PFF Grades and Notes from Wisconsin Football's Week 1 Loss to Notre Dame

After turning some heads in the first half by giving No. 4 Notre Dame all it could handle, the Badgers unceremoniously collapsed in the second half and wound up losing by a lopsided 41-13.

It was far from the performance Wisconsin wanted, but it was just about the performance we expected against a national title favorite in Week 1.

After evaluating offensive and defensive snap counts, Badgers On SI takes a look at some notable grades and stats from Pro Football Focus as we continue to unpack Wisconsin's defeat at the hands of the Irish.

OFFENSE

Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Malachi Coleman. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Best offensive grade: WR Malachi Coleman (75.4)

Worst offensive grade: RT Kevin Heywood (45.1)

Other notable grades:

- OL Blake Cherry notched just a 12.8 pass-blocking grade.
- The only linemen to notch a grade higher than 36 were center Austin Kawecki (48.4) and guard Colin Cubberly (72.4)
- RB Darrion Dupree had a great pass-blocking score of 79.3

Miscellaneous offensive notes:

- Heywood was called for the team’s lone offensive penalty.
- Heywood and Cherry each allowed two pressures; Cherry was the only lineman credited with allowing a sack.
- QB Colton Joseph made zero ”big-time throws” and had one “turnover-worthy play” which was of course the back-breaking pick-six.
- The Badgers appear to have found their deep threat in Coleman. His average depth-of-target of 15.4 led the team.
- Tyrell Henry had the team’s lone drop.
- RB Abu Sama forced five total missed tackles while Darrion Dupree forced three.
- 35 of Sama’s 49 rushing yards came after contact.
- Wisconsin didn’t have a single run of 10-plus yards.

DEFENSE

Wisconsin linebacker Sebastian Cheeks. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Best defensive grade: OLB Sebastian Cheeks (85.5)

Worst defensive grade: DL Dillan Johnson (31.7)

Other notable grades:

- Sebastian Cheeks notched an elite pass-rush grade of 89.5
- Jon Jon Kamara’s missed tackle on Notre Dame’s final touchdown, without logging any other statistics, earned him a tackling grade of 19.3.
- CB Javan Robinson notched the best coverage grade at 73.2.

Miscellaneous defensive notes:

- Wisconsin tallied eight pressures on 30 drop-backs. Cheeks led with three, Justus Boone had two.
- The Badgers missed 11 tackles, with CB Jai’mier Scott and LB Cooper Catalano each missing two.
- LB Mason Posa racked up 15 tackles, but he also led the team in “stops” — tackles that constitute a failure for the offense — with five.
- Nickel CB Bryce West had the secondary’s best reception percentage, allowing two completions on four targets.
- Behind West, safety Marvin Burks Jr. took the most snaps in the slot with 10.

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