BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Author
MADISON, Wis. – On the journey to Ohio State, Nick Herbig morphed briefly right into a flight attendant. Strolling down the aisle together with his bag of snacks, the Wisconsin outdoors linebacker handed out a preferred Hawaiian eating deal with – Spam musubi – to every of his teammates and everyone within the journey occasion.
That morning, Herbig’s mom, Robyn, ready over 200 rectangular items of the tasty consolation meals consisting of grilled Spam, rice blocks and a seaweed wrap. A do-it-yourself teriyaki-style sauce pulls all of it collectively. Not that Nick was keen to expose the substances of his mother’s sauce.
“I can not let that out,” he stated.
Spam musubi is bought at comfort shops all through Hawaii. How was it acquired right here?
“I am wanting north and south, and east and west on the airplane and everyone is shoving it down their face like they hadn’t eaten in a few days,” stated Badger security Kamo’i Latu. “Actually, it is just a bit style of Hawaii and it warms my coronary heart that Nick and I can share our tradition and meals.”
Neither Latu, nor Herbig left their seat on the constitution flight dwelling from Ohio State. Latu listened to what he termed “old-fashioned, ’90s Hawaiian music” for the aim of “calming down” and “making an attempt to be in my very own world.” Herbig placed on stay satellite tv for pc TV and blanked out in entrance of the seatback display screen.
“I did not even hearken to music,” he stated, “I simply sat there and watched the Golf Channel.”
Hours earlier, the Buckeyes routed the Badgers, 52-21, within the Large Ten opener at Ohio Stadium.
However the Golf Channel? “I simply needed to take my thoughts off the sport,” Herbig defined.
Could not blame him. Ohio State had 21 factors and 210 yards within the first quarter alone.
“I used to be pissed off greater than something,” he stated. “I assumed we had an excellent sport plan getting into.”
By the point the airplane touched down, Herbig had moved on to Illinois. Par for the course.
“I used to be simply desirous about final yr after we have been 1-3 – it is a comparable feeling,” he stated Monday, reflecting on how the UW rebounded by profitable seven in a row, beginning with a 24-0 shutout of the Illini. “I do know the fellows are going to rally and we’ll come collectively. It may be a heckuva story.”
It already has a novel household storyline. For the second consecutive season, Bruce and Robyn Herbig live with their youngest son in a West Aspect dwelling not removed from campus. They reside within the basement whereas Nick lives upstairs with Latu, a Utah switch, and Kaden Johnson, an out of doors linebacker.
Johnson is a redshirt sophomore from St. Paul, Minnesota. “Him and Nick constructed some chemistry and a bond after they each first acquired right here,” Latu famous. “I met Kaden earlier than I got here right here and it type of helped with my transition that I knew among the boys on the crew.”
So far as his mother and father committing to spending one other fall in Madison, Herbig stated, “The one factor I can say is that I am blessed, I am blessed for certain. It is fairly particular. My mother is at all times doing laundry and cleansing the home and caring for not solely me however my roommates, too.”
Latu can attest to that. “I have a look at the Herbigs as my second household – I have a look at Nick’s mother and pop as my very own mother and pop,” he stated. “They’ve confirmed nothing however like to me. It is like coming dwelling to my very own mother and father. Similar to again in Hawaii, they’re there when you want one thing. It helps rather a lot.
“I am only a child from a small island within the Pacific Ocean. Coming to the states could be laborious for somebody like me. Nevertheless it helped that I’ve a finest good friend right here and it has helped that his mother and father are right here. Nick’s entire household loves it right here, the environment, the coaches, the folks. That is all I wanted to listen to.”
For the reason that Washington State sport, Herbig’s grandparents have been on the town as properly. They’re staying on the home and residing upstairs with the boys (to get rid of strolling up and down steps). They’re returning to Hawaii subsequent week. Nick’s grandmother helped Robyn with the preparation of the Spam musubi.
“Nick’s grandparents have been those who moved to my island so Nick may go to highschool – his grandparents at all times took care of me, ensuring there was meals for me – they’re household,” stated Latu, who’s from Oahu, probably the most populated of the Hawaiian Islands (Honolulu is on its south shore).
The Herbigs are from Kauai, aka the Backyard Island, 63 miles from Oahu. The Saint Louis College is a soccer powerhouse in Honolulu, a prep proving floor for Marcus Mariota and Tua Tagovailoa and the Herbigs, Nate and Nick. The previous earned a scholarship to Stanford and is now within the NFL with the Jets.
Nick Herbig likes to bounce sports-related issues off each of his brothers, Nate and Jake, a UI-UX designer, who’s working and residing in Dallas. “I speak to them on the telephone about soccer and stuff,” Nick stated. “My mother and pop are right here for assist. However I do not go in-depth (with X’s and O’s).”
What recommendation did Nate Herbig, an offensive lineman, provide after the Ohio State loss?
