Much like the Energizer Bunny, the Badgers' motto of going '1-0' every week shows no signs of slowing up; it just keeps going and going. However, if players and coaches ever had an excuse to employ the tireless phrase, this Saturday's upcoming road contest against Illinois [0-4 Big Ten, 2-5 overall] would seem to be it. With a critical showdown with Penn State looming in Happy Valley next week, it is crucial the Badgers do not overlook the struggling Fighting Illini.
Despite continued injury issues, the Badgers [4-1, 7-1] head into Champaign with a full head of steam after their 31-20 Homecoming victory over Purdue. After scoring an uncharacteristically high 40.7 points per game through their first seven contests, a mark good for first in the Big Ten, the Badger offensive machine finally skipped a beat last week. Though the team still managed to score 31 points, it came largely on the heels of a ball hawking defense that contributed two interception returns for touchdowns.
Though coaches and fans alike would have liked to see junior running back Brian Calhoun gain more than 3.1 yards per carry and the offense average closer to its season mark of 406.1 yards per game, it proved the Badgers could win with defense in something other than a shootout. The continuation of this trend will be critical down the stretch if Wisconsin hopes of realizing its goal of a Big Ten title.
The Illini come into Saturday's game with an entirely different mindset. Though they are technically the youngest team in the nation, sporting 12 freshman and nine sophomore starters, it is hard to have a positive attitude after losing one's Homecoming game by 53 points at the hands of Penn State. While no one surrounding the Illinois program was expecting former Florida Gator front man Ron Zook to work any miracles in his first year as head coach, this could not have been what they were hoping for.
For a team yet to win a conference game, the high point of the season to date was a 33-30 overtime victory versus Rutgers when the Illini erased a 17-point fourth quarter deficit in their first game of the season. Since then, it has been all downhill with Illinois' only other victory of the season coming against a weak San Jose State team. With the Illini last in the Big Ten in both scoring offense and defense, wins for this inexperienced team have been tough to come by.
After sloppy execution in containing both quarterback keepers and the option against Purdue, the Badger defense will be faced with a similar test this week. Illini junior quarterback Tim Brasic ranks second on the team with 242 yards rushing, and is adept at both running the option and pulling the ball down and taking off when the situation calls for it.
Though prospects for Illinois football look good for the future, led by the known recruiting prowess of Zook, this season the Fighting Illini have been taking their lumps. Look for that trend to continue Saturday.
