Iowa, Wisconsin play first night game

MADISON, Wis. — Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said he's not scarred by his previous trips to Wisconsin. But the Hawkeyes coach has never faced the Badgers at night.

``I'm not having nightmares right now,'' Ferentz said of the trip. ``It's a rambunctious place, a great Big Ten environment.''

When the recruiting rivals square off on Saturday to break a 40-40-2 tie between the two schools, it'll be the first night game between the programs.

No. 9 Wisconsin (3-0) has a 12-game winning streak, the longest in the country among major programs, and has won 19 of its last 20 games under the lights dating back to 1995.

``I enjoy playing in night games, but most of all, I enjoy that we're now getting into the Big Ten,'' said P.J. Hill, who leads the Badgers with 399 yards rushing and tied a school record with five touchdowns last week.

But while Wisconsin has rolled up expected wins over Washington State, UNLV and The Citadel, the Badgers have dropped from fifth to ninth in the rankings after lackluster defensive performances.

That led coach Bret Bielema to bemoan the media coverage the Badgers received and forbid his defensive players from speaking to the media this week. He said they weren't in the mood to talk until after Saturday's game.

``You hear certain things or read certain things, and why be so negative? You're covering a team that has the longest winning streak in college football,'' Bielema said. ``I'd hate to be the other side of that.''

That would be losing to a rival, which is what Iowa (2-1) did with a 15-13 loss last week to Iowa State despite not allowing a touchdown. Iowa is the only team in the country that hasn't allowed a TD this season.

``That's a nice stat, don't get me wrong,'' Ferentz said. ``(But) we're 2-1 as a football team, I think that bears mentioning, too.''

It'll be up to Jake Christensen and Albert Young to power the Hawkeyes offense.
The quarterback and running back have combined for 73 percent of Iowa's total offensive production.

``This game's going to be a true test to see where we are, to see where we are mentally, see how we bounce back from a loss,'' Young said. ``We're going to see a lot about this team this week.''

Especially since Iowa was again dealing with off-field issues.

Backup safety Lance Tillson was arrested hours after the Iowa State game for drunken driving, the fifth player arrested since July and the third on alcohol-related charges. It led Ferentz to tighten curfews.

``Obviously we address alcohol, the problems it can bring,'' Ferentz said. ``But it also is a reminder if you work with young people, if you're a parent, a teacher, you're probably well aware of the fact that just when you think they got it, they don't got it. It's just how it goes.''

As for the game, with the connections between the two schools — Bielema went to Iowa, was a captain and coached there from 1994-2001 — there won't be many surprises in the game plans.

Badgers center Marcus Coleman clenched his right hand into a fist and slammed it into his left for emphasis.

``It's smash-mouth,'' said Coleman, dripping with sweat after practice. ``It's a physical program versus another physical program.''

Iowa's front four have been impressive so far, recording seven of the team's nine sacks and 12 tackles for loss. Wisconsin's offensive line averages 314 pounds, 44 more than the Hawkeyes' front four.

``They're big and they try to run the ball at you,'' defensive end Bryan Mattison said. ``They're a good team for a reason.''

But if The Citadel matched Wisconsin score for score for a half before losing 45-31, the Hawkeyes could, too.

``Outside of one game we haven't scored a lot of points,'' Ferentz said. ``That's a concern.''

The last time the Hawkeyes came to Madison, they ruined former coach Barry Alvarez's final home game with a 20-10 victory in 2005.

Alvarez is now the Badgers' athletic director, and Bielema has started his career 15-1, beating Iowa 24-21 in Iowa City last season to regain the Heartland Trophy and intensify the rivalry.

``I don't like Iowa just by being a Badgers fan back in the day,'' freshman left tackle Gabe Carimi said. ``I'm ready to get after them.''

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