Wisconsin's defense certainly showed up against Division I-AA opponent Western Kentucky Saturday afternoon, holding the Hilltoppers' potent running offense to six points and 143 yards.
But the Badgers offense, which racked up more than 300 yards rushing in Wisconsin's 18-6 win over Penn State last weekend, didn't show up Saturday against Western Kentucky, recording a season-low 334 yards.
'Offensively I was not satisfied with any phase of [the game],' Wisconsin Head Coach Barry Alvarez said.
For instance, the Badgers' running game wasn't very impressive, as redshirt freshman running back Anthony Davis rushed for less than 100 yards for the first time this season.
Wisconsin started out flat in the first quarter and pretty much stayed that way the entire game. On the first possession of the game, the Badgers' offense seemed to be clicking.
Redshirt freshman running back Anthony Davis ran for 12 yards and junior wide receiver Lee Evans took Brooks Bollinger's pass down to the Hilltoppers' 16-yard line.
The drive stalled from there, however, as Davis was stopped for no gain and Bollinger was tackled for a loss.
On third-and-12 on the Western Kentucky 18-yard line, Bollinger's pass to tight end Mark Anelli sailed over Anelli's head, and Wisconsin had to settle for a field goal.
All of players seemed upset with the Badgers' lack of offensive production, and Evans in particular was concerned with UW's inability to get in the endzone.
'You've got to be able to put teams away and move on from there,' Evans said.
The Badgers managed just two total yards on their next two possessions, as neither Bollinger nor backup quarterback Jim Sorgi could muster a successful offensive drive. In the first half, the two combined for seven for 14 passing for 98 yards and an interception.
The Badgers' offense did have an impressive drive in the second quarter, however. Sorgi led Wisconsin on an 86-yard touchdown drive, running 11 plays and taking a little more than five minutes off the clock.
Still, the fact remains that the Badgers only gained five yards per play against Western Kentucky.
As UW prepares for the rest of the Big Ten season'including five conference games over the next five weeks'the team knows a lot of work needs to be done, especially on offense.
'Definitely on our end, it's something we've got to correct,' Bollinger said. 'There's a lot we'll have to work on and get better for next week.'
