Troy @ Wisconsin preview

Paul Chryst was in his final year as a play-caller at Wisconsin in 2011 when Russell Wilson matched or set several school passing records, and the first-year coach’s return to Camp Randall appears to be having the same effect on quarterback Joel Stave. The 23rd-ranked Badgers look to show off their much-improved passing attack and jumpstart their running game on Saturday when they host Troy.

Wisconsin has never had a season in which it has thrown more often than run since the post-World War II era of college football began in 1946, but this edition of the Badgers has done exactly that through their first two games, attempting 75 passes versus 66 runs. The move to a more balanced offense has Wisconsin averaging 245.5 passing yards through two games, just over 11 yards ahead of the school-record pace set by the Wilson-led Badgers four years ago. Stave threw for 236 yards and three touchdowns in a 58-0 rout of Miami (Ohio) last weekend, but Wisconsin could lean more heavily on the ground game against the Trojans even without starting running back Corey Clement, who sat out last week with a groin injury. Troy rebounded from a 28-point defeat at North Carolina State on Sept. 5 with a 44-16 win over Charleston Southern last week, but is yielding 257 rushing yards per game – the 10th-highest mark in FBS.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network. LINE: Wisconsin -34.5

ABOUT TROY (1-1): Senior Teddy Ruben, who became the first Trojan since 2010 to score on a return of any kind last week when he ran back a punt 64 yards, set career highs in catches (six), receiving yards (89) and receiving touchdowns (two) against the Buccaneers. Ruben also became only the 20th player in Troy history to score at least 18 points in a game while running back Brandon Burks rushed for two touchdowns for the first time in his career. The Trojans have put together 10 scoring drives this season, half of which have required four or fewer plays and lasted less than a minute.
ABOUT WISCONSIN (1-1): Clement is expected to miss next week’s home tilt with Hawaii as well, although Dare Ogunbowale has performed well in his stead, leading the team with 121 yards rushing and ranking second with nine receptions. Junior receiver Robert Wheelwright already has as many touchdown catches (three) this season as he had career receptions entering 2015 after setting career highs across the board last week with six catches for 79 yards and two scores. Safety Leo Musso finished with two of the Badgers’ three interceptions against Miami, becoming the first Wisconsin player since Chris Maragos on Sept. 26, 2009, to pick off multiple passes in a game.

EXTRA POINTS
1. The Badgers rank 104th in FBS in yards per carry (3.45) after finishing second in the category (6.92) a season ago.
2. Troy, which has never faced Wisconsin, is winless in seven games against Big Ten teams and 1-20 against ranked opponents since becoming an FBS program in 2001. 3. WR/S Tanner McEvoy became the first Badger since Brandon Williams in November 2003 to record a catch and an interception in the same game last weekend.

PREDICTION: Wisconsin 56, Troy 13