When an offense puts on the sort of clinic that Russell Wilson and company displayed on Saturday at Soldier Field in Chicago, it's easy to overlook the defensive contributions.
Discounting the work of co-defensive coordinators Chris Ash and Charlie Partridge's unit against Northern Illinois (0-0 Mid-American Conference, 1-2 overall), though, minimizes the way the No. 7 Badgers (0-0 Big Ten, 3-0 overall) adapted, replaced and improved on the less glorious side of the football.
""Our defense was snapped in from the first snap,"" Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema said.
Against the Huskies' high-powered senior quarterback Chandler Harnish, the UW defense allowed just one big play—a 39-yard post pattern to junior Perez Ashford that set up NIU's only score of the day—and slowed down an offense that started lightning fast in each of it's first two games.
Wisconsin started 2011 with a new-look secondary, replacing departed senior stalwarts Jay Valai and Niles Brinkley. After losing senior Devin Smith for the season early in the last weekend's win against Oregon State, junior Marcus Cromartie was tested early and often against the Huskies.
""If somebody's throwing at you, you get a chance to prove yourself as a corner,"" said Cromartie, who ended up with eight tackles. ""Any corner that tells you he doesn't like competing is not really a cornerback.""
As an offense, Northern Illinois managed 237 yards total after putting up an average of 485.5 per game in the first two. The Huskies gained just 64 yards on 25 rushing attempts against the Badgers.
""We just had to find our thing on defense and I think it's starting to get there,"" sophomore middle linebacker Chris Borland said. ""It's not there yet, we can do a lot better but I like where we're at right now.""
Borland finished with a team-high 11 tackles (three solo, two for loss). Bielema pointed to the Kettering, Ohio native as an intense student of game film after the game and said it had helped Borland's transition to middle linebacker after playing outside in 2009.
""Especially with the new staff, there's not much carryover with what they did a couple years ago,"" Borland said of the Huskies' game plan. ""[Film] just keys you into their tendencies more.""
Despite his move to the middle, Borland lined up as a pass-rushing end on several occasions Saturday, a package the Badgers have not shown so far this season. He pressured Harnish multiple times, but said returning to his quarterback-chasing days is a work in progress.
""I got close a couple times, but maybe I can polish my moves in practice,"" he said.
The defense helped itself by allowing just four third-down conversions on 13 Northern Illinois tries. It also got help from the prolific UW offense, which rolled up 621 total yards and held the ball for 35:50.
Not everything went right for the Badgers' defense, however. Still, Wisconsin has allowed just seven points in the last two games combined, leaving them at 8.0 allowed per game.
