Badgered and Beaten

MADISON, Wis. -- Going into Saturday's game with Wisconsin, IU's focus centered on stopping Badger running back Brian Calhoun. Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, Wisconsin proved it has just as much talent at wideout as it does in the backfield.\nReceivers Brandon Williams and Jonathan Orr combined for 10 receptions, 241 yards and three touchdowns in the Badgers' 41-24 win Saturday over IU.\n"We came out with a good game plan, and we were able to stop the run, but you have to do it both ways or they will exploit you," senior defensive lineman Russ Richardson said. "We lost focus on the pass game, but we'll come back and do it next week."\nWisconsin got out to a quick lead in the first quarter after Williams scored on a 17-yard pass from quarterback John Stocco. But IU sophomore quarterback Blake Powers and freshman wideout James Hardy quickly responded with an 83-yard touchdown pass to even the score. \nWilliams added another receiving touchdown and a 63-yard punt return to help Wisconsin mount a 31-17 halftime lead. The Badgers wouldn't look back.\n"I didn't think we did as good of a job coaching as we could have, and we didn't play as well as we could have," IU head coach Terry Hoeppner said. "I told the team that I will not give up on them and the coaching staff will not give up on them, as long as they don't give up on themselves."\nOnly two weeks removed from a 176-yard rushing performance, senior running back Chris Taylor rushed for just 35 yards. The Hoosiers also struggled with field position, starting most of their second half possessions in their own red zone. Hardy said the poor field position, along with the team's 12 penalties and four turnovers, were too much to overcome.\n"We didn't have good field position throughout the game, so that was a setback," Hardy said. "We had too many turnovers and too many penalties, and we took the game from ourselves."\nWith the defeat, the Hoosiers were dealt their first loss of the season, and one Hoeppner said he has a hard time coping with.\n"It was a frustrating day," Hoeppner said. "But I was mostly frustrated with me. I need to do a better job."\nA rowdy Badger crowd affecting the Hoosiers' play was one of IU's biggest concerns coming into Saturday's game. Even though the team prepared for the noise by pumping music into its practice facility, Hoeppner said the 82,330 in attendance still played a factor in the loss.\n"The atmosphere contributes to communication issues," Hoeppner said. "That's home field advantage. And it worked in their favor today."\nDespite being frustrated from the loss, Powers said the team will take the positives out of the game, and he is confident the team will rebound after the loss.\n"One of the things we struggled with in the past was getting down on ourselves and letting one game affect the next," Powers said. "I don't sense that at all with this team this year"