Bloomington, IN (My Sportsbook) - Back in the Top-25, the 24th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers head to Bloomington, where they will battle the Indiana Hoosiers in Big Ten play this weekend at Memorial Stadium.
The Badgers made a brief appearance in the Top-25 following a 6-0 start, but they were knocked from the national rankings with back-to-back losses to Ohio State (31-13) and Iowa (20-10). Following a bye week, Wisconsin returned to play with a 37-0 blanking of Purdue last weekend.
"I really like the way these guys handled their bye week," said head coach Bret Bielema. "And this week, I knew there was this kind of edge. Like I said to a number of people that I talked to, the way they responded. They were kind of hungry and played with a chip on their shoulder and responded out there very well today."
The shutout was the program's first since a 14-0 defeat of San Diego State in 2006 and its first in a league game since a 59-0 trouncing of Indiana in 1999. With the win, Wisconsin also became bowl-eligible for the eighth year in a row, and it even has a shot for double-digit wins with a soft remaining schedule that concludes with games against Michigan, Northwestern and Hawaii.
As for Indiana, its bowl hopes were dealt a big setback last weekend, when the team allowed 28-fourth quarter points in a tough 42-24 setback at eighth- ranked and undefeated Iowa.
"Well, I'm really proud of our football team," said head coach Bill Lynch. "They came in here and battled. The way they prepared all week and they certainly came to play, I'm just really proud of them."
It was a valiant effort, but one that could have gone a completely different way if not for a late collapse. The Hoosiers have now dropped two straight and five of their last six outings, falling under .500 for the first time this season.
With respect to the all-time series, Wisconsin holds a 35-18-2 advantage over Indiana and it has won four straight in the rivalry, including a 55-20 decision last season.
The Badgers turned to their power run game last weekend, amassing 266 yards on the ground in a win over Purdue. Wisconsin, which is averaging 194.6 rushing ypg on the season, ran on 17 of its first 18 plays from scrimmage and 53 of its 72 plays overall.
"It was very important to establish the running game," said tailback John Clay. "We saw some stuff on film and we just took the most of our opportunities when we got the ball. Once we started rolling, offense is very hard to stop."
Clay played a big part in the success on the ground, as he led the way with 123 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries. It was another terrific performance from Clay, who ranks among the top rushers in the Big Ten with 839 yards and 10 scores on the season.
The success on the ground will only help quarterback Scott Tolzien, as he has struggled with some consistency despite completing 62.5 percent of his throws. He has passed for just nine score against eight picks, not the best ratio, and wasn't much of a factor with only 87 yards last weekend,
Nick Toon (412 yards), Garrett Graham (342) and Isaac Anderson (347) are Tolzien's most utilized weapons through he air.
Wisconsin put forth a simply tremendous effort on the defensive side of the ball against Purdue, allowing a mere 141 total yards, including only 60 rushing, and just eight first downs.
"Especially what they've done the last couple of weeks, we were able to close out a game, something we haven't been able to do," said coach Bielema on the shutout.
The Badgers have done a respectable job against both the run (107.8 ypg) and pass (195.1 ypg) this season and that has come in addition to recording 20 takeaways and 22 sacks. The defense forced three turnovers last weekend and came up with the same amount of sacks, while spending just 23 minutes of the game on the field.
O'Brien Schofield wasn't in on many plays last weekend, but the defensive end has been a force this season, recording 6.5 sacks and an impressive 16.5 TFLs.
The Hoosiers came out with 21 points in the first half against one of the top defenses in the nation last weekend, but a turnover midway through the third quarter changed the complexion of the game. Up by 14, Indiana was two yards away from putting Iowa in a deep hole, but Tyler Sash intercepted a multiple carom pass from Ben Chappell and returned it 86 yards for a score, giving the Hawkeyes some new life.
Chappell ended up throwing a total of three interceptions on the day and finished with 227 yards and two scores 23-of-41 tosses. He has now thrown 10 picks against the same amount of touchdowns, while completing 62 percent of his pass attempts for 2,053 yards this season.
Tandon Doss and Damarlo Belcher have been Chappell's main outlets and they combined for 11 catches, 124 yards and a score last weekend. For the season, Doss leads the team with 59 catches and 751 yards, while Belcher ranks second with 43 receptions and 538 yards.
Indiana's defense did a tremendous job in picking off five Iowa passes and setting up its offense to capitalize on the mishaps. The defense, however, collapsed in a big way in the fourth quarter, allowing four touchdowns, including back-to-back scores of 92 and 66 yards just minutes apart.
"Obviously they're big plays in the passing game hurt us as we went down the stretch," said coach Lynch.
The Hoosiers allowed 337 yards through the air to Iowa, negating the six turnovers and three sacks they had recorded. Despite 14 picks on the campaign, Indiana has struggled versus the pass and is giving up 256.7 ypg.
Matt Mayberry put forth a good performance against Iowa with nine tackles, a pick and a sack, while Collin Taylor posted two interceptions and a forced fumble. Austin Thomas also got involved with his team-best fourth pick of the year. Mayberry tops the roster in tackles (80), to with 3.5 sacks, while Jammie Kirlew is the team's best pass rusher with 13.5 TFLs and 5.5 sacks to his credit.
