In his fifth year as Indiana Hoosiers head coach, Cam Cameron once again has a team that is depleted in talent and powered by its one true weapon'versatile quarterback Antwaan Randle El.
The winless Hoosiers will count on Randle El to make enough big plays and to draw enough attention from the defense to put the team in a position to win this Saturday against Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium.
After three years of playing against Randle El and the option attack he powers, Badgers Head Coach Barry Alvarez knows full well the ability and responsibility the quarterback has.
'He's going to have the ball every snap,' Alvarez said. 'So you've got to prepare for option every snap, you've got to prepare for a quarterback draw.
'You know that you still have to respect the throw. He's a threat throwing the ball down the field,' he said.
Luckily for the Badgers, their defensive front is the most experienced part of their football team. The Badgers have combated Randle El's electricity before and they know what to expect.
'We've gone back and looked at the last two years [against Indiana] on film,' Alvarez said. 'Their offense is very similar; they always add a wrinkle or two.'
The star of the defense, senior tackle Wendell Bryant, leads the Big Ten this season in sacks and tackles for loss and no doubt will be looking to put heavy pressure on Randle El.
The Hoosiers provide the Badgers with a chance to redeem themselves after a less-than-dominant 24-6 win over Division I-AA starlet Western Kentucky Sept. 29. Other than two touchdown drives led by sophomore quarterback Jim Sorgi and junior quarterback Brooks Bollinger's touchdown pass to Nick Davis, the Badgers' offense was 'inconsistent,' according to Alvarez.
Against Western Kentucky, redshirt freshman running back Anthony Davis, who leads the nation in rushing with 703 yards, failed to break the 100-yard mark for the first time in his young career, despite running for two touchdowns.
Still, Alvarez is confident that his offense is capable of producing points.
'We did a lot of good things [against Western Kentucky] and I think everyone wants to be critical,' Alvarez said. 'Everything seems to be judged on how the offense does, but we did a lot of good things in the game.
'Offensively, we'll correct like we do every week and that never changes.'
Davis will have a great chance to correct himself against the Hoosiers, who have the second-worst overall defense in the conference.
That doesn't mean Alvarez is looking past Indiana's defense, which played tough against Ohio State last weekend.
'I thought they played extremely hard [against Ohio State],' Alvarez said. 'They are playing a good sound defense and making people earn everything.'
Look for Bollinger to get a chance to assert himself as the quarterback early, but if he is ineffective, Sorgi will probably see some playing time.
'We've done everything well at one time or another and we've just got to get back to get some type of rhythm,' Alvarez said.
To keep the Hoosiers' emotional and aggressive, if porous, defense from gaining momentum, Bollinger and Sorgi will need to throw with accuracy. Combined, the two have thrown seven interceptions and have completed only 45 percent of their passes.
Their main target should be junior wide receiver Lee Evans, who averages 114 yards a game, but the secondary will most likely be geared to stop Evans, so the Badgers will have to find a reliable second option.
The weakest area on Wisconsin's team this season has been special teams. Young, inconsistent kickers have plagued the Badgers and Alvarez has rotated them in and out of games in an attempt to find a consistent leg. After a relatively successful game last week, the kickers will have a chance to boost their confidence against the Hoosiers.
In lieu of another lackluster performance the Badgers should be able to easily dispose of the Hoosiers and storm into the meat of their Big Ten schedule with positive momentum.
