Though the Wisconsin football team was only 48 hours removed from a tight 14-0 victory over San Diego State, Saturday's game seemed like a distant memory Monday at head coach Bret Bielema's press conference. Most of the talk revolved around the team's daunting task of opening Big Ten play in Ann Arbor Saturday against No. 6 Michigan, a team fresh off a crushing 41-17 victory over then-No.2 Notre Dame.
Despite Michigan's obvious momentum and home-field advantage â_ Michigan Stadium is the largest football venue in the country and is invariably sold out â_"" Bielema said the team's week of preparation will not change.
""If we're the underdog this week, it's probably a new position for us, but it's not going to change up the approach we have as a coaching staff,"" Bielema said.
He also said, however, that the Wolverines' prestige coupled with Wisconsin's dramatic upset over Michigan last year will inevitably cause a heightened intensity among players.
""[Michigan has] been there for the longevity, and anytime our kids have an opportunity to go into this game, I know it's something they'll have a little special feeling for,"" Bielema said. ""Anybody who was part of that game a year ago needs to try to share that experience as much as possible with our younger kids ... I do believe that there's going to be a residual effect from some of our guys.""
Bielema was the team's defensive coordinator when the Badgers beat Michigan last year but at the time did not need to worry about the Wolverines' star running back, Mike Hart, who was out with an injury. Hart, a junior this year, is now healthy and coming off an impressive performance against Notre Dame, rushing for 124 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries.
""What I like about him is his ability to read things on the move,"" Bielema said of Hart. ""He's able to let a play develop and if he has to make a second cut.""
Led by Hart, the physical Michigan rushing attack will face off against a Wisconsin defense carrying considerable momentum. In Saturday's win over SDSU, which Bielema described as the best four quarter-effort the defense has put together thus far, the Badgers allowed 124 total yards, only 22 of which were on the ground.
As for the offense, an overriding question at the press conference seemed to be whether or not the Badgers' passing unit, which managed a measly 85 yards Saturday, will be able to pick up the slack against a Michigan defense that is stingy against the run. Wisconsin made up for senior quarterback John Stocco's struggles against SDSU by rushing for 288 yards, but that may be difficult to replicate next weekend.
""I think Michigan's philosophy defensively will always be to stop the run, so we gotta prepare for that,"" Bielema said. ""The biggest thing we have to be able to do in the passing game is have consistency.""
Consistency may be the overall theme this week for the Badgers at practice, as the team has yet to play a game in which every unit has performed well.
""All of our phases at some point during the season have played well,"" Bielema said. ""What we've done collectively is won three ball games, and each game can probably be attributed to one area more than another. What we're trying to do is put together a complete game, and that takes all players hitting on all cylinders.""
