GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 25, EXPRESS 10 • 10
ing touchdown total of 18, second-
most in the NCAA.
"His quickness in the hole
and his top-end speed are prob-
ably what separate him from other
backs," Boilermaker coach Darrell
Hazell said. "He's a long runner and
you watch his stride and his turn-
over, he's a 6-1 guy that really picks
'em up and puts 'em down."
Gordon is extremely talented
but also complemented well by
Wisconsin's traditional offensive
identity: the physical, merciless,
gang-up-on-tacklers zone block-
ing scheme that's helped churn
out great running back after great
running back, whether it was Barry
Alvarez coaching, Bret Bielema or
now Gary Andersen.
"They run a little bit of power
but they're a zone football team,"
Hazell said, "and they're going
to run it over and over from con-
densed formations or expanded
formations, but they're very good
at combination blocks, getting up
to the second level and letting the
back be patient with it."
Because of it, Wisconsin sits in
its usual perch atop NCAA rank-
ings, currently second to only Navy,
which only runs, with an average of
333-plus yards per game.
This is a team that ran for 644
yards earlier this season against
Bowling Green — 644 — and has
topped 300 in two Big Ten games,
falling just short last weekend with
298 in a 37-0 vaporization of Rut-
gers at Rutgers.
Purdue did better against
the run than most might have ex-
pected against Nebraska after be-
ing gouged by Michigan State and
Minnesota the prior two weeks,
but did allow the Cornhuskers'
quarterback to get loose on the
ground a few times.
That'll be a concern against
the Badgers also.
Wisconsin's passing game is
limited but Joel Stave has over-
come an early season case of what
might be best described as "the
yips" to win the job back from Tan-
ner McEvoy.
But McEvoy is rotating in and
giving Wisconsin options in more
ways than one.
He's running the option and
doing so effectively, averaging
nine yards a rushing attempt, in-
cluding a 60-yard TD run against
Maryland and a 62-yard jaunt ear-
lier in the season.
"We will see how long this situ-
ation will last," Veldhuis said, "but
for right now it's working and they
do not look like they are going to
stop using (McEvoy) at any point in
the future and they will continue to
use the two-quarterback system."
Wisconsin has an elite defense
to fall back on, ranked No. 1 na-
tionally in total defense even after
making some pretty significant
changes.
Last year, it was a move from
the program's traditional 4-3 base
alignment to the 3-4 Andersen and
coordinator Dave Aranda brought
with them from Utah State.
This year, it's been a move to-
ward trading some size and power
for speed and athleticism for a de-
fense that'll diversify its fronts and
bluff pressure as much as it'll bring
it.
Whatever Wisconsin's done, it's
worked, big-time.
Opponents average just 253
yards per game against the Bad-
gers, though it probably bears
mentioning that Wisconsin hasn't
played anyone this season known
for prodigious offense.
Nevertheless, Wisconsin is suf-
focating opponents, allowing a to-
tal of just a single touchdown the
past two weeks in 52-7 and 37-0
wins over Maryland and Rutgers,
respectively.
No FBS team has allowed fewer
plays of 10 or more yards than Wis-
consin's modest total of 68 through
eight games. Opponents average a
mere 4.32 yards per play, one of the
lowest averages in the nation, and
just 14 points per game.
j
OPPONENT NEWSSTAND
BadgerBlitz.com: Purdue will put Badgers to the test
Chippewa.com: Gordon, Erickson expected to be healthy for
Purdue game
ESPNWisconsin.com: Rushing showing progress
Madison.com: Clement starts to creep into spotlight
Madison.com: More expected from already-solid defense
UWBadgers.com: Wisconsin game notes
Dave Stluka/Wisconsin
Linebacker Derek Landisch leads a unit that ranks No. 1 nationally in total defense.
