The University of Wisconsin football team got back in the win column with a 31-10 victory over Rutgers, and for the first time in a while, the Badgers had an offense capable of creating some separation.
Ryan Hopkins threw three touchdown passes in his first career start, Wisconsin averaged 6.8 yards per play, and Mike Tressel’s defense held Rutgers scoreless in the second half.
The performance was encouraging, particularly coming off the embarrassing shutout loss to Iowa. But there is a difference between playing better and proving you’ve turned a corner. Rutgers isn’t the opponent that settles that conversation.
With that in mind, here’s a position-by-position look at Wisconsin’s snap counts, PFF grades and the performances that stood out.
Quarterback
Ryan Hopkins: 58
Hopkins gave Wisconsin exactly what it needed, completing 18-of-24 passes for 241 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also put the ball in harm’s way a few times and fumbled the ball late in the game.
His 71.6 PFF passing grade was considerably more modest than his 200.6 passer rating, but the production speaks for itself. Wisconsin generated seven passing plays of at least 15 yards, accounting for 182 yards.
Hopkins’ 9.7-yard average depth of target was an encouraging sign of confidence in his first start, even if it’s a small sample size. For context, Colton Joseph sits at an 8.6 yards aDOT on the season, though the staff seems more comfortable pointing to Joseph being banged up than acknowledging that perhaps a quarterback change was warranted.
My inclination is that the opponent had plenty to do with the stat line, but that shouldn’t take anything away from Hopkins. Given his arm talent, his ceiling as a passer seems considerably higher than what Joseph offers. Either way, Wisconsin looked functional with Hopkins running the offense.
And with the remaining schedule, Wisconsin has a real opportunity to get a meaningful evaluation of what Hopkins could eventually become. The coaching staff just needs to commit to giving him that opportunity.
