Wisconsin Football: Preview, prediction, live stream vs. BYU in Week 3

BYU already took down one Power Five opponent this season when they beat Arizona in the season opener. Can they go 2-for-2 against Wisconsin football?

One of the biggest goals of going independent for BYU was the ability to schedule a stronger set of opponents than they were able to cobble together as a member of the Mountain West. Now they regularly get to play five or more Power Five opponents per season, giving them a schedule not quite comparable to Notre Dame but vastly better than most Group of Five schools or other independent programs.

They have already played a pair of Pac-12 schools to a split. In the season opener, the Cougars upset Arizona in Tucson, beating the Wildcats 28-23 to spoil Kevin Sumlin’s debut as head coach. In Week 2, BYU hosted California in Provo but fell 21-18 against the Golden Bears. In both cases, they played their more highly-regarded opponents closely.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, is trying to prevent a further backslide down the AP Top 25. The Badgers opened the year at No. 4 in the poll, but have dropped a spot after each of the first two weeks of the season. Paul Chryst’s team will look to make an example of BYU as they try to right the ship and justify their presence among the College Football Playoff contenders.

The showdown in Camp Randall Stadium is a return match of the game these two teams played last year at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo. Their 2017 showdown ended in a 40-6 blowout by the Badgers. This year the contest should be a bit closer, making it more entertaining in the bargain for fans of both teams as well as casual viewers without a specific rooting interest. Here’s how you can watch the Saturday game between BYU and Wisconsin:

Date: Saturday, Sept. 15
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Madison, Wisc.
Venue: Camp Randall Stadium
TV: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN | FuboTV

Keys to Victory

For Wisconsin, the biggest key to victory is ball control. They have coughed up two fumbles and an interception so far this year, and will not always be able to count on their defense generating more takeaways than the offense is creating giveaways. The Badgers, as usual, will lean on Jonathan Taylor and need him to hit at least 150 yards and three touchdowns against the Cougars.

If BYU is going to have any chance of taking down the No. 6 team in the country on the road, they need to get a sterling performance from Tanner Mangum. The quarterback 40-of-69 for 405 yards with two touchdowns and two picks. He needs to have a mistake-free game and throw for at least 250 yards. Squally Canada has carried the running game this year, and he needs to outduel Taylor in the rushing stats as well for BYU to have a shot.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

Point Spread: Wisconsin -22
Over/Under: 44.5

Prediction

BYU has been much improved from last season’s flawed group, but there are still several degrees of separation between where the Cougars are at and where Wisconsin sits in the national picture. The game will probably be close through the first quarter and a half before the Badgers claim a small lead at halftime. That will open up into a three-touchdown gap by the end of the contest.

Final Score: Wisconsin 31, BYU 10