The Wisconsin football team looks to snap a two-game conference losing streak this Saturday as it welcomes Indiana to Camp Randall Stadium for the 100th Homecoming game in school history.
The Badgers (2-2 Big Ten, 6-2 overall) enter the weekend following a 44-3 home trouncing of Northern Illinois last Saturday. Sophomore tailback P.J. Hill led the Badger offense with 184 yards rushing and two scores, while the defense surrendered just 99 yards of total offense to the Huskies.
Head coach Bret Bielema was pleased with the team’s response following a pair of demoralizing Big Ten road losses that all but eliminated the team from conference title contention and a Jan. 1 bowl game.
“The big thing we try to hammer them on immediately after the game as well as on Sunday and when they return on Tuesday is, ‘Hey, you’ve tasted success, you’ve done it in a way that you basically dominated an opponent,’” Bielema said at his weekly news conference. “Now just continue to have that same taste for the upcoming games.”
After winning two of three conference games to open the season, the Hoosiers (2-3, 5-3) have lost back-to-back contests on their way to Madison. The two defeats included a 52-17 bashing at Michigan State and a tough 36-31 home loss to then-No. 25 Penn State.
Last season, the Badgers torched the Hoosiers for 539 yards of total offense in a 52-17 triumph in Bloomington, Ind. Then-quarterback John Stocco tossed three touchdowns, while Hill ran through the IU defense for 129 yards and three scores.
This season, Indiana suits a team that has matched its win total from last season and is one win away from bowl eligibility. The Hoosiers are led by an offense that averages just over 35 points per game.
Sophomore quarterback Kellen Lewis is a dual-threat at his position, currently ranked third in the Big Ten in total offense. Lewis is the leader of Indiana’s spread offense, an attack that spans the entire field, using spacing as its main asset. The Badgers have struggled on defensive recently against the spread offense.
“The spread is a unique animal,” Bielema said. “Everybody’s spread is a little bit different, and certain teams want to spread the football to run the football, which I think was the case with Illinois. Indiana has those same intentions, but they definitely have more of a passing threat with their quarterback and wide receiver combinations.”
One wide receiver the Badgers will have to keep an eye on is James Hardy. At 6’7’’, 220 pounds, Hardy uses his unique combination of size and athleticism to overpower opposing defensive backs and go over the top of them to make catches. Hardy is a threat to make big plays, leading the Big Ten in touchdown receptions (11). He had 14 receptions for 142 yards and two touchdowns last weekend against a very talented Nittany Lion defense.
Covering the talented receiver is a top priority for the Badger defense.
“We’ve got to understand where (Hardy) is at all times and be able to defend the situation and keep in mind there’s 10 other guys on the field,” Bielema said.
Defensively, the Hoosiers are ranked in the bottom half of the Big Ten in most statistical categories. However, they do have some talent on that side of the ball, as senior cornerback Tracy Porter is tied for third in the conference with three interceptions and anchors a punt return unit that is tops in the Big Ten.
