In the last two seasons, the Badgers have not been quite able to shake off their first loss. In 2008, the team fell three more times after its first defeat, and in 2007 it followed its first setback with a 31-0 trouncing at the hands of a middling Penn State team.
Head coach Bret Bielema's squad will aim to reverse that history with a bounce-back performance when it takes on No. 11 Iowa at Camp Randall Saturday. Last season, the Hawkeyes handed Wisconsin a 38-16 loss in Kinnick Stadium.
According to sophomore running back John Clay, dwelling on past mistakes and not looking forward were factors in the team's past failures to rebound from losses.
""People just thinking about what they shoulda, coulda, woulda, just thinking about that and not moving on,"" Clay, who led the team with 89 yards against Iowa last season, said Tuesday. ""Today everyone seemed like they let it marinate, thought about it over this past weekend. [We're] just looking forward to playing Iowa.""
The going doesn't get much easier for the Badgers' offense, as the Hawkeyes boast a defense ranking third in the conference in scoring while forcing 19 turnovers. That unit is historically known for having strong defensive lines, and this year is no different with talented players like junior defensive end Adrian Clayborn and junior tackle Karl Klug.
When looking over film, the players saw that the Iowa defense was much simpler that of Ohio State's, and relies on strong execution.
""They don't have a very complex defense, but they do what they do well,"" sophomore wide receiver Nick Toon said. ""They have a pretty good secondary, very disciplined and they know what they're supposed to do.""
Iowa's defense gave up 28 points to Michigan last weekend, but got a big game from senior tight end Tony Moeaki, one player the Badger defense plans to keep a close eye on. The Wheaton, Ill. native snagged six receptions for over 100 yards and a pair of scores after missing the three previous contests with foot injuries.
The performance earned him Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors, as well as the attention of the Wisconsin linebackers.
""We're going to know where he's at at all times, especially on passing downs,"" senior linebacker Jaevery McFadden said. ""You know he's the hot route or the hot read when we blitz the quarterback, so we're going to have to know where [Moeaki]'s at and try to stop him, or at least contain him.""
McFadden went on to say he was impressed by the Hawkeyes' offense, which scored 21 straight points against a stingy Penn State defense in Happy Valley. He noted Iowa was well-coached and disciplined in that hostile environment, and that junior quarterback Ricky Stanzi showed a lot of poise in the pocket.
At this point, however, that group has not fully hit its stride, ranking seventh in the Big Ten in total offense and eighth in rushing, one season after losing 1,800-yard back Shonn Green.
But despite the statistics, the Badgers are focusing on taking the positives from the Ohio State loss and coming back to defend their home field against Iowa.
""I think everything I've learned about this team, from the first day of camp to where we are today, is that they're a very resilient group,"" Bielema said. ""Just the overall demeanor of this team shows me that they're going to be able to bounce back ... I doubt very much that this group would ever be in the situation they found themselves in last year.""
