The Wisconsin defense walked into their game against Indiana last season like a man walking backward into a tornado. By the time they knew what hit them, the damage totals were staggering.

All told, the Hoosiers battered the UW defense for 661 total yards of offense, 460 of which came on the ground. Star quarterback Antwaan Randle El baffled the Badger defense, while running back Levron Williams crossed the goal line six times. The end result was a 63-32 pasting from which the Badgers never fully recovered.

“Definitely, I’m [looking for revenge],” UW defensive back Scott Starks said. “It was kind of embarrassing, but we’ve got a different plan this year, we’ve got different players back. We’d like to bounce back and try to turn it around this year.”

The 2002 Hoosiers, however, are not the same team that made Wisconsin look like Duke last year. Williams is gone, and, more importantly, so is Randle El, who has moved on to the NFL in his quest to make every defender’s legs turn into Jell-O.

Wisconsin’s undefeated record is gone as well, after dropping its first Big Ten game to Penn State last Saturday. The Nittany Lions racked up 436 total yards in that game, so the Badger defense will look to recover against Indiana, who