Hlas: Hawkeyes have faced no defense like Wisconsin’s

IOWA CITY — You'll probably have been Melvin Gordon-ed to tears by the time Saturday's Wisconsin-Iowa football game arrives, but an equally fearsome force awaits the Hawkeyes.

There can be just one No. 1 defense in the country, and Wisconsin's is it at 244 yards allowed per game. The swiftness with which the Badgers' defense got the Cornhuskers' offense off the field surely helped with the wearing down of Nebraska's defense last Saturday.

Nebraska scored 17 points in the first 16 minutes against Wisconsin, but all three scoring drives started in Badger territory. Once the UW offense revved up, so did its defense. The Badgers rolled, 59-24.

None of the Huskers' last 13 possessions went over 23 yards, and 10 produced just single-digit yardage. Nebraska, a pretty renowned offensive unit, had but 180 yards.

Iowa isn't exactly accustomed to facing great defense. Here are the national rankings of the nine FBS defenses it has gone against: 33. Minnesota, 34. Pittsburgh, 59. Northwestern, 82. Ball State, 84. Purdue, 91. Indiana, 95. Maryland, 117. Illinois, 118. Iowa State.

That only fuels the fire of those who say the Hawkeyes' 7-3 record isn't overly satisfying.

Against Minnesota, the Hawkeyes gained just 205 yards, 84 rushing. Mark Weisman had 13 carries for 21 yards. Hmmm.

Last year, the Badgers held Iowa to 294 yards in Wisconsin's 28-9 win at Kinnick. Iowa had 4.1 yards per play. That didn't get it done then, nor will it on Saturday.

'I think the amazing thing is a year ago they made that transformation to another scheme, the 3-4 scheme and played it at a really high level,' Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said.

'Obviously, when the change took place, the new staff did a great job of selling their scheme and the players are playing at a really high level. We witnessed that last year, their best guy (injured senior linebacker Chris Borland) ... didn't play, and they didn't miss a beat. That's what you've seen this year, as well. They're statistically better than they were a year ago.'

You can ask Iowa's defense to have its game of the year, and that still might only contain Wisconsin to, say, 24 points. The Hawkeye offense must be magnificent, with some sustained drives. All scoring chances must be seized. Turnovers are more taboo than ever.

'It's on our offense to keep (Wisconsin's offense) off the field as much as we can,' Weisman said.

Have I mentioned Iowa's offense is only 67th nationally despite going against that bevy of unremarkable defenses? Now it's facing No. 1. Meanwhile, the Hawkeye defense has its 22 hands full with Gordon and a tractor trailer load of buffaloes posing as offensive linemen.

As receiver Marvin 'Shake' Tiller once said to running back Billy Clyde Puckett on the day before their New York Giants played the Jets in the Super Bowl, '(Bleep), Billy C. Nobody ever said this wasn't gonna be semi-tough.'

Factoids about the Wisconsin defense:

Wisconsin is third nationally in passing defense, fifth in rushing defense.

The Badgers rank third in scoring defense with 15.9 points allowed per game.

Wisconsin lost its entire starting front seven after last season.

Rutgers entered its home game against Wisconsin averaging 27.3 points. It got shut out.

Maryland entered its game at Wisconsin averaging 35.1 points. It scored only a final-minute touchdown against the Badgers.

Of the last 49 opponent drives that began in opponent territory, only nine have crossed midfield.

Wisconsin has limited 72.6 percent of opponents' drives to six plays or fewer, second nationally only to Mississippi.

Badger opponents have punted on 58.4 percent of their possessions, the best rate of any defense nationally.

Opponents have averaged 4.09 yards per play, giving Wisconsin the best mark in the nation in that department.