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That No. 7 Wisconsin's offense was going to pile up the points was never a question.
The defense, well, that was another story.
While the Badgers (2-0) bulldozed UNLV in the season opener, scoring on each of their first eight possessions, the defense struggled to keep pace. Oh sure, the Rebels staggered out of Camp Randall with only 17 points and didn't score their first touchdown until late in the third quarter. But they missed two field goals in the first quarter, wound up with almost 300 yards and converted both of their chances on fourth down.
''We left a lot of yards out there with bad tackling, myself included,'' linebacker Chris Borland said after the game. ''It's something we're going to work on in practice.''
Whatever they did, it worked. After blanking Oregon State 35-0 last weekend for Wisconsin's first shutout since 2009, the Badgers head into Saturday's game against Northern Illinois (1-1) at Soldier Field brimming with confidence.
''We're feeling pretty good as a defense,'' tackle Ethan Hemer said.
Wisconsin ranked 20th in total defense last season, giving up just under 322 yards a game. It allowed only six rushing touchdowns, and J.J. Watt was seventh in the country with 21 tackles for loss. But Watt was one of five starters the Badgers had to replace, and they lost cornerback Devin Smith to a season-ending foot injury against Oregon State.
Despite the losses, Hemer said the Badgers might actually be better than they were last year. Oregon State crossed midfield - barely - once in the first half, didn't see the red zone until the fourth quarter and finished with a measly 23 yards rushing.
''We feel very confident in ourselves and our ability to go out and play,'' Hemer said. ''Last year we had a fantastic defense. But this year we have more - I think our technique is a little bit better and we have a certain swagger that we can play with anyone right now. ... Especially on the D-line, we feel really, really good going into any game against any opponent.''
They'd better be.
Though Northern Illinois has beaten Wisconsin just once in their previous 12 games, the Huskies are the Badgers' stiffest test ahead of the much-anticipated Oct. 1 game against Nebraska. Northern Illinois has a veteran offense with six senior starters, including quarterback Chandler Harnish and all but one of the offensive linemen. They run their no-huddle offense with such dizzying speed and precision it will punish even the slightest lapse by the Badgers.
Oh, and Northern Illinois coach Dave Doeren spent the past five seasons as Wisconsin's defensive coordinator, so he knows the Badgers and their tendencies as well as he knows those of his own team.
''He knows so many little things about what they do - in coverage, defensive fronts, blitzes. Knowing those little tips only can help us,'' Harnish said.
This is Northern Illinois' first game against a Top 25 team in three years, and the Badgers are the highest-ranked opponent the Huskies have faced since opening the 2006 season against No. 1 Ohio State. Northern hasn't beaten a ranked team since a 19-16 upset of No. 19 Alabama on Sept. 20, 2003, and is 4-26 all-time against Top 25 opponents.
But the Huskies take confidence from their last game against the Badgers in 2009.
Trailing 28-6 at the start of the fourth quarter, the Huskies scored twice to cut Wisconsin's lead to eight points and recovered an onside kick with 2:46 to play. They got to the Wisconsin 36, but couldn't convert on a fourth-and-3.
''It's very fresh in my mind,'' Harnish said. ''We had a chance late in the game and it ended on a bad note. It left a bad taste in your mouth. We definitely have confidence that we can play with these guys, and have a chance to win at the end of the game. We're not scared.''
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Follow Nancy Armour at http://twitter.com/nrarmour
