All Badgers

Wisconsin football versus Washington State by the numbers

A preview of Wisconsin versus Washington State based on several key indicators and statistics.

Matt Belz

In this story:

Fresh off a season-opening win over Illinois State, the No. 19 Wisconsin Badgers (1-0 overall) enter a Week 2 matchup with Washington State undefeated, and a little over two-touchdown favorites against the Cougars. 

With Washington State coming to Camp Randall Stadium for a 2:30 p.m. CST kickoff on FOX, there will be plenty on the line for both programs. 

Here is a look at how the two teams compare based on some key numbers from the first week of the college football season:

Offense

Wisconsin

  • Scoring: 38 points per game, No. 44 in FBS, No. 2 in Big Ten
  • Total yards: 440 yards per game, No. 56 in FBS, No. 6 in Big Ten
  • Rushing offense: 221 yards per game, No. 37 in FBS, No. 4 in Big Ten
  • Passing offense: 219 yards per game, No. 76 in FBS, No. 10 in Big Ten
  • Time of Possession: 29 minutes and 38 seconds, No. 68 in FBS, No. 8 in Big Ten

Washington State

  • Scoring offense: 24 points per game, No. 83 in FBS, No. 10 in Pac-12
  • Total yards: 360 yards per game, No. 85 in FBS, No. 10 in Pac-12
  • Rushing yards: 137 yards per game, No. 76 in FBS, No. 10 in Pac-12
  • Passing offense: 223 yards per game, No. 72 in FBS, No. 9 in Pac-12
  • Time of possession: 23 minutes and 25 seconds, No. 119 in FBS, No. 12 in Pac-12

Wisconsin displayed a balanced offense against Illinois State last weekend. The level of competition was not great, but the passing game finished last season ranked No. 127 in the country, so to jump up to No. 76 is a monumental shift, for now. The hope has to be that this balanced approach continues in Week 2 against Washington State.  

Washington State is under new leadership and has one of the most dynamic quarterbacks from the 2021 season at the FCS level in Cam Ward. The Incarnate Word transfer helped the Cougars win their opening game, and it will be interesting to see what their offense looks like this Saturday. Former Wisconsin running back Nakia Watson is their starting tailback and ran for over 100 yards against Idaho last weekend as well. 

Defense

Wisconsin

  • Scoring defense: Zero points per game allowed, No. 1 in FBS, No. 1 in Big Ten
  • Total yards allowed: 243 yards per game, No. 26 in FBS, No. 4 in Big Ten
  • Rushing defense: 57 yards allowed per game, No. 19 in FBS, No. 4 in Big Ten
  • Passing defense: 186 yards allowed per game, No. 50 in FBS, No. 7 in Big Ten
  • Sacking the QB: 4 per game, No. 9 in FBS, No. 3 in Big Ten
  • Tackles for loss: 9 per game, No. 25 in FBS, No. 5 in Big Ten

Washington State

  • Scoring defense: 17 points per game allowed, No. 49 in FBS, No. 5 in Pac-12
  • Total yards allowed: 274 yards per game, No. 36 in FBS, No. 5 in Pac-12
  • Rushing defense: 62 yards allowed per game, No. 23 in FBS, No. 3 in Pac-12
  • Passing defense: 212 yards allowed per game, No. 65 in FBS, No. 10  in Pac-12
  • Sacking the QB: 7 per game, No. 1 in FBS, No. 1 in Pac-12
  • Tackles for loss: 11 per game, No. 7 in FBS, No. 1 in Pac-12

Wisconsin once again pitched a shutout on Saturday, as Jim Leonhard and the Badgers' defense did just enough to stop Illinois State when it mattered most. Wisconsin did a great job of making plays in the backfield with four sacks and nine tackles for loss, two statistics that could prove important this weekend against Washington State.

The Cougars were also very active on blitzes last week versus Idaho with an FBS-high seven sacks in their opener. Washington State has a formidable defense that should be a much tougher test for Wisconsin. Neither team has played much competition yet, making Saturday's matchup a nice litmus test for each squad. 

Special Teams/Turnovers/Penalties

Wisconsin

  • Kickoff return: 33 yards per return, No. 9 in the FBS, No. 7 in Big Ten
  • Punt return: -3.5 yards per return, No. 127 in the FBS, No. 14 in Big Ten
  • Net punting: 45 yards per punt, No. 19 in FBS, No. 3 in Big Ten
  • Turnover margin: +2, No. 10 in the FBS, No. 1 in Big Ten
  • Penalties per game: 5 per game, T-No. 22 in FBS
  • Penalty yards: 43.6 yards per game, T-No. 22 in FBS

Washington State

  • Kickoff return: 10 yards per return, No. 104 in the FBS, No. 9 in Pac-12
  • Punt return: 3 yards per return, No. 61 in the FBS, No. 5 in Pac-12
  • Net punting: 42 yards per punt, No. 39 in FBS, No. 2 in Pac-12
  • Turnover margin: -1, No. 90 in the FBS, No. 9 in Pac-12
  • Penalties per game: 3 per game, No. T-6 in FBS
  • Penalty yards: 35 yards per game, No. T-15 in FBS

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Matt Belz
MATT BELZ

Title: Publisher, Beat Writer for AllBadgers.com, a Sports Illustrated Channel Hello, my name is Matt Belz, and I am the site manager at All Badgers. I previously wrote for multiple years at Buckeyes 5th Quarter and have been the leading publisher here since March of 2022.  When I am not covering the Wisconsin Badgers football and men's basketball teams, I enjoy being outside and spending time with family and friends.  You can follow everything I write about on several different platforms. First and foremost on our site...AllBadgers.com You can follow me personally on Twitter at @savedbythebelz or check out our Facebook page at Wisconsin FanNation on Sports Illustrated.

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