The Badgers' 41-24 victory in Champaign, Ill., Saturday was little cause for celebration. The Badger offense returned to form, but the defense was cause for concern. UW had its hands full trying to top last week's defensive performance against Purdue, which featured innumerable big plays, but seemingly overlooked the cumbersome load that was Illinois' junior quarterback Tim Brasic.
Brasic threw for 277 yards and two touchdowns in the defeat, but also led the Illini in rushing with 116 yards. He provided a dimension to Illinois' offense that the Badgers did not account for, or at the very least, could not stop. Brasic's 393 total yards are to be expected of a veritable talent, but his rushing total exposed a weakness in UW's defense that may be exploited two-fold next week at Penn State.
This Saturday, Wisconsin faces the toughest test of its season, in what will be its most important game as well. UW plays Penn State to (all but) decide the Big Ten champion at Happy Valley, but may not have a fighter's chance if they cannot contain the threat of the run from the quarterback position.
Penn State's senior quarterback Michael Robinson is as threatening as they come. He is not just another mobile quarterback'he is a converted tailback, then wide receiver, both at the college level. He was recruited as a quarterback but got demoted to skill positions when 'better' prospects emerged under center. In this, his senior season, he was given another opportunity to play quarterback and he has made the most of it. A considerable amount of his success is a result of the fact that, when defending Robinson and the Penn State offense, there is no such thing as a 'coverage sack.' He can run, and if the Badgers don't focus on taking the ball away, he will.
In spite of Brasic's performance, Wisconsin took care of business and won the game handily. The outcome was never in doubt, though the Badgers could have prevented fan apprehension had the defense dominated the way the offense did. Instead, defensive coordinator Bret Bielema and company will head back to the drawing board to draw up a scheme that can keep Robinson in the pocket and out of the winner's circle.
