As most fans noticed during the 2021 season, the Badgers offense left a lot to be desired. It was a big reason why they got off to a 1-3 start and didn’t go to the Big Ten Championship. Worst of all, their offense was just downright boring to watch and there was no creativity. With Bobby Engram now the offensive coordinator, he’ll have every opportunity to inject creativity into this offense. One way he can do that is running the jet sweep more often.
Where Did The Jet Sweep Go?
Last season, the Badgers seemed to move away from the jet sweep as the season went on. Despite having the players, Badger receivers only combined to have 14 carries last season. During the last month of the season the Badgers did away with the play completely. The only time they ran something like it was against Minnesota where Danny Davis was given a hand-off. However, his motion took him further behind the line of scrimmage then a traditional jet sweep would. This was a far cry from 2019 when Badger receivers had combined for 43 carries (only seven games were played in 2020).
It Can Help The Quarterback and Running Backs
Heading into this season, Graham Mertz is under a lot of pressure to succeed after a down year last year. To alleviate that stress from Mertz, they will need to have a solid rushing attack. However, after the season Braelon Allen had in 2021, opponents will be loading up the box waiting for him. To counter that, the Badgers need to find other ways to run the football besides with Allen and other backs. With opponents keying in on Allen, this should open outside running lanes to get receivers in space.
Traditionally, Badger opponents try to stop their rushing attack by condensing their defense. Since Barry Alvarez arrived, Wisconsin loves to run the ball. However, besides the traditional hand off, there are other ways to run it. With the speed Wisconsin has at wide receiver, the Badgers can use it to stretch opposing defenses horizontally. Opposing defenses will not only have to respect runs up the middle, but also the sidelines to cover the edge.
This isn’t the first time in the Paul Chryst era that the Badgers have needed to take pressure off their quarterback. During Chryst’s first year in 2015, two of his starting running backs battled injuries most of the season. To overcome this, they moved a linebacker to running back and handed the ball off to the fullback more often. To help then quarterback Joel Stave, the Badgers ran jet sweep. With the jet sweep helping Stave be more of a “game manager”; the Badgers finished the season with a record of 10-3 and ranked 21st in the country. This included a win in the Holiday Bowl over USC as well.
Missed Opportunity Against Minnesota
During the last game of the season against Minnesota, the lack of use of the jet sweep hurt the Badgers. Heading into that game; the Golden Gophers had been tough against the run all season. That game would have been the perfect opportunity to install that in the game plan and give the offense a spark. Instead, the offense sputtered, and it cost the Badgers the axe and a trip to the Big Ten Championship.
The Badgers Have The Receivers To Do It
The Badgers have the speed at the wide receiver position to run the jet sweep. Dean Engram and Skyler Bell have already been running it in spring practice. With Dean Engram transitioning to wide receiver, this could be a great way to utilize his skills. Chimere Dike has experience running the play as well. Having the receivers the Badgers have at the position means there shouldn’t be any reason to abandon it.
The Badgers Face Tough Run Defenses This Season
This offense needs to be better this season; the fans, coaches and players demand better from that side of the ball. The jet sweep has paid dividends for the Badgers offense in the past and helped it be successful. This season Wisconsin be facing tough run stopping teams in Iowa, Michigan State and Minnesota.
Two of those games (Iowa and Michigan State) will be on the road making it paramount to have an efficient offense. All three of those teams were ranked inside the top 15 in run defense. This will make it even more important for the Badgers to bring back the jet sweep. We saw the Golden Gophers hold Braelon Allen to just 48 yards rushing last season. Those three games make it even more important for the Badgers to bring back the jet sweep. Spreading those defenses out will be the key and the jet sweep should be a major part of that.
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