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Wisconsin runs over Indiana

Oct 15, 2011 - 9:01 PM Madison, WI (Sports Network) - Montee Ball ran for 142 yards with three scores and also threw a touchdown pass to quarterback Russell Wilson, as fourth- ranked Wisconsin rolled to a 59-7 rout of Indiana at Camp Randall Stadium.

James White added 87 yards with a touchdown on the ground and Wilson threw for 166 yards with a score in the lopsided victory. Wisconsin racked up 332 rushing yards and has completely dominated Indiana for the past two years, as last season's game in Madison ended in an 83-20 annihilation.

The Badgers (6-0, 2-0 Big Ten) have won their first six games for the first time since 2004 and have outscored their opponents 301-58. Wisconsin, which reached the 50-point plateau for the third time in 2011, has also won 13 straight regular-season games and 14 in a row at home.

Wisconsin has played just once on the road this season, a 49-7 romp against Northern Illinois in Chicago, but will visit Michigan State and Ohio State in the next two weeks.

"To play on the road in the Big Ten and win is a totally different ball game," said Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema. "To win Big Ten games on the road, that's when you win championships. That's when you have an opportunity to put yourself in a bigger position. I think our guys will embrace the opportunity."

Stephen Houston scored Indiana's lone touchdown on a 67-yard run and finished with 135 yards on the ground. The Hoosiers (1-6, 0-3) have lost four in a row since their lone win of the season against South Carolina State of the FCS.

After a trade of punts to start the game, Wisconsin's second series ended with a touchdown. Ball did most of the work with six carries and a reception on the nine-play series. The Badgers converted a pair of third downs and Ball keyed the set with a 46-yard catch and run before scoring on a five-yard burst to make it 7-0 with 5:07 left in the first quarter.

Wisconsin got the ball back a few minutes later and in great field position at the Indiana 26 following a one-yard punt, as the kick hit an Indiana lineman. White scored just two plays later on a 15-yard run to increase the advantage to 14.

The Badgers stopped Indiana on fourth down at the Wisconsin 32, then used some trickery for their third touchdown. Ball took a pitch to the right and threw back to the left for Wilson, who snuck out of the backfield and was completely uncovered for the 25-yard score early in the second quarter.

"That was actually probably Montee's worst throw since we've been running that play," Bielema noted. "I said just get it in the area, Russell's a pretty good athlete, he'll come down with it."

Indiana again moved the ball against the Wisconsin defense on the ensuing series, but a fourth-down pass to the end zone was picked off by Antonio Fenelus.

Back came the Wisconsin ground game. White broke off a 35-yard run on the next play and added two more carries for nine yards before Ball picked up a first down with a one-yard run. Ball then broke free for a 35-yard score to make it 28-0 with 4:53 left in the half.

Houston finally put Indiana on the board moments later with his 67-yard touchdown run, but Wisconsin answered with a 38-yard field goal from Philip Welch. Aaron Henry then picked off an Edward Wright-Baker pass with less than a minute left and Wilson hit Jacob Pederson with a three-yard TD strike just seconds before the intermission for a 38-7 cushion.

The Badgers poured it on in the third quarter with a 60-yard punt return for a score by Jared Abbrederis and a 54-yard touchdown jaunt by Ball. The Wisconsin defense tacked on a score in the fourth quarter when Derek Landisch recovered a Wright-Baker fumble in the end zone after a punt had pinned Indiana at its own one-yard line.

Indiana managed just 70 yards of offense in the second half after piling up 217 in the first.

"I thought this one day this week our receivers had their worst practice as a group all year, and we backed it up with our play today," said Indiana head coach Kevin Wilson. "When we get the run game going and the pass game, it will be nice to put it all together."

Game Notes

Wisconsin totaled 524 yards of offense and did so without leading receiver Nick Toon because of a foot injury...Ball has scored a touchdown in 12 consecutive games...Wisconsin has won the last seven meetings with Indiana and improved to 38-18-2 all-time in the series...The Badgers improved to 54-45-5 on Homecoming.