3 Burning Questions as Wisconsin Prepares for Homecoming vs. Michigan State

After Wisconsin stormed into Happy Valley and rallied from a 17-0 deficit to shock the No. 13 Penn State Nittany Lions, the tenor around this football team is refreshingly positive.

All of the sudden, the Badgers sit at 3-1 and 1-0 in Big Ten play with what appears to be a very winnable homecoming game against Michigan State on tap for Week 5.

Wisconsin is riding high, but it can't get too ahead of itself as we're just scratching the surface of Big Ten play. Below, Badgers On SI breaks down three burning questions surrounding Wisconsin's football program ahead of homecoming:

Will Colton Joseph bounce back?

Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It seems like a ridiculous question to pose about a quarterback who just led his team on a three-score come-from-behind win on the road against the No. 13 team in the country, tossing for two clutch touchdowns on his team's final two drives in the process. And yet, that's where we're at with Colton Joseph.

Joseph was abysmal for much of this game. He threw three interceptions before he threw his first touchdown pass, and had a handful of other misses as well; a particularly egregious throw that comes to mind came on a 3rd-and-6 swing pass that he simply rushed and put into the dirt, not giving his receiver a chance to make a play.

Of course, we all know what happened next. His touchdown pass to Eugene Hilton Jr on a corner route to the back of the end zone was an absolutely gorgeous toss, and his 72-yard strike to tight end Jacob Harris obviously won the game.

Still, it goes without saying that Joseph can't play like that week in and week out. At this point, it's time to accept that we must take the good with the bad from the gunslinger, but Saturday night, each pick was uglier than the last.

"We know we've gotta make better decisions with the football. That's what it comes down to," Fickell said. "The first one wasn't a great throw, it's the right, probably, decision and read. Give the guy credit, he makes a helluva play...the other two were not good decisions."

Michigan State's secondary checks in at a respectable 34th nationally, allowing 190 yards per game through the air. However, the Spartans have only picked off one pass. In a game that's expected to be close, a poorly-timed Joseph interception could be catastrophic.

Can the Badgers' defense remain suffocating?

Wisconsin cornerback Javan Robinson. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The big plays from the offense, chief among them Harris' 72-yard touchdown that'll be etched into Wisconsin lore forever, naturally got the most attention following the Badgers' huge win Saturday night.

But what really won Wisconsin this game was its defense. Joseph himself spotted Penn State 14 points with a pick-six and another interception that set the Nittany Lions up on Wisconsin's 11-yard line. The Badgers' defense really only allowed two field goals, and the longest drive it allowed was a 13-play, 56-yard series.

Late in the game, Wisconsin forced four-straight three-and-outs. It swarmed to the football and held Penn State to 122 total yards in the second half. It notched five TFLs and two sacks. Penn State averaged just 3.8 yards per play. The Badgers held quarterback Rocco Becht to 12-of-29 passing (41% completion) for 129 yards, no touchdowns and an interception.

Michigan State's offense, meanwhile, hasn't done much against Power Four competition. You'd like to see another dominant defensive effort from the Badgers come Saturday morning.

Can Wisconsin establish the run?

Wisconsin Badgers running back Darrion Dupree. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Somewhat lost in the Badgers' 3-1 start to the season is their inability to run the football. Wisconsin currently ranks 107th nationally with just 101.3 yards per game on the ground. Considering Joseph's legs and the Badgers' stable of capable tailbacks, that's a pretty shockingly low rushing output.

Michigan State has been solid but not elite at defending the run, checking in at 48th in the country allowing 124 yards per game on the ground. The Spartans did a solid job containing Toledo and Eastern Michigan's ground games, but Notre Dame and Nebraska ran for 161 and 157 yards on Michigan State, respectively.

Abu Sama's health is once again a question mark after he couldn't finish the game at Penn State. USC Transfer Bryan Jackson was unavailable in Happy Valley. Darrion Dupree has been tremendous this season, and TCU transfer Nate Palmer has gotten some work as well. But kick-starting this ground game has much more to do with the offensive front moving people against their will.

After last week especially, Dupree gives you confidence that this ground game will be fine without Sama.

“Grown man performance," Fickell said of his tailback. "For him to step up when Abu went down, for him to have 48 reps, not just the amount of carries and catches that he had but the way he played down the stretch, I know we celebrate it…I couldn’t be more happy and proud for a guy who hasn’t had everything as he envisioned…He continues to raise his game and we’re gonna need him.”

This seems like a good week for Wisconsin to figure out how it can establish the run against a team it's supposed to beat.

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