Week 13 of the college football season is here as the Wisconsin Badgers hit the road to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday at 2:30 PM CT. The Badgers are coming off a heartbreaking loss to the No. 1 Oregon Ducks, dropping their last three games.

Nebraska is in a similar situation to Wisconsin as the Cornhuskers have also fallen off the rails recently. They’ve lost four in a row, and like Wisconsin, two went to the top five. Both programs look to qualify for a bowl game this weekend at 5-5.

Wisconsin will face true freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola, who is two spots ahead of Wisconsin quarterback Braedyn Locke in passing yards. The two schools are within four spots of each other on offense and eight spots of each other on defense.

Wisconsin will need to do these three things to beat Nebraska and increase its chances of going bowling.

Press Dylan Raiola

Raiola has retired after a solid start to the 2024 season. Nebraska was ranked at one point, but the true freshman has thrown for more than 200 yards in just one of his last five games. He has 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, including seven in the last four games.

Wisconsin’s defensive line looked noticeably better against Oregon last week, and should continue that improvement. If the Badgers can pressure Raiola, they will benefit from a young and inexperienced pitcher.

Braedyn Locke, don’t take it too deep

Locke is clearly not meant for the long ball. The backup starter has been well below par in his tenure at Wisconsin, throwing costly interceptions and failing to beat legitimate opponents.

Against Nebraska, the task should be simple: Don’t make any risky throws. The Cornhuskers have a better defense than they do on offense, and the secondary is a big part of that. They’ve forced quarterbacks into an interception in eight of 10 games this season.

Locke needs to play the short game and use his back off the handoff. Tawee Walker has fallen off a bit since the team’s last win, so Locke should try to get him going with handoffs and checkdowns. Play smart.

Win the defensive battle = Win the possession battle

If Wisconsin wins the defensive battle, the ball stays in the offense’s hands longer, and against a strong Nebraska defense, that’s the biggest key.

The Badgers can’t let their opponent slow down and hold onto the ball for too long because the last thing you want is to rush Locke to the other side of the ball.

The Badgers need to emphasize the run game and keep the ball in their hands. Extending the time of possession will mean a lot to Wisconsin and take away from Raiola’s comfort.

These are two quarterbacks who have been sloppy lately. Make it uncomfortable for the Cornhuskers and hold the ball longer than they do.