WISCONSIN OFFENSE VS. MSU DEFENSE

The catalyst of the Wisconsin offense is P.J. Hill and the running game, which in turn opens up big plays for the passing game. The Wisconsin offense struggled in the first half of last week’s game against a good Iowa defense, punting five times and turning the ball over twice before scoring on the last possession of the first half. Hill got on track when he rumbled for 43 yards and a touchdown during Wisconsin’s go-ahead drive in the third quarter. Overall, the Badger offense has been balanced thus far this season, scoring 31 points per game.

The Spartan defense has been impressive so far this season, giving up only 15.5 points per game. Their defensive line has been exceptional and ranks first and fifth in the nation in sacks and tackles for loss, respectively. The leader of the line is senior defensive end Jonal Saint-Dic, who leads the Big Ten with six sacks this season.

Advantage: Michigan State

WISCONSIN DEFENSE VS. MSU OFFENSE

Wisconsin’s defense turned in a strong performance last week against Iowa after struggling in its first three games. The Badgers attacked the Iowa offense with a variety of blitzes throughout the game. The defense recorded a season-high five sacks, including two and a half by freshman cornerback Aaron Henry. Wisconsin held Iowa to just two-of-16 on third-down conversions and forced 10 punts.

Michigan State’s offense is a big reason the team comes to Camp Randall Stadium with a 4-0 record. The Spartan’s running duo of junior Javon Ringer and senior Jehuu Caulcrick have ran right through defenses early in the season. Ringer has averaged 99.8 yards per game, including a 144-yard game last week versus Notre Dame. Caulcrick has taken over in the red-zone and has already scored six touchdowns this season. Another Spartan weapon is junior wide-out Devin Thomas, who has averaged 92.5 yards a game and has three touchdown catches.

Advantage: Michigan State

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Badgers’ special teams unit has made the difference in a few of their close games already this season. Last week against Iowa, Wisconsin punter Ken DeBauche proved to be a weapon in the game of field position. DeBauche earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors in a game that included a season-long 58-yard punt along with a punt that was downed at the Hawkeye one-yard line. Senior kicker Taylor Melhoff added another field goal against the Hawkeyes to stay perfect for the year.

The Badgers gave up a 44-yard kick return late in the game against Iowa that gave the Hawkeyes a chance to win. This week they will try to contain the Spartan’s kick returner Devin Thomas, who is among the nation’s best, averaging 30.4 yards per kick return. Michigan State’s sophomore kicker has gone four-for-seven in field goals this year, but missed a 20-yard chip shot last week against Notre Dame.

Advantage: Wisconsin

COACHING

The Badgers have not been overly impressive so far this year for a team ranked in the top 10, but they are 4-0 heading into Saturday’s game. After taking over as head coach at the beginning of the 2006 season, Bret Bielema has been almost perfect. He owns a 16-1 record as a head coach and currently is leading the Badgers on the nation’s longest winning streak at 13 games. Bielema has a unique way of making adjustments throughout the course of the game and motivating his team to win.

Like Bielema, Michigan State’s first-year head coach Mark Dantonio is off to a perfect 4-0 start. This is the Spartan’s first Big Ten game of the season and also their first quality opponent. Dantonio’s Spartans are confident and playing well on both sides of ball. This game will gauge how well the 4-0 Spartans are compared to the Big Ten elite.

Advantage: Wisconsin