SB Nation User Blog: Adam Hoge

Bowl breakdown No. 1: When Miami has the ball

Adam Hoge — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:19:51 -0000

Miami quarterback Jacory Harris (12) presents a big challenge for Wisconsin's secondary. (AP Photo/Hans Deryk)

This is the first in a series of stories breaking down the 2009 Champs Sports Bowl between No. 14 Miami and No. 25 Wisconsin, which will be played at 7 p.m. CT, Tuesday, December 29.

Miami Offense

Offensive coordinator Mark Whipple has done wonders for the Hurricanes' offense in his first season. He, along with the emergence of sophomore quarterback Jacory Harris, helped Miami finish the regular season with the ACC's third-ranked offense with 413.5 yards per game and 31.7 points per game.

Harris is a high-risk, high-reward type quarterback who threw for 21 touchdowns this season, but also added 17 interceptions. He's got a cannon of an arm and can beat you with his feet, but the way to beat him is by shutting down the running game and forcing him to take over the football game. That's when he starts to the turn the ball over.

The Hurricanes don't have a dominating running back, but that doesn't mean they can't beat you on the ground. They have a committe of running backs that ran for over 1,700 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. Junior Graig Cooper led the way with 666 yards, but he only accounted for three scores. Junior Damien Berry is the guy they use in the red zone, while senior Javarris James has been battling injuries for a good part of the season.

Harris and his trio of talented receivers will present a big challenge for Wisconsin. Junior Leonard Hankerson, LaRon Byrd and Travis Benjamin are all dangerous, racking up 44, 30 and 28 catches, respectively. Harris also loves to find his tight ends, Dedrick Epps and Jimmy Graham in short yardage situations.

On the line, Wisconsin catches a big break with All-ACC left tackle Jason Fox missing the game after knee surgery. The rest of the line is pretty good, but the loss of Fox is a huge blow for Miami.

Wisconsin Defense

Senior defensive end O'Brien Schofield must be eager to play this game after hearing Fox won't play. He is tied for second in the country with 22.5 tackles for loss. Sophomore J.J. Watt might be forced to move inside next season and he prefers to play defensive end so look for him to prove his worth outside in this game.

The line will have to create pressure because Wisconsin's mediocre secondary will be tested by Harris. It's been a trying year for a group of cornerbacks that have all struggled and things won't get any easier in the bowl game. They do have a knack for grabbing interceptions and picking off a couple of passes against the turnover-prone Miami quarterback would go a long way in this game.

At linebacker, the guy to continue to watch is true freshman Chris Borland who has filled in nicely for Mike Taylor since he suffered a season-ending knee injury week seven. Taylor was leading the team in tackles at the time.

Who has the edge?

Fox's injury cannot be emphasized enough. One has to worry about UW's secondary in this game as they attempt to cover three talented receivers. But the loss of Fox could mean a big day for O'Brien Schofield who knows a great game in primetime against a team like Miami could boost his draft stock immensely.

Still, Miami is going to find the end zone in this game. The Badgers are only giving up 22.4 points per game but Indiana, Michigan and Northwestern all scored at least 24 points in UW's final three Big Ten games. However, one could argue that Wisconsin's track record after bye weeks is more significant in this matchup. Purdue was shutout and a good Hawaii offense was held to only 10 points after UW's two bye weeks this season. Dave Doeren will have had 24 days to prepare his defense for this game when they kickoff Dec. 29.

The Verdict: Even. Harris will put up some passing yards and find the endzone a couple of times, but he is also destined to throw a couple picks with the pressure UW's defensive line will be able to create.

670 The Score's Bowl Preview Podcast

Adam Hoge — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:00:46 -0000

670 The Score's Bowl Preview Podcast

Time for a little self promotion... sorry. But be sure to check out my 28 minute bowl preview podcast on 670thescore.com.

Dave Revsine from the Big Ten Network joined me to break down the Big Ten bowls and I presented five "can't miss" games that not many people are talking about. (Hint: The Champs Sports Bowl is one of them.)

NBC 15's story on Jeronne Maymon's departure and how it affects Vander Blue

Adam Hoge — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:45:07 -0000

NBC 15's story on Jeronne Maymon's departure and how it affects Vander Blue

Robb Vogel talked to Vander Blue's mom as well. Good summary of Monday's events.

This links to the AP Story on their web site. You can watch the story in the video player on the right side of the page once you click on the link.

Blue Christmas coming early?

Adam Hoge — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:04:30 -0000

More photos » by Andy Manis - AP

Just two days after returning home to play the Badgers at the Kohl Center, Jeronne Maymon left the Marquette basketball team. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

Browse more photos »

Maymon's departure from Marquette, UW's interest in JUCO guard leaves door open for Memorial star to reconsider Badgers

Consider it another bizarre chapter in the recruitment of one Madison's best high school basketball players ever. On the same day rumors started to swirl about a fourth recruit being added to Bo Ryan's 2010 class, Vander Blue's best friend -- and one of his biggest reasons for choosing Marquette -- left the Golden Eagles' basketball program.

