As much as the dynamic game of football has evolved since its creation, one simple strategy has remained a constant on every level of play: run the ball to control the game.

While running back John Clay continues to make a case for Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, the Wisconsin defense understands perfectly well how vital it is to put opposing running backs on lockdown.

The Badgers have claimed the top rushing defensive unit in the Big Ten and much of the team’s success this season can be attributed to having not allowed any conference opponents to reach 100 yards of rushing offense in a game.

“We’re very proud of that. It’s something we feel like is a measure of toughness in a game,” defensive coordinator Dave Doeren said. “Our guys take a lot of pride in being accountable for each other and it shows that they’re measuring up to it.”

With the final Big Ten game against Northwestern approaching, Wisconsin could become the first team to prevent all of its Big Ten opponents from reaching 100 rushing yards in one season since Ohio State did so in 1988.

The Badgers did away with what was probably their toughest challenge in the running game against Michigan. The Badgers have since surpassed Michigan as the Big Ten’s leading rush offense. Entering last Saturday’s game, Michigan averaged a conference-best 208.3 rushing yards per game and was held to a woeful 71 by the Wisconsin defense.

“That’s the No. 1 rushing offense in the Big Ten,” senior linebacker Jaevery McFadden said of Michigan. “To stop them period in the running game, and their offense in general, it’s definitely a big game to have.”

Forcing an offense to become one-dimensional opens up a number of possibilities for the defense’s assault. The opportunity to blitz more often is one of them, says Doeren, which unleashes the troublemaking senior defensive end O’Brien Schofield.

Schofield has been a force in the backfield, leading the team in sacks with eight and tying for the NCAA lead in tackles for loss with 19.5. Although his performance this season has made him stand out, Schofield marveled at the thorough execution of his teammates.

“Our defense works very hard on stopping the run. … Everyone’s where they’re supposed to be on every play,” Schofield said. “When you see it on film it’s just fun to watch, you see each guy just getting to the ball and where they’re supposed to be. It’s magnificent.”

Sniffing out the run also makes the job of senior captain and free safety Chris Maragos a bit easier as well, as it frees him up in his coverage. Despite being backed off the line of scrimmage by 10 yards at most times, Maragos does have a responsibility to read and react to the run, having three tackles for loss and a sack himself.

He attributes the inflexible performance of his teammates to easing his decision-making.

Over the last seven games, Wisconsin has hardly allowed any big plays to come out of the running game. Against Big Ten opponents, the Badgers have allowed only three rushing touchdowns.

The longest rushing play allowed against Big Ten opponents has been just 31 yards, and against Fresno State, the defense allowed the only rushing play of the season to exceed 50 yards.

“I think that’s the biggest thing that hurt us last year,” Maragos said. “No matter what the situation is, if there’s a big play that happens, pretty much the majority of the time they actually score out of it.

“That’s been huge for our defense. I think that’s really helped us a lot.”

The benefits of a stonewall run defense stretch farther than just the defense itself. The offense, as a result, can also feel the positive effects.

As defenders know better than anyone, running the ball controls the clock and can wear a defense down, which is why the Badger ‘D’ is eager to give the ball back to their offensive counterparts.

“The biggest thing about our offense is if you can give them the ball and enough time, they get into a groove,” Maragos said. “When they get the ball, they’re just going to run it and once they get in their groove they’re pretty tough. When they get into rhythm, the other defense is staying out there longer and it really helps our team out.”

The Badgers travel to Evanston, Ill., to close Big Ten play against Northwestern, whose leading rusher has totaled only 266 yards. Regardless of the accomplishment at hand, Schofield promises his team is not getting carried away with the numbers and is just ready to continue playing the way they have been all season.

“We’ve heard the statistics, but nobody’s really focused on that,” he said. “We just do what we do. … We play 11 as one.”