No. 7 Wisconsin looks to finally solve spread offense vs. Citadel

MADISON ? Two spread offenses, too many yards.

Spotty play by Wisconsin’s defense has left the seventh-ranked Badgers frustrated.

The Badgers (2-0) play The Citadel (2-0) today, and they’ll see another variation of the scheme ? albeit a less talented one.

“We’ve got to get better against a spread team. These past two weeks, we haven’t been playing as well as we wanted to,” linebacker Jonathan Casillas said. “We’ve got a third shot at it, that’s how I’m trying to take it.”

The Badgers, who hold the nation’s longest winning streak in major college football at 11, have given up an average of 317 yards against UNLV and Washington State.

Citadel coach Kevin Higgins is more than modest about the Bulldogs’ big task.

“We know it will take a miracle to win at Wisconsin this weekend, but miracles do happen,” Higgins said.

Badgers defensive tackle Nick Hayden isn’t going to let The Citadel get off that easily. After all, the Bulldogs only loss in their last seven games dating back to last season was to Appalachian State.

“You can never overlook a team. We’re coming in the same way we prepare for any other team,” Hayden said. “They’re a good team on film and we’ve seen a lot of good stuff they do.”

Hayden hopes that his defensive teammates have a different mind-set today.

“You just can’t hold anything back. If you’ve got to be nasty on the field, you’ve got to be nasty. Our defense is doing a lot of right things compared to last year, (but it’s the) same kind of mistakes,” Hayden said. “We just have some new guys stepping in and everyone has to be on the same key and fix the mistakes.”

It may not matter what the defense does in the final game before the Badgers start Big Ten play next week against Iowa.

Wisconsin’s offensive line averages 314 pounds, and that’s 20 pounds heavier than Citadel’s heaviest starting defender, defensive tackle Terrence Reese.

The Badgers’ feature running back P.J. Hill is listed at 227 pounds, which makes him heavier than nine of Citadel’s starters on defense.

Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema said P.J. Hill’s offseason conditioning program seemed to pay dividends against UNLV, when he ran for 147 yards on 20 carries. P.J. Hill, a sophomore, is looking for his 10th 100-yard game in the 16th game of his career.

“He didn’t show me any signs of fatigue,” Bielema said. “He was asking for the football, which as a running back they’re all going to do, but I think he really, really believes it.”

Higgins is aware of the challenge P.J. Hill presents.

“We know that they will move the ball with a power offense,” Higgins said. “We will have to force turnovers, keep the ball in our possession and make big plays on special teams.”

The Badgers lost starting wide receiver Paul Hubbard to a sprained knee that will take at least six weeks to heal, but Bielema said Kyle Jefferson and Marcus Randle El, younger brother of Redskins receiver Antwaan Randle El, are the leading candidates to replace him.

“You hope that some guys will take advantage of this opportunity and don’t let go of it,” Bielema said. “It’ll be an opportunity for someone over an extended period of time to step into that role.”

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