Wisconsin Football: Badgers show no sign of early season jitters

 Wisconsin football opened the season as the No. 4 team in the nation, handily Western Kentucky with ease in their 2018 opener at Camp Randall Stadium.

On a night when another member of their conference nearly got upset by Utah State, Wisconsin looked every bit the national title contender they were expected to be. ESPN’s win probability never dipped below 97 percent as the Badgers methodically dissected an inferior Western Kentucky team in their home opener.

Heisman trophy candidate Jonathan Taylor played the part, rushing for 145 yards on 18 carries and scoring two long touchdowns. He notched a 47-yard scamper for six in the first quarter and added a 30-yard run in the second. By the time the halftime whistle blew Wisconsin was up 24-0 and never looked back.

Alex Hornibrook, who needs to take a step forward if the Badgers are going to make a deep postseason run this year, played extremely well, too. Hornibrook completed 17-of-29 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

On the other side of the ball, the Badgers’ defense had a big night in every way possible. They forced one turnover and smothered the Hilltoppers on the ground and through the air. Western Kentucky averaged 3.3 yards per carry, 6.0 yards per attempt and went a pedestrian 5-for16 on third down.

This was a forgettable game for both sides – and that’s exactly what is supposed to happen for teams like Wisconsin against teams when they play teams like Western Kentucky on opening weekend. Wisconsin was supposed to win in convincing fashion. Objective met.

The Badgers will be tested soon, they play at Iowa and at Michigan in a few weeks time. They didn’t need to prove they were Playoff worthy on Friday night, they just needed to win comfortably, which is exactly what they did.