• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Wisconsin hopes for improvement in passing game

Sep 6, 2008 - 11:32 AM Marshall (1-0) at No. 11 Wisconsin (1-0), 12:00 p.m. EDT

MADISON, Wisconsin (Ticker) -- P.J. Hill and Wisconsin completely ran over Akron last week. But if the Badgers want to seriously contend in the Big Ten Conference, they will need more balance in their offense.

The 11th-ranked Badgers will look for more production from their passing game Saturday when they host Marshall.

Hill rushed for 210 yards and two touchdowns in last weekend's 38-17 victory over the Zips - a game in which the Badgers (1-0) pounded out 404 yards on the ground. Zach Brown added 87 rushing yards and a TD for Wisconsin.

But while the running game was clicking on all cylinders, Wisconsin's aerial attack was virtually non-existent. Fifth-year senior Allan Evridge completed 7-of-10 passes for just 75 yards in his debut as the Badgers' starter.

"(Evridge's performance) shows that he knew and was clued into the game," Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema said. "He was 5-for-5 on his first five passes, and it just showed me that he understood.

"He knew the plan going in was to run the football, and if we had to put ourselves in a position to throw, we had to be able to execute, and that's exactly what he did."

Still, the Badgers figure to air it out more in their first meeting with Marshall (1-0), which rolled to a 35-10 victory over Illinois State last week.

Wisconsin is 15-0 at home under Bielema.