Wisconsin Football Week 9 Defensive Snap Count Breakdown and Analysis vs. Iowa

Just when we were ready to sing Wisconsin defensive coordinator Mike Tressel's praises, the Badgers' defense delivered a hideous performance against an Iowa team that's had its fair share of struggles offensively.

Wisconsin allowed Iowa quarterback Hank Brown to complete a lethal 20-of-24 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns, and its lauded run defense got pounded into submission as the game went on.

Below, Badgers On SI has snap counts and analysis from Wisconsin's 30-0 loss to Iowa.

Author's note: snap count data from Pro Football Focus.

Defensive Line

Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Hank Brown (9) throws a pass while being pressured by Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Sebastian Cheeks (15) and defensive lineman Hammond Russell IV (91) . | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

- Hammond Russell IV (32)
- Junior Poyser (32)
- Charles Perkins (29)
- Nolan Vils (21)
- Dillan Johnson (13)
- DeNigel Cooper (7)
- Jacob Anderson (3)

Vils and Johnson saw increased snaps, but otherwise the top of the room between Russell, Poyser and Perkins remained the same. Anderson also briefly got back on the field after sitting out last week. Johnson's 13 snaps were his most since Week 5 against Michigan State.

Outside Linebacker

- Sebastian Cheeks (47)
- Justus Boone (37)
- Tyreese Fearbry (32)
- Michael Garner (18)
- Nick Clayton (7)

Wisconsin deployed its bigger outside backers, Michael Garner and Justus Boone, quite a bit in an effort to strengthen the line of scrimmage. Boone's 37 snaps were easily his most this season, while Garner played his most since Week 2. Cheeks remains atop the room unsurprisingly, while Clayton saw his snaps fall off, as his seven plays were his fewest all year.

Inside Linebacker

Iowa Hawkeyes tight end DJ Vonnahme (81) dives for the pylon to score a touchdown as Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Cooper Catalano (44) tackles him. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

- Cooper Catalano (64)
- Mason Posa (63)
- Aaron Witt (33)
- Jon Jon Kamara (19)
- Thomas Heiberger (6)
- Taylor Schaefer (3)

Wisconsin played just about every inside linebacker it had. The seldom-deployed Schaefer played his first snaps since Week 5, as did Kamara. Witt's 33 snaps were easily a season-high, surpassing the 14 he played at UCLA. Posa and Catalano didn't quite play every snap like they did last week, but their 63 and 64 snaps, respectively, came close to the 69 total plays ran by Iowa.

Cornerback

- Jai’mier Scott (62)
- Javan Robinson (51)
- Eric Fletcher Jr (24)
- Bryce West (17)

Scott was the top corner in the room for the second straight week, although he had a forgettable game with three penalties alone. West's snaps decreased significantly; his 17 were easily the fewest he's played all year, and you have to wonder if the shoulder stinger he suffered in the win over USC is still lingering.

Safety

- Matthew Jung (69)
- Marvin Burks Jr (45)
- Cairo Skanes (25)

Wisconsin kept Carson Van Dinter and Matthew Traynor off the field after both of them played against USC. Jung led the way as per usual, and while Skanes still played a healthy amount of snaps with 25, it was his fewest since Week 4.

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