Chip Kelly hasn’t played Wisconsin yet this year, but he’s perfectly familiar with what they bring to the table.
Kelly and the Ducks would often have the early 9 a.m. games on television while eating breakfast this season, and Wisconsin popped up a few times as part of the nationally televised lineup. What Oregon’s head coach saw was an offense that put up gargantuan stats — “pinball” numbers, as he called them — behind one of the best quarterback-running back tandems in the country.
The Badgers had his attention from the start, and even more so now that Oregon and Wisconsin are set to match up in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 2.
“They’ve got a great scheme, and really understand how to attack you,” Kelly said. “And (they) will make you pay for not being sound defensively.”
The problem for Kelly and Oregon’s defense is that, unlike many Pac-12 teams, Wisconsin is multidimensional. They have a top-ranked rusher in Montee Ball, but quarterback Russell Wilson is himself a bona fide Heisman candidate and has plenty of weapons to work with in the receiving corps. The Badgers ranked 10th in the NCAA in rushing offense (237.38 yards per game) and second in pass efficiency rating (186.18) for a reason. They can do it all, and that’s what has Kelly so worried.@@http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/team/1025@@
“Usually when you play a team, you’re hoping they’re one-dimensional,” Kelly said. “ So it makes it easy for you; you just have to defend the pass or you just have to defend the run. But a team that’s multidimensional like Wisconsin really presents the ultimate problems for you on the defensive side of the ball.”
Wilson, for his part, sports a 191.60 passing efficiency rating that ranks second in the nation, with 31 touchdowns and just three interceptions to his name. His completion percentage of 72.5 ranks fourth in the country, and his last interception came on Oct. 22 in a loss to Michigan State.@@http://www.ncaa.com/stats/football/fbs/current/individual/1005@@
“Between Wilson and Ball and (receiver Nick) Toon, (Jared) Abbrederis, (Jeff) Duckworth and their tight end, they’ve got a ton of weapons,” Kelly said. “And I’ve been a huge fan of Russell when he was at NC State.”
And then there is Ball, who has quietly put together one of the all-time best seasons for an NCAA running back. The junior racked up 1,759 yards through 13 games, and his 38 total touchdowns (32 rushing and six receiving) place him just one behind Barry Sanders for the NCAA single-season record.
“You’re playing arguably against the best quarterback-running back combination in college football right now,” Kelly said. “It’s fun to watch them on tape, and hopefully it won’t be as fun when we see them in person. But I know it’s going to be a battle trying to shut those guys down.”
The onus will fall upon a defensive unit that has proven to be an effective, if not overwhelming, presence throughout the season. As many of its most effective players deal with nagging injuries, the month between games will come as something of a blessing. Dion Jordan, Terrell Turner, Troy Hill and Anthony Gildon are just a few of the Oregon players heading into the break at significantly less than 100 percent.
“We’ve got to make sure we use (the break) wisely,” Jordan told The Register-Guard. “Make sure we get rehab and do the little things to get ready for this next game.”
Even at full strength, the task at hand is a formidable one.