutely tear up opposing defenses. The leader of this impressive unit is senior quarterback Zach Terrell. Terrell has completed 247-of-349 passes for 3,376 yards and 32 touchdowns and also has the ability to make plays on the ground as he has rushed the ball 73 times for 235 yards and six rushing touchdowns.

Junior running back Jarvion Franklin is the team’s leading rusher with 241 carries for 1,300 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. Franklin also has 21 receptions for 255 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. Western Michigan’s biggest threat in the passing game is senior wide receiver Corey Davis. Davis has 91 receptions for 1,427 yards and 18 receiving touchdowns. Another senior wide out to keep an eye on is Michael Henry who has 61 catches for 760 yards and four touchdowns.

While Western Michigan lights up the score board on offense, the Broncos’ defense is stingy giving up an average of 19.46 points a game. During the season opponents are gaining on average 151.2 rushing yards and 201.77 passing yards per contest. Junior linebacker Robert Spillane is the leading tackler on the team with 105 including nine for a loss, three interceptions and two sacks. Senior defensive end Keion Adams is the playmaker on the defensive line with 47 total tackles and leads the team with 17 tackles for a loss and 7.5 sacks. Junior cornerback Darius Phillips is the star in the secondary as he has racked up 39 total tackles including three for a loss and one sack. Phillips also leads the team with four interceptions.

Wisconsin Badgers

The Badgers opened the season unranked but won a stunner in Week 1 over then- No. 5 LSU, 16-14, at historic Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Wisconsin then ripped off three victories to start 4-0 lost their next two games at Michigan, 14-7, and at home to Ohio State, 30-23, in overtime. After those two losses, Wisconsin rattled off a six-game winning streak to punch a ticket in the Big Ten title game against Penn State. After the Badgers got out to a big lead, Penn State made a miraculous comeback to win the conference championship game 38-31.

This season Wisconsin has used their balanced attack to average 28.7 points per game. On average the Badgers rushed for 204.5 yards and threw for 179.2 yards per game. Senior quarterback Bart Houston started the season under center before an ankle injury sidelined him giving way to freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook who has taken the reins as the starter. Houston has still managed to appear in 10 games and has thrown for 1,086 yards and five touchdowns. Hornibrook has been even more impressive as he has completed 104-of-179 passes for 1,243 yards and eight touchdowns.

Senior running back Corey Clement is the team’s leading rusher with 292 carries for 1,304 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Badgers top wide receiver is junior wide receiver Jazz Peavy who leads the team with 43 receptions, 635 receiving yards, and five receiving touchdowns. Another player to watch is junior tight end Troy Fumagalli who has caught 41 passes for 497 yards and has one receiving touchdown.

The Badgers have only allowed 15.5 points per game. Their strength is their rush defense which only allows 96.9 yards on the ground, however they give 206.1 passing yards per game. Sophomore linebacker T.J. Edwards is the team’s leading tackler with 79 total tackles including 8.5 for a loss, three sacks and two interceptions. Junior T.J. Watt, brother of NFL star J.J. Watt, is another star in the front seven as he has racked up 59 total tackles including 14.5 for a loss, 10 sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. The playmaker in the secondary is junior safety D’Cota Dixon who has 53 total tackles including 2.5 for a loss, one sack and leads the team with four interceptions.

Game Information

Date: January 2

Time: 1 p.m. EST

Location: AT&T Stadium – Dallas, Texas

Network: ESPN

Line: Badgers -8

Keys to Victory

If Western Michigan wants to finish undefeated the schedule undefeated they must be able to run the ball against Wisconsin. The Broncos average 237 yards on the ground in 2016 but Wisconsin allows less than a 100 yards per game. Another key for the Broncos will be to convert their third down and possibly fourth down opportunities. During the season Western Michigan converted on third down 54.24 percent of the time and 13-of-15 fourth down attempts which comes out to 86.67 percent. By being able to run the ball and convert on third down the Broncos will control the ball and the clock.

If Wisconsin wants to end the Broncos magical run they must be able to pull of some big plays. Western Michigan gives up almost six yards per play to their opponents so the opportunities will be there. Another key for the Badgers will be to continue to rely on their lockdown defense. Wisconsin only allows 15.5 points game and has the playmakers on defense to make big plays coming up with 21 interceptions and have recovered seven of thirteen forced fumbles. The Badgers have played in and came out on top in some low-scoring affairs this season so they have the experience and know how to slow down opponents without panicking in tight games. They must do this one final time in order to win the Cotton Bowl.

Final Analysis

The Badgers have a top-notched defense and now how to handle powerful offenses. Western Michigan has yet to face a defensive unit like the Badgers and will struggle to score against Wisconsin if the regular season holds up in the postseason.

Prediction: Wisconsin 24, Western Michigan 14