Just hours after Marquette announced the departure of freshman Jeronne Maymon, fans from Madison to Milwaukee were wondering just one question: Will Vander Blue still go to Marquette?

In a somewhat shocking event, Maymon -- the former Madison Memorial star who was named Wisconsin's Mr. Basketball last season -- decided to leave the Marquette men's basketball program Monday, just 10 games into his career.

"We want to thank Jeronne for his contributions to the program while he was here and wish him the best of luck in the future," head coach Buzz Williams said in a statement Monday.

Maymon and Blue -- the senior standout at Memorial who decommitted from Wisconsin over the summer before signing a letter of intent with Marquette last month -- are very close friends. Blue cited Maymon as a big reason why he chose the Golden Eagles.

That's why it is no surprise that many fans are wondering how this news will affect Blue, but the early indications from his family point to him honoring his commitment to Marquette.

"The Blue family has no comment on (Maymon's decision to quit the team)," Rita Blue, Vander's mother, told Wissports.net. "It has nothing to do with Vander or myself, and it has no direct affect on Vander at all. Vander is going to Marquette. End of story."

Still, when a guy already waffled on his college choice to begin with, it's hard to believe that this is really the end of the story.

So could Blue end up in Madison afterall?

Maybe, but there are two big problems: 1) Vander already signed his letter of intent to attend Marquette. He could be granted a release from his scholarship, but why would Buzz Williams grant the release if Blue was going to end up with the Badgers? And 2) As of right now, Wisconsin doesn't have any scholarships available for next season after Evan Anderson, Josh Gasser and Duje Dukan signed letters of intent with Wisconsin in November.

Believe it or not, the second issue might be easier to fix than you may think. Rivals.com reported Monday that Wisconsin is very interested in adding junior college point guard Lazeric Jones (John A. Logan CC), who played his high school ball at Simeon High School in Chicago.

"I'm not 100 percent sure I have an offer from Wisconsin yet," Jones told Rivals.com. "I've been in touch with the Badger coaching staff for a few months now. We've been working on setting up a time where I can take an unofficial visit up there. Obviously, I'll be waiting until the late signing period."

Jones' comment about not being sure if he has a scholarship offer is very interesting. He can't have an offer because Wisconsin doesn't have one to offer right now, unless the coaching staff knows something we don't. The late signing period isn't until April and a lot can happen between now and then. A current player could transfer or leave the program before the season is over. And let's not forget that fall semester grades come out soon and we've seen players transfer during winter break because of academic problems or other reasons (DeAaron Williams and Mickey Perry).

What we do know is that the interest in Jones is serious and mutual. He will visit Wisconsin within the next two weeks, according to a source. He already has offers from UCLA and Nevada and will make a visit to UCLA Dec. 20.

But the big news here is that if Bo Ryan is already considering a junior college transfer, that means there is a real possibility of a fourth scholarship opening up. And the way Vander Blue's recruitment has gone, if there is even the remote possibility of an open scholarship at Wisconsin, Blue's name is going to be linked to it no matter what his mother says.

But will Maymon's departure make Blue think twice? And would he be granted a release from his scholarship?

There are way too many questions right now, but if Bo Ryan's phone rings and Vander is on the line, he has to listen, right?

Yes, that is really the final score; Green Bay tops UW 88-84

Adam Hoge — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 06:39:00 -0000

More photos » by Mike Roemer - AP

12 days ago: Wisconsin-Green Bay players and fans celebrate their overtime win over Wisconsin in an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Dec . 9, 2009, in Green Bay, Wis. Green Bay won 88-84. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Browse more photos »

I just had a buddy of mine in Chicago text me, "Was that the real Wisconsin score I just saw??"

Yes. Yes it was. At least that's what they are telling us. Green Bay won its first game in 16 tries over the Badgers with an 88-84 win Wednesday night at the Resch Center.

This won't be your typical recap/reaction from us here at Bucky's 5th Quarter. Because of the snow storm and some other reasons beyond our control, we did not have anyone in Green Bay covering the game for us Wednesday and since it wasn't on TV, it would be unprofessional of me to really give an opinion on any specifics that transpired.

It's kind of like that saying about the tree falling in the forest. If we weren't there and the game wasn't on television, did it really happen? Unfortunately, I think it did, but this might be the first time in two years that I feel like I need to read a newspaper in the morning.

In a moment I'll pass along some links from other reporters who were actually at the game, because we have a better chance of solving a Rubik's Cube tonight than figuring out what the hell happened in Green Bay.