“It wasn’t recommendation, it was extra so simply studying from what went proper and the way I may very well be a greater participant and a greater chief,” stated Nick, who had three tackles and a close to pick-6 in opposition to the Buckeyes. “It was all about bouncing again. This week is what’s in entrance of me, and I have to give attention to that.”
What’s going to that resiliency probably seem like for the Badgers? How will they get there? “It is simply trusting in one another, trusting within the plan, trusting that guys are going to be in the fitting spot, trusting that we’ll have the fitting name,” Nick Herbig stated. “A whole lot of it simply comes all the way down to belief.
“We’re younger, however we’re proficient. It is convention play now and everyone is wanting on the schedule pondering that they are going to win the West (Division of the Large Ten). So, I feel we simply have to outwork each opponent that we go in opposition to.”
Relating to his personal messaging to teammates, he commanded, “Notice we now have to play for one another. We’re not taking part in for anyone however ourselves as a result of on the finish of the day, no person within the outdoors world is on that discipline with us. Not one of the media. Not even our coaches. It is simply us, 11 guys at a time.
“We have to understand that when the ball is snapped, no person goes to save lots of us however us.”
Latu, one of many hardest hitters within the secondary, was on the identical wavelength. “All of us simply must do our job,” stated the 6-foot, 195-pound junior, who has taken over as a starter for the injured Hunter Wohler. “With a purpose to do our job, we have to know our job. It additionally comes all the way down to belief.”
Herbig is delighted to have Latu as a teammate and roommate. “Having any individual you’ll be able to share your tradition and personal type of beliefs with is big,” he stated. “Even for guys right here, you might be from Ohio or Michigan, however you are each from the Midwest and there have been comparable stuff you grew up round.
“Me being from Hawaii, no person had any thought on the place I used to be from. There actually wasn’t anyone I may relate to in that sense. That is why having him (Latu) right here is so big … and I feel he is achieved an superior job. I am happy with him. He has come a great distance.
“Simply to see him with a smile on his face every single day and coming in right here with an excellent angle, he works his tail off and at all times exhibits up able to play. He will hit any individual, that. He is rising and maturing and realizing that he can have an effect on this crew.”
Latu’s consolation stage has grown within the firm of safeties John Torchio and Preston Zachman.
“I’m beginning to really feel extra comfy being out the with Torch and Preston – whoever is in (the sport), we’re all on the identical web page, we talk to one another, we vocalize rather a lot,” Latu stated. “I have a look at Torch as one in all my huge brothers. Coming in right here, he took me below his wing.
“Even to today, I will decide his mind. He is aware of this protection just like the again of his hand.”
A yr in the past, the Badgers misplaced to Penn State, Notre Dame and Michigan of their first 4 video games. The one win was over Japanese Michigan. Dropping to the Irish in Chicago was notably irritating. The UW had taken a 13-10 fourth quarter lead earlier than Notre Dame countered with 31 unanswered factors.
Following the house loss to the Wolverines, Wisconsin acquired again on monitor at Illinois. The Badgers outgained the Illini, 491 yards to 93 – their largest yardage benefit in a Large Ten sport since 2014 – whereas hogging the ball for 42 minutes and 43 seconds. It was their highest time of possession mark since 2009.
Chez Mellusi rushed for 145 yards and Braelon Allen went over 100 for the primary time in his faculty profession with 18 carries for 131 yards. Allen skilled one other “first” at Ohio State. His first cross completion as a Wildcat Quarterback. Years in the past, he had taken some snaps as a QB in Fond du Lac.
“I noticed him doing it after observe at some point, and I assumed they have been simply messing round,” Herbig stated. “After which, they really did it within the sport and I am like, ‘Oh, my God, I like that.’ Even when you’re taking part in with good eyes on protection, he can nonetheless outrun you. That is an entire totally different component.”
The Illini are an entire totally different crew on offense. The tempo has modified dramatically with quarterback Tommy DeVito, a Syracuse switch. Then, there’s tailback Chase Brown, the main rusher within the nation (151.0). Minnesota’s Mohamed Ibrahim is No. 2 (141.8), and Allen is No. 5 (124.2).
“He runs laborious, he would not cease his ft, and he explodes as soon as he will get into the open discipline, he can kick it up a gear, I respect his sport,” Herbig stated of Brown, a 5-11, 205-pound junior. “He (DeVito) is a bit more elusive. He is extra of a playmaker. He is savvy. He is good, too. They’ve an excellent backfield.”
Each of Illinois’ beginning offensive tackles are over 300 kilos. By comparability, the 228-pound Herbig is undersized, one thing that he has grown accustomed to. At Ohio State, he was matched in opposition to Paris Johnson (6-6, 310) and Dawand Jones (6-8, 359) whom Herbig labeled a “monster.”
Enterprise as normal for Herbig, who has normally discovered a technique to compensate for any dimension differential with quickness and an array of strikes. “It was an excellent problem,” Herbig stated. “I like challenges like that. I sit up for issues like that. I take satisfaction in being the smaller man. That has been me my entire life.”
He would take much more satisfaction in getting this crew squared away. And he is engaged on it.
