Determined to be in top form for the Fresno State battle, senior linebacker Jonathan Casillas pushed himself hard during practice last week to overcome a knee injury and ultimately make some key plays that allowed the Wisconsin defense to hold the Bulldogs to their lowest score at home since 1986.
Jonathan Casillas didn't miss a rep last week. I know after Tuesday's practice he was really sore,"" head coach Bret Bielema said at a press conference Monday. ""[He] persevered through some pains on Wednesday and practiced lights out, and I think that got him to where he was on Saturday.""
Casillas missed the first two games of the season after spraining his left knee during a scrimmage two weeks before the opening game and could not start practicing until the week before Saturday's game against Fresno State.
But he played like he had much more than a week of practice under his belt.
Against Fresno State, Casillas brought speed and energy reminiscent of last year, when his 96 tackles led the team. He earned seven tackles and prevented the Bulldogs from scoring a touchdown at the end of the third quarter when he charged from the opposite side of the field to take down Bulldog running back Ryan Mathews at the 9-yard line.
""I was coming from the back side, and I saw him running and I had a good angle on him,"" Casillas said. ""I was running as fast as I could. I didn't know if I could get him.""
The UW defense came through to stop the Bulldogs before the end zone, forcing a field goal. The Badgers went on to hold a 13-10 lead through the game's end, successfully beating a ranked team in its own backyard.
""Casillas brought experience and leadership, as well as his speed, to the team,"" defensive coordinator Dave Doeren said. ""Last week he was still trying to knock the rust off, and now he's back.""
Casillas is still wearing a brace on his left knee, but he expects to shed it for practice next week to get used to not wearing it. He said he had normal soreness after the game but expects to be back in full force for the rest of the season. He's looking forward to the bye week.
""You got a week to basically heal,"" Casillas said. ""It's great, especially heading right into our Big Ten schedule.""
Taking over in Casillas' absence has been senior linebacker DeAndre Levy, who earned the honor of national defensive Player of the Week by accumulating nine tackles with three for losses, a sack and interception.
""It was good, for the first two weeks, to see the guys perform well,"" Casillas said. ""Levy did a good job of leading the team. When I came back, he had the performance of his career. I'm probably his No. 1 fan.""
Levy, Casillas and junior linebacker Jaevery McFadden, who injured his hand last weekend but will be back in practice next week with a cast, form a formidable team of linebackers.
The Badgers will play Michigan Sept. 27 in their Big Ten debut, and Casillas said the team will take the game seriously despite the talk that 1-2 Michigan is no longer a threat after losing 35-17 to Notre Dame last weekend.
""You don't want to underestimate those guys because, put everything aside, they're still Michigan, they're still one of the best all-around teams to ever play college football, so you have to respect them,"" Casillas said.
For now, Casillas is healthy and ready for the Big Ten.
""Fresno State was a great situation for me to come back,"" Casillas said. ""I go out there and bang it up a little more, and then I get to rest for a whole week and a half. I can't really ask for a better situation to come to.