You're telling me Trevon Hughes scored 27 points, while Jon Leuer added 26 points and 12 rebounds and the Badgers lost? You're telling me a team that hasn't allowed 70 or more points in any game this season despite playing Arizona, Gonzaga, Maryland and Duke allowed 88 to Green Bay? I know it went to overtime -- I'm sorry, I heard it went to overtime -- but still, 88 points?

My only guess is that the real Badgers got lost in the snow storm somewhere. Folks in Waupun, Wis., if you see any tall people wearing full red jumpsuits who look lost, please return them to the Kohl Center, 601 W. Dayton St., Madison, WI 53715. Thank you.

OK, let's see if we can make some sense of all this:

My guy Rob Schultz from Madison.com has his recap here and includes some key numbers I was very curious about after the game. He mentions that Green Bay's 88 points are the most UW has given up since Arizona scored 94 in that ugly NCAA first round game in 2006. Green Bay is also only the second team to score more than 80 points against Wisconsin since the 2006-07 season.

Now you know why random people from Chicago were texting me to see if that was really the final score.

Schultz also reminds us that Green Bay improved to 1-15 all-time against Wisconsin and mentions that the Phoenix's leading scorer, Rahmon Fletcher (17.2 ppg) did not play in overtime "after banging knees with UW senior point guard Trevon Hughes on a drive." He says player of the game honors go to Bryquis Perine who scored a career-high 22 points for the Phoenix.

Meanwhile, Jeff Potrykus from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says UW got what it deserved. He also says Green Bay deserves kudos for winning the game.

If you are wondering what Bo Ryan has to say then you can check out some of his post-game quotes here.

Finally, the Green Bay coverage reminds us that this was the game of the season for the Phoenix. Much like the Badgers had been looking forward to Duke all summer long, this was Green Bay's biggest home game in years and they were ready. Give them credit.

For Badger fans, this is nothing new. Bo Ryan's teams typically lose one baffling game each season. The last two seasons have lacked a bad non-conference loss, but most fans remember tough losses to Pepperdine, North Dakota State and Missouri State in a recent three year stretch. The good news? All three of those teams reached the NCAA Tournament, one of them made the Elite Eight and another went on a 17-game winning streak after the "bad loss" and ended up being ranked the AP's No. 1 team at one point in the season.

I've already had people ask me if this "negates" the Duke win. No it doesn't. This team is much better off having beat Duke and lost to Green Bay than the other way around.

But I'm still not convinced this game really happened.

Heck, the beat writers aren't even sure where the game was played! Rob Schultz says the game was played in Ashwaubenon, while Potrykus claims it was really in Green Bay.

And what is more frustrating than trying to figure out this game? How I always want to put the "e" before the "o" in the word "Phoenix."

Maybe that should be the players punishment for allowing 88 points Wednesday night. They should each have to write the word "Phoenix" on the chalkboard 100 times.

Nah. They should probably just worry about Marquette. A good win against the Eagles Saturday and most people will probably forget this loss ever happened. Did it?

LIVE GAME THREAD: No. 20/23 Wisconsin at Green Bay

Adam Hoge — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:16:36 -0000

No. 20/23 Wisconsin at Green Bay
	at
6-1 (0-0 Big Ten)		8-2 (2-0 Horizon)
December 9, 2009 7:00 PM CT Resch Center, Green Bay, Wis.
TV: MYNEW32 (Green Bay), GreenBayPhoenix.com ($4.99) Radio: Badgers Radio Network Coverage: Our Wisconsin-Green Bay Game Page
All-time Series: Wisconsin leads 15-0 Last Meeting: UW won 77-57 (Dec. 13, 2008)
Probable starters:
Trevon Hughes - Sr., 6-0	G	Rahmon Fletcher - Jr., 5-11
Jason Bohannon - Sr., 6-2	G	Troy Cotton - Sr., 6-1
Tim Jarmusz - Jr., 6-6	G/F	Brquis Perine - Jr., 6-3
Jon Leuer - Jr., 6-10	F	Matt Smith - Fr., 6-7
Keaton Nankivil - Jr., 6-8	F	Randy Berry - Sr., 6-9

I wouldn't exactly call this is a trap game, but it's one the Badgers need to be weary about. Much like Duke was the home game of the season for Wisconsin, the return of the Badgers to the Resch Center -- where they haven't played since 2002 -- is the home game for the Green Bay Phoenix.

The Resch Center is sold out tonight and seats 10,500 fans, but a great majority of the fans will be wearing red.

More importantly, the Badgers hold a distinctive edge in the front court where Green Bay is search for a replacement for Ryan Tillema who led the Horizon League with 17.1 points per game last season. Wisconsin's front court depth will be an issue for freshman Matt Smith and senior Randy Berry.

