The last two times the IU defense took on the challenge of defending a rushing team, it struggled mightily, losing both contests.\nAfter giving up a combined 656 yards on the ground to Illinois on Sept. 22 and Michigan State on Oct. 13, IU coach Bill Lynch is hoping that the third time will be the charm.\n“You have to stop the run,” Lynch said. “That’s a coaching cliche, but I think there’s a lot of truth to it.”\nThe Hoosiers will face a formidable test Saturday, as they try to defend a rushing attack led by P.J. Hill, who is second in the Big Ten in rushing and first in touchdowns, gaining 1,009 yards and 14 touchdowns.\nLast week against Northern Illinois, Hill gained a season-high 184 yards and scored two touchdowns.\n“Obviously he’s a bigger back, so hitting him high is probably not an option,” sophomore linebacker Will Patterson said. “It’s going to be a challenge this week, but we’re ready for that challenge.”\nLynch said the problem with defending a strong running game such as Wisconsin is that, when you commit more players to stopping the run, the opponent is able to use the play-action pass more effectively. Lynch said \nplay-action passing is what has hurt IU in its recent history with the Badgers.
Hardy looking to improve on last year’s \nperformance\nThrough eight games, Wisconsin’s defense is near the middle of the conference in passing and rushing, ranking fifth and eighth, respectively. After tallying 318 yards passing against Penn State, the Hoosiers will look to carry offensive momentum into Camp Randall Stadium.\nHaving notched a career-high 14 receptions last Saturday, junior wide receiver James Hardy said he will look to build on his previous performance against Wisconsin. Last year, Hardy only had one catch for eight yards against the Badgers.\n“I’m a different player than what I was last year,” Hardy said. “I prepare myself to dominate, so it sort of is a grudge, but my first Big Ten game my first year, I had 130 (yards). Mentally, I’ve grown, so I really don’t think about it.”
McCray still out\nSophomore running back Demetrius McCray has been out with a foot injury since late September, and while Lynch said McCray has begun running on his own – his foot was in a boot for a couple of weeks – Lynch said he will likely sit during Saturday’s game at Wisconsin.\nMcCray has shown promise while in limited action for the Hoosiers this season, averaging 6.3 yards per carry on 22 attempts. Without McCray as the No. 2 back, Lynch has turned to sophomore running back Bryan Payton to help starting junior running back Marcus Thigpen carry the load for IU. However, there has been a drop in the Hoosiers’ rushing production.\nThrough their first three games, the Hoosiers racked up 776 yards rushing and were among the national leaders in rushing. But in three of their last five games, the running game has turned in performances of 73 yards at Iowa, 22 yards at Michigan State and 68 yards last weekend against Penn State.\n“Sure we miss Demetrius, but I think it’s somewhat reflective of who we’ve played,” Lynch said. “We’ve played some pretty good football teams that have done a good job.”
Other injuries\nLynch expects senior tight end Nick Sexton back this week after receiving an unspecified injury at Michigan State. Senior offensive lineman Charlie Emerson is questionable for Saturday’s game with injuries to his knee, ankle and shoulder. Freshman linebacker Tyler Replogle will have season-ending knee surgery on Monday.
