BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Wisconsin amassed 441 rushing yards, including 168 from sophomore wide receiver David Gilreath to trample Indiana 55-20 in Bloomington Saturday.
Gilreath was one of three Badgers to rush for at least 100 yards. Junior running back P.J. Hill gained 126 yards on the ground and freshman running back John Clay totaled 112.
But it was Gilreath who provided the biggest plays and the greatest momentum swings for Wisconsin.
With the Badgers leading Indiana 24-20 early in the second half, Gilreath took an end around deep in Wisconsin territory and took off for a 90-yard touchdown to give the Badgers an 11-point lead.
From there, Wisconsin used a steady dose of Hill and Clay to control the clock and secure the win.
They started wearing down a little,"" Clay said. ""We kept pounding it and the offensive line was moving them out of the way.""
It really did not matter who was touching the ball for Wisconsin behind its offensive line. Whether it was Gilreath, Hill or Clay, the Badgers' ball carriers had their way with the Hoosier defense.
""It always starts out front,"" Hill said. ""The guys out front did a great job getting the defenders off the ball and putting a hat on a hat.""
Gilreath was also quick to point out how solid the offensive line was and how important that is to the running game.
""I think it's the product of the line,"" Gilreath said. ""Everyone in front of me is doing a great job of making holes in front of me and I'm just running through them.""
As a team, Wisconsin averaged 7.2 yards per rush, running the ball 61 times on the game. Hill and Clay each carried the ball 19 times, and Gilreath rushed eight times, giving himself an average of 21 yards per rush.
The decision to pound the ball early was a choice made earlier this week by Bielema and his staff based on what they saw studying Indiana's defense.
""We felt that during the course of the week, based off of what we've seen on film, we should be able to get in here and run the football,"" Bielema said.
Wisconsin established the run in the first half with Hill and Clay, and also ran end-arounds early to Gilreath. When the Badgers saw the success the play was producing, they stuck with it.
""I didn't know how much coach would go to me today but it was working, so if it's not broken, don't fix it,"" Gilreath said.
What turned out to be a lopsided game had a competitive first half. Wisconsin turnovers and efficient play from Indiana sophomore quarterback Ben Chappell kept Indiana close throughout the half.
A touchdown pass by Chappell cut the deficit to four late in the first quarter. Chappell caught junior safety Chris Maragos flatfooted and connected with junior wide receiver Andrew Means for 43 yards on a fly route.
Then, down by eight late in the second quarter, Indiana marched down the field for a touchdown, culminating with a one-yard run by Chappell to close the gap to one.
Indiana then received a golden opportunity to take their first lead late in the first half after Gilreath muffed a punt deep in Wisconsin territory. But Chappell fumbled on a quarterback draw and senior linebacker DeAndre Levy scooped up the ball and returned it to midfield.
The hit Chappell took on the fumble knocked him out of the game. Indiana used three quarterbacks in the second half to try to come back, but none of them were productive. Banged up junior Kellen Lewis, sophomore Mitchell Evans and freshman Teddy Schell combined for only two completions on 14 passing attempts.