Green Bay's backcourt is very talented and led by Rahmon Fletcher, Troy Cotton and Bryquis Perine who are averaging a combined 44.9 points per game. Expect UW sophomore Jordan Taylor to get a lot of playing time tonight as Bo Ryan will need his stout defensive trio (Hughes, Taylor and Jarmusz) to shut down GB's top three.

It looks like snow won't really be an issue as it should pass out of the area by tonight. The Badgers beat the storm to Green Bay Tuesday afternoon. Schools and offices are closed in Green Bay today, but there won't be many no-shows at the Resch Center tonight. Now, if the game was only on TV...

Prediction: Wisconsin 70, Green Bay 59

Poll

Who you got tonight in Green Bay?

Wisconsin

8 votes

Green Bay

3 votes

11 votes | Poll has closed

Badger Bits: Plowing through awards, rankings and respect

Adam Hoge — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:47:32 -0000

More photos » by Chris O'Meara - AP

Miami quarterback Jacory Harris (12) has a ton of talent but has been prone to turnovers this season. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Browse more photos »

There's been a lot of debate the last couple days about matchup vs. location when it comes to bowl games. Which one is more important?

It's a good question, but I think the answer is obvious: the matchup is more important. Tuesday, December 29 two up-and-coming teams will square off in a bad stadium that is located in a bad city, but the winner will hardly care. It's likely the victor will be ranked in the top 15 next season and either Miami or Wisconsin will be thrilled about getting a win over a good program.

The atmosphere won't exactly be electric and the upper deck might even be closed, but the game should be a good one. Both teams have a ton of young, exciting players that are on the brink of stardom. You want two Heisman candidates for next season? Look no further than Miami's Jacory Harris or Wisconsin's John Clay.

Quite frankly I think bowl games have more of an impact on the following season than the current one and both of these programs could use a win like this to spark an important 2010 campaign.

Looking at the bowl slate, it appears the Champs Sports Bowl is one of the better matchups, but ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach disagrees, ranking the bowl No. 17 out of 34. Confused? I sure am. He's got the Hawaii Bowl ranked No. 16. Do you know who is playing in the Hawaii Bowl? Nevada and Southern Methodist. Ouch.

As we move on to some links, Matt Lepay agrees with me about the matchup and looks back on his first road trip he ever took with the Badgers -- to Miami to face the Hurricanes.

Last week was certainly an exciting week to be a Badger fan and I don't think my inbox has ever been more flooded with news releases about Badger players winning awards. Yesterday I was getting a tweet or an e-mal every five minutes about awards that had been won. Trevon Hughes won Big Ten Player of the Week, while John Clay, J.J. Watt and David Gilreath were also awarded weekly honors by the conference. Meanwhile, Barry Alvarez will be inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.

Finally, the UW men's basketball team is headed up to Green Bay today around 2:30 p.m. to get ready for the Phoenix. Snow is a big issue, but according to SID Patrick Herb's tweet today, I don't think Bo Ryan cares much about the weather:

BadgerMBBall: Bball team will snowplow its way to Green Bay around 2:30 p.m. today. Snow or no snow... we've got practice tonight at the Resch Center.

And in case you didn't realize it, this rare trip to Green Bay is Wisconsin's only true non-conference road game this season. The team will play five straight home games after Wednesday's contest and won't return to the road until Jan. 3 when the Badgers play at Penn State.

670 The Score's final mock playoff bracket

Adam Hoge — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:22:17 -0000

670 The Score's final mock playoff bracket

Find out which 12 teams made the final mock playoff bracket and keep dreaming about the matchups we will never get to see.

Badgers to face No. 14 Miami in Champs Sports Bowl

Adam Hoge — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:53:48 -0000

Badgers to face No. 14 Miami in Champs Sports Bowl

The Outback Bowl surprisingly passed on the Badgers in favor of Northwestern and UW will head back to Orlando for the fourth time in five years.

Lots to discuss on this one and we'll have more later in the evening.

LIVE GAME THREAD: Wisconsin at Hawaii

Adam Hoge — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 22:04:02 -0000

Wisconsin at Hawaii
	at
8-3 (5-3 Big Ten)		6-6 (3-5 WAC)
December 5, 2009 10:30 PM CT Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii Weather: 71F, Partly cloudy, Wind WNW 4 mph
TV: ESPN2 (Terry Gannon and David Norrie) Radio: Badgers Radio Network (Matt Lepay and Mike Lucas) Coverage: Our Wisconsin-Hawaii Game Page with our Hawaii game preview with predictions
All-time Series: Wisconsin leads 4-1 Last Meeting: Wisconsin won 41-24 (Nov. 25, 2005)

Feel free to leave your predictions and comments below. It should be a fun night of football!

Poll

Who ya got tonight at Aloha Stadium?

Wisconsin

11 votes

Hawaii

4 votes

15 votes | Poll has closed