Wisconsin Badgers’ freshman QB tasked with daunting first collegiate start

The Wisconsin Badgers will officially start true freshman quarterback Carter Smith against the #2 Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington.

Pete Thamel of ESPN broke the news earlier in the morning after reports of the quarterback taking over had been swirling all week. Smith played in his first collegiate game against ranked Washington and earned his first win as well. The quarterback notably did not take the majority of practice snaps last week as starting quarterback Danny O’Neil went down with an injury against the Huskies, forcing a change early in the game.

Starting the season, Wisconsin never planned on having to play Smith with quarterbacks like O’Neil, Billy Edwards Jr., and Hunter Simmons. However, a combination of injuries and lackluster play has created a situation where the Badgers’ staff feels confident enough to give a shot to the last scholarship quarterback on the roster.

Smith did not have a full week and was not necessarily prepared to fly into significant playing time against the Huskies. However, Washington held Smith to just eight passing yards on 12 attempts despite having the 11th-ranked passing defense in the Big Ten Conference. Indiana currently has the sixth-ranked passing defense in the conference which could pose issues for Wisconsin and Smith.

Wisconsin Badgers Quarterback Carter Smith Must Find Ways to Attack Hoosiers’ Defense Through the Air

The Hoosiers are arguably the toughest test on the schedule for Wisconsin between the venue and the conference implications. Indiana has been one of the best teams in the country and notably an incredibly talented defense that allows just 12.1 points per game.

Beating Indiana is going to take more than just a defensive battle for Wisconsin, and points will need to be scored. For Smith, the quarterback will need to find the open man and get rid of the football as quickly as possible against a defense that has 31 sacks this season.

Smith showed significant prowess as a runner against the Huskies defense during the win last week. The Hoosiers, however, have had success limiting rushing quarterbacks this season. Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski and UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava combined for just 35 yards on the ground against the Hoosiers.