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Badgers hope to keep up defensive pressure

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Wisconsin defenders including Patrick Butrym (95) and O'Brien Schofield (50) stops Michigan's Floyd Simmons (23) during the first half of an NCAA football game Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009, in Madison, Wis.

MADISON — One might say the writing is on the wall for the University of Wisconsin football team’s defense.

Actually, it was brought up by Badger defensive coordinator Dave Doeren, who is not one to talk about statistics.

Should the 17th-ranked Badgers (8-2, 5-2) hold Northwestern (7-4, 4-3), their final Big Ten opponent, under 100 yards rushing, Wisconsin will have gone the entire conference season not allowing a team to break the 100-yard mark on the ground.

“One of our team goals is to reestablish Wisconsin football, and that starts up front in the trenches,” sophomore defensive tackle J.J. Watt said. “We’re trying to do our part, and not having a Big Ten running back over 100 yards is something we’re extremely proud of.”

After UW allowing 132.5 rushing yards per game and 16 rushing touchdowns in the conference a year ago, the emphasis on stopping the run was loud and clear at every 6 a.m. January workout.

After limiting Michigan, then the conference leader in rushing offense, to only 71 yards on the ground last week, the Badgers have allowed an average only 71.9 in seven Big Ten games. What’s more, they have given up only three rushing touchdowns.

The most rushing yards they have allowed in a conference game was 27 carries for 98 yards by Ohio State.

If the Badgers can stop Northwestern, which is eighth in the conference in rushing (124.2 ypg), it would be just the third time in school history that Wisconsin has led the league in rushing defense in conference games—preceded by 1949 and 1951.

“It would mean a lot to be able to do that,” senior defensive end O’Brien Schofield said. “It shows that we take pride in our work and that guys have really focused in on doing their jobs.”

The improvement in the numbers correlates directly with the newfound depth in the defensive line. After playing most of last season with only four capable starters, defensive line coach Charlie Partridge has kept people fresh by using seniors Dan Moore and Jeff Stehle and sophomore Patrick Butrym in a three-player rotation at defensive tackle.

That group, along with senior Jordan Hein playing 8-10 snaps a game, has shut down four of the top 22 rushing offensives in the country (No. 6 Fresno State, No. 11 Northern Illinois, No. 21 Michigan and No. 22 Ohio State), allowing only Fresno State’s Ryan Matthews to break the 100-yard barrier (19 for 107).

“They’ve been critical for us, not only to close out the games, but now to allow us to play strong down the stretch of the season,” UW coach Bret Bielema said of the shared snaps. “It has had a big effect.”

“I always felt that if you had someone who had a main rushing guy and you held him under 100 yards, you would more than likely have success. That’s what I kind of ingrained when I first came here.”

Stopping the run is one thing, but the main reason Wisconsin has won eight games is the ability to couple its stout run defense with a potent running attack. The Badgers, in fact, lead the conference with a 208-yard rushing average.

Should the Badgers finish first in rushing offense and rushing defense in conference games, they would be the first UW team since 1951 and first in the Big Ten to accomplish that feat since Ohio State in 1996.

“You look around the country, and it’s kind of a rarity,” said UW quarterback Scott Tolzien. “It speaks volumes about what the guys are doing.

“One thing that’s cool about that is, I think the other teams know we’re coming in to run the ball. To still be able to do it, even though (defenses) are stacking the box, that’s pretty neat.”

Oglesby to have surgery

After suffering a left knee injury on Nov. 7 at Indiana and missing last week’s home finale against Michigan, UW sophomore right tackle Josh Oglesby will have surgery and be sidelined two to four weeks.

“We thought we could see if he could play with it, and it looks like that probably won’t be the case,” Bielema said Thursday. “As of right now, we’re going to try to get him in tomorrow, but probably Monday.”

Oglesby, who was scheduled to have surgery at the end of the season, has an outside shot at returning for the bowl game.

Junior Jake Bscherer, will start at right tackle for the second consecutive game, and Ricky Wagner is expected to back up both tackle spots. Bielema also said Wagner could get some action, depending on how Bscherer responds.