The atmosphere is not likely to compare to last week, but the Wisconsin Badger football team will be up against the element of emotion Saturday on the road against Indiana.
In what figures to be a motivational day for the Hoosiers, head coach Terry Hoeppner will return to the sidelines less than three weeks after undergoing brain surgery.
Indiana lost both games during the absence of Hoeppner, who nine months ago had surgery that removed a brain tumor. In exploratory surgery Sept. 13 after another scare, doctors found only harmless scar tissue.
The return of Hoeppner will be a welcomed sight for the Hoosiers, who would otherwise not appear to stack up against the Badgers on paper. It makes for an intriguing match-up as UW goes for its first conference win.
Asked about how far emotion could possibly carry Indiana against his team, Badger head coach Bret Bielema said, ""My guess is they're going to be able to put a four-quarter game in because of the respect they have for coach Hoeppner.""
Should they be able to overcome their opponents' high, Wisconsin may find their success running the ball against the Hoosier defense, which is ceding over 150 yards per game on the ground. Badger freshman running back P.J. Hill, the second leading rusher in the Big Ten, will look to rebound after gaining only 54 yards running last weekend against Michigan.
In the air, the Hoosiers have only been giving up 169 yards per game, but that figure comes against the likes of Western Michigan, Ball State, Southern Illinois and Connecticut. Junior cornerback Tracy Porter leads the team with three interceptions.
On defense, the Badgers will be up against a unit whose quarterback position is in flux. The Hoosiers have been rotating at the position, trying to find the best fit. Between the two quarterbacks, freshman Kellen Lewis and junior Blake Powers, there have been more interceptions (five) than touchdowns thrown (three).
Where the Hoosiers have had major trouble so far this season is running the ball. Their anemic average of 2.5 yards per carry does not bode well going up against the Badger run defense, which has generally been steady.
Historically, the Badgers have fared well in Bloomington, Ind. (13-10-1), although the last meeting, in 2002, saw the Hoosiers overcome a 19-point deficit in the second half to win. Most recently, UW and IU met up in Madison on Oct. 1 of last year. The Badgers jumped out to a 24-7 lead only a minute into the second quarter and went on to win, 41-24.
On the injury front, both junior wide receiver Paul Hubbard (shoulder) and freshman linebacker Elijah Hodge (ankle) are expected to play.
