to feel comfortable in his new position as the Mike ‘backer.
“There’s a lot to learning that position,’’ Partridge said. “Everyone uses the phrase, and it’s accurate, the Mike is the quarterback of the defense.
“We feel like Chris is starting to get his feet on solid ground.’’
And that has allowed the Badgers to give Borland more reps off the edge in practice.
“We have to give him some time to polish his techniques,’’ Partridge said. “We’re going to invest some time in (freshman) Derek Landisch, too. He’s shown the knack for doing some things on the edge.’’
Maybe the most encouraging characteristic of this season’s defense is a carryover from last season’s defense. And that’s the way the players study their assigments and prepare for an opponent.
“Monday was a day off, but there were a ton of guys who were here watching film and preparing for South Dakota,’’ Partridge said.
“I really appreciate the way the guys respect every opponent. At the same time, they don’t fear any opponent. They understand how to prepare.’’
The Badgers don’t have an elite player like Watt on the D-line.
But they have strength in numbers.
“We’ve got the most depth since I’ve been here,’’ said Borland, entering this third season. “There are a lot of guys that you can rotate in there and you can trust to make plays.
“That’s a spot where depth is extremely important, especially once we get into the grind of the Big Ten season.’’
Is this Badger defense beginning to develop a personality?
“I think we are,’’ Armstrong said. “We’re starting to find that swagger and starting to play with confidence. It’s something that comes with the preparation that we put in.
“It’s something that also comes with the confidence twe have in the game plan and the coaches; and the confidence that the coaches have in us to go out and execute that game plan.’’
