A week ago the Wisconsin running backs proved they could score—and do it at a prodigious rate—at home without star junior John Clay. While Clay has not been officially ruled out of Saturday's game at Michigan (3-3 Big Ten, 7-3 overall), the No. 6 Badgers (5-1, 9-1) will likely have to prove they can repeat the performance in a hostile environment.
Although putting another 83 points on the board is highly unlikely, production anywhere near the 311 yards and five touchdowns UW got out of sophomore running back Montee Ball and freshman running back James White a week ago will put Wisconsin in good shape.
The ability of all three running backs to do damage this season—UW is the only program in the country with three 500-yard rushers—speaks not only to the talent behind senior quarterback Scott Tolzien, but to the talent in front of him on the offensive line.
""Everybody saw what they did last week,"" Ball said of the Badger blockers. ""Those holes were huge.""
After six rushing touchdowns last week against the Hoosiers, Wisconsin now stands at 35 for the season—just three short of the school record of 38 set in 1974. Running backs coach John Settle said he did not know his unit was so close, but had another impressive stat on his mind.
The Badgers have lost just two fumbles this season, and have not lost the ball by putting it on the ground since Sept. 11.
""In individual time, they do a good job of pushing themselves to make sure they put the ball away correctly,"" Settle said. ""It becomes habit, so when they get into a ball game they're used to carrying the ball a certain way.""
While the Wisconsin offense is tied for the best mark in the country with just seven turnovers, the defense has forced seven turnovers in the last two game after forcing just seven in the first eight games. That spells bad news for a Michigan offense that has turned the ball over five times in each of its last two games.
""We've stressed it all week,"" senior linebacker Blake Sorensen said. ""They're going to give us chances to create turnovers and we have to take advantage of that.""
Regardless of the turnover situation, Sorensen and the defense will have their hands full with Denard Robinson, the Wolverines' dynamic dual-threat quarterback. Robinson leads the Big Ten and is third in the nation with 1,417 rushing yards and has also thrown 14 touchdowns.
""He can run lateral and before you know he just turns it up the field and runs past people,"" sophomore linebacker Mike Taylor said. ""We have to play responsibly and just do what we're supposed to do.""
With a combination of November weather, 113,000 hostile fans and BCS bowl implications, the turnover battle will be critical Saturday according to Ball.
""Ball security is job security,"" he said.
