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There was no happy reunion for Northern Illinois coach Dave Doeren.
No. 7 Wisconsin roughed up its old defensive coordinator Saturday, piling up more than 600 yards and holding the Huskies to one score in a 49-7 rout Saturday at Soldier Field.
''We're 1-2. We were 1-2 here last year and we went on a run,'' Doeren said. ''We have a nine-game schedule left. ... We have to get back to doing what we do.''
Doeren spent the past five seasons as Wisconsin's defensive coordinator, and he knows the Badgers and their tendencies as well as he knows his own team.
It didn't help. The veteran offense that racked up 45-plus points in its first two games managed only one touchdown, a 3-yard run by Jasmin Hopkins in the first quarter, and crossed midfield once in the second half.
The Huskies finished with 237 yards of offense.
''It was incredibly disappointing,'' quarterback Chandler Harnish said. ''It is probably the worst offensive performance I've been a part of, myself included. I'm not blaming anybody. I didn't play a good game, either. It's definitely disappointing, but credit goes to Wisconsin. They schemed us up perfectly.''
Northern Illinois did manage to make things interesting for about 3 minutes at the end of the first quarter.
Hurt by penalties for a chop block and false start, Wisconsin was forced to settle for a 50-yard field goal try. Kyle French's kick wasn't even close, sailing wide right.
The Huskies put together their best drive of the day, with Harnish completing passes of 20 yards to Nathan Palmer and another of 39 yards to Perez Ashford to set up a 3-yard run by Hopkins that tied the game at 7 with 1:59 left in the first quarter. Hoping to build on their momentum, the Huskies went for the onside kick.
''I told our players I was going to coach to win,'' Doeren said. ''I told them if we scored, I'd go for a surprise onside.''
But the Badgers recovered, and Russell Wilson put a quick end to any hopes the Huskies had for the upset. He needed only three passes to give Wisconsin the lead again, connecting with Nick Toon for the 16-yard score, then moved the Badgers 97 yards on their next drive after they'd been pinned to their own 3.
With the offensive line giving Wilson what seemed like hours to throw, he took his time until he spotted Jacob Pederson sprinting up the left side of the field, hitting him in stride for a 55-yard gain that took Wisconsin to the 2-yard line. Two plays later, Montee Ball ran from a yard in to give Wisconsin a 21-7 lead.
Ball has now scored in nine straight games, and has 22 touchdowns since last Oct. 23.
Not to be outdone, backfield mate James White scored on Wisconsin's next drive. Wilson turned what should have been a sack into an 11-yard gain, and White scored two plays later on a 20-yard run, getting help from a great block by offensive lineman Peter Konz that allowed White to turn the corner and get outside.
It was White's second touchdown of the season.
Northern Illinois got to the Wisconsin 25 just before halftime. But Mathew Sims' field goal attempt was wide right and the Huskies never came close to scoring again. The Huskies are now 4-27 against Top 25 teams.
