Prior to Saturday's game against Purdue, Wisconsin junior tight end Lance Kendricks had never even attempted a carry in a game. By the end of the contest, he had racked up 94 rushing yards, including a 54-yard burst in the third quarter which led to a touchdown. With Kendricks' additional 21 yards receiving head coach Bret Bielema was impressed with his overall play.
""Lance went out there and looked like an All-American back,"" Bielema said.
Bielema described Kendricks as ""exceptional in so many ways,"" and even compared the tight end to a former Wisconsin standout.
""Lance carries a lot of the same tools as [Travis] Beckum.""
In addition, Bielema's defense has recently been competing at an extremely high level.
This past week, that defense held Purdue to only 141 yards, the lowest total against a Big Ten opponent since 2001 for the Badgers.
Wisconsin also leads the Big Ten in rushing yards allowed per game, with just 73.8, and no Big Ten opponent has rushed for over 100 yards against the Badgers this season.
Wisconsin has also limited its opponents to just over 30 percent on third down conversions, the best mark in the Big Ten. Purdue converted 2 of 16 first downs on third down Saturday.
Additionally, Wisconsin leads the Big Ten in both rushing defense and rushing offense in conference play. The last time a Wisconsin team accomplished this feat was in 1951.
""If you can run the ball and stop the run, you can win,"" Bielema said.
One athlete who stood out for the Badgers' defense against Purdue and won the praise of Bielema was freshman linebacker Chris Borland.
Borland forced one fumble, recovered two and had four tackles in the game. He was awarded Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance.
Borland had also previously been named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week in week three, after blocking a punt against Wofford.
Borland and the rest of the Badgers' defense will storm into Bloomington, Ind. this weekend, feeding off their first conference shut-out in 10 years, and looking to make it five straight wins against the Hoosiers.
However, after keeping close with unbeaten Iowa for three quarters last week, Indiana will certainly be ready to put up a fight.
""[Indiana's] just had trouble closing it out,"" Bielema said. ""Because of the success we've had [against Indiana] recently, they're going to be hungry.""
One threat the Hoosiers pose is their kickoff return game. Indiana currently ranks second in the Big Ten and 17th in the nation in that category, averaging 25 yards per return.
""That unit right there is a big concern of mine,"" Bielema said.
In a matchup where both teams have combined to score an average of over 61 points per game in the last 12 meetings, Bielema is not ready to downplay this Saturday's game. This year has been an unpredictable season in Big Ten play, with upset potential every week.
""Anybody can get anybody,"" Bielema said.
