The Wisconsin football team (2-0 Big Ten, 5-0 overall) heads into competition this weekend knowing it faces another tough test, but one it hopes to take advantage of at the same time.
It's not just a challenge,"" sophomore cornerback Shane Carter said. ""It's a great opportunity for us to win another game and keep going in the Big Ten.""
""Saturday is an opportunity for us to go out and make a statement,"" junior linebacker DeAndre Levy added.
The Badgers will look to remain undefeated this Saturday as they take on Illinois at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m.
In its first conference road contest of the season, UW aims to keep its 14-game winning streak alive, one that dates back to last season and is the nation's longest active run.
The Badgers extended that streak last Saturday, posting a tight 37-34 victory over Michigan State at Camp Randall Stadium. Sophomore tailback P.J. Hill starred for UW, registering 34 carries for 155 yards and two touchdowns. Junior tight end Travis Beckum chipped in with 10 receptions for 132 yards and a score.
Despite allowing 564 yards of total offense, the Badgers' defense came up with a huge stop down the stretch, holding the Spartans on a fourth-and-two from the UW 38-yard line with just 1:09 left to play to preserve the victory.
Last season against Illinois, the Badgers, down 24-10 at half time, came back by scoring 20 unanswered points to win 30-24 in Madison. The UW defense allowed just 86 yards in the second half after allowing 206 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. Quarterback John Stocco threw two touchdowns to lead the offense.
To the surprise of many, the fifth-ranked Badgers will go into Champaign this weekend as a two -and-a-half-point underdog to the unranked Fighting Illini.
""You know, the way we're going to approach things is if we're going into a ballgame that we're, by the outside world, supposed to be the favorite, or if we're going into a game where the outside world thinks we're an underdog, it doesn't change what we do,"" head coach Bret Bielema said in his weekly news conference. ""We really, in this program, have tried to focus on the people that control the destiny of a game is yourself.""
The Fighting Illini (2-0 Big Ten, 4-1 overall) are coming off an upset win last Saturday, defeating then-No. 21 Penn State 27-20 at home. Freshman wide receiver Arrelious Benn had six receptions for 84 yards and a score and also returned a kickoff for a 90-yard score. Benn was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts.
Offensively, Illinois is strong, leading the Big Ten in rushing offense and averaging just over 255 yards per game, good for 5.6 yards per carry. The Badger defense will have to force the Illini, ranked last in the conference in passing, to win through the air.
Illinois' spread offense, along with the athletic talents of Benn, quarterback Juice Williams and tailback Rashard Mendenhall, pose a great challenge for the UW defense. Bielema discussed Mendenhall's play in particular.
""I really like the way that Mendenhall has developed. As you can see, he's gotten better as a football player,"" Bielema said. ""I don't like it because I have to defend upon it, but he's really making an understanding, kind of like our running back [Hill], you know.""
Defensively, the Illini are solid, ranking in the top half of the Big Ten in both scoring defense (fourth) and total defense (fifth). Senior linebacker Leman, a second-team All-Big Ten performer last season, leads the conference in tackles with just under 12 per game. Defensive end Will Davis is tied for third with 6 sacks on the season.
""As you look at them on film, they're very, very fast and athletic on defense,"" Bielema said.
