Rohrer's Reaction: Badgers Finally Blow Out Inferior Team as Big Ten Play Awaits

Wisconsin was in desperate need of a cathartic victory, a win the fanbase could feel good about in all facets as a top-15 Penn State team lurks around the corner.

It got just that against Eastern Michigan. After a slow start in the first quarter, the Badgers took complete control of the game end never relinquished it.

There's some things to clean up, naturally, but the Badgers did exactly what they needed to do ahead of a trip to Happy Valley. Here's a handful of reactions from the win over Eastern Michigan:

Does Wisconsin finally have some semblance of an explosive offense?

Wisconsin wide receiver Chris Brooks Jr. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Badgers offense wasn't able to run the ball all that effectively against Eastern Michigan, mustering just 117 yards on 30 carries (3.9 yards-per-carry). Still, it scored 40 of Wisconsin's 54 total points with quarterback Colton Joseph accounting for three through the air and one on the ground.

Joseph wasn't perfect, but make no mistake — he's the reason the Badgers' offense now finally has an element of explosiveness. He's still growing, but he's considerably raised the ceiling of this offense and is easily the most dynamic gunslinger head coach Luke Fickell has had in Madison.

Joseph tossed for 362 yards, three touchdowns and one interception on 70% completion, adding nine carries for 46 yards and a score on the ground. At first, he looked like the same quarterback we saw against Western Illinois; problematically inaccurate. On the Badgers' first drive, he missed an open Emmett Bork for a touchdown. On the Badgers' second drive, he threw an ugly interception while scrambling to his right, short-arming receiver Eugene Hilton Jr down the sideline.

“I said it after last week, I said it after Week 1, it didn’t seem like it was something that stuck with him," Fickell said after the game.

After he got that out of his system, he kicked things up a notch. A four-yard rushing touchdown on a zone read got him going, and on the ensuing drive, he immediately threw a 75-yard touchdown on a deep ball to Chris Brooks Jr in one play. On the next drive, he unleashed a gorgeous deep ball to tight end Jacob Harris, who made an even prettier one-handed catch that set up a Darrion Dupree touchdown run on the next play. By then, the offense was humming.

Joseph didn't hit on all of his deep shots, but he did connect on completions of 23, 27, 30, 32 and 75 yards. He also accounted for two of the Badgers' three "big" rushing plays (runs of 10-plus yards) with an 11-yard carry and a 19-yard scamper. Again, Joseph isn't perfect, but he makes this offense exponentially more dangerous.

“I was impressed with how he ran today," Fickell added. "He ran to score, he ran to make plays, he didn’t just run to get yards.”

The Badgers' special teams are a legitimate weapon

Outside linebacker Nick Clayton got credit for getting a hand on a punt, which gives new special teams coordinator Bob Ligashesky's unit three blocked punts in as many games. But that wasn't the unit's top highlight — not even close.

In a last-ditch attempt and somewhat meaningless attempt to get points with two seconds to play in the ballgame, already down 48-10, Eastern Michigan head coach Chris Creighton elected to attempt a field goal. But cornerback Eric Fletcher flew into the backfield and swatted the kick, which was scooped up by Donovan Dunmore and taken to the house for six, giving the Badgers two special teams touchdowns in as many weeks.

So far, Wisconsin has played three games, none of which have been especially competitive. But when things get tighter in conference play, these dynamic special teams are going to have a much bigger impact on the outcome of the game.

Wisconsin gets the win it needs

Wisconsin Badgers tight end Emmett Bork. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's safe to say that if Wisconsin didn't eviscerate Eastern Michigan to the extent it did Saturday afternoon, Badgers fans would be extremely uneasy headed into the Big Ten opener on the road at Penn State. Next week's clash with the Nittany Lions is still a daunting task, but Wisconsin (and its fanbase) should be much more confident after manhandling the Eagles.

Wisconsin wasn't perfect, but it's given Penn State some legitimate things to worry about. Colton Joseph looked the best he has in the Cardinal and White, and this Badgers' passing game has some weapons to account for in Tyrell Henry, Jacob Harris and potentially Malachi Coleman, barring the health of the latter.

Finally having notched a few turnovers, Wisconsin's defense flew around and created much more havoc than it did against Western Michigan and Notre Dame combined. Outside backer Sebastian Cheeks remained a problem as a pass-rusher, while the secondary looked much better overall.

Penn State is going to be a multiple-score favorite, but the Badgers finally have some momentum as the defining stretch of the season approaches.

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