The unranked Wisconsin football team has a huge opportunity Saturday night.
If the Badgers defeat No. 6 Penn State, they can salvage the season and recover from two consecutive Big Ten losses. Another loss will put UW 0-3 in the Big Ten.
There's an urgency to play good football,"" head coach Bret Bielema said. ""Yes, we're playing Penn State, but for us to be able to have success we have to execute better at Wisconsin football regardless of who we're playing against.""
The Nittany Lions (6-0) have won every game they've played this season by at least two touchdowns. Last weekend, they defeated Purdue 20-6, as sophomore tailback Evan Royster rushed for 141 yards while junior quarterback Daryll Clark threw for 220 yards and ran it in for a touchdown. Clark, like Ohio State's freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor, is willing to run the ball himself, averaging 4.2 yards per carry.
""With Clark, I see a really calming presence,"" Bielema said. ""He's got a competitive nature to him that is very, very apparent from his presence on the field.""
Penn State has the No. 1 defense in the Big Ten and is the best at stopping running plays. They have allowed just 80 yards rushing per game and have sacked the opposing quarterback 17 times this season.
Wisconsin's success on offense will largely hinge on whether one of the biggest offensive lines in the country can open up enough holes for tailbacks P.J. Hill and John Clay to run the ball effectively. Michigan and Ohio State succeeded largely because they were able to minimize UW's ground game, forcing the offense to pass on second and third downs.
Penn State's dominant defense will pose a big challenge for senior quarterback Allan Evridge, who has struggled with accuracy in recent games. There has been talk that junior backup Dustin Scherer may take his place, and Everidge needs a good performance to ward off any doubts.
""We've got to expect the ball to be delivered with better accuracy,"" Bielema said. ""Allan is going to start on Saturday and ... be our quarterback. But, you know, there comes a point in time where you have to make an assessment of where we are as a football team.""
Despite their success so far, however, Penn State has yet to face a really tough team. Wisconsin will be their strongest opponent yet. While 0-2 in the Big Ten looks bad on paper, the Badgers lost in two nail biters, by just two points against Michigan and three points against Ohio State. In both games, UW lost its lead in the fourth quarter.
""We've got a tremendous challenge on our hand and an opportunity to right the ship,"" Bielema said.
Penn State's legendary head coach Joe Paterno might coach from an upper box at Camp Randall Saturday, as he did last weekend after hurting his hip while demonstrating an onside kick during practice. Paterno had a broken leg the last time his team faced the Badgers in 2006. Also, Penn State hasn't scored a touchdown at Camp Randall since 2002.
Saturday's matchup against the Lions will take place at 7 p.m. and will be aired on ESPN.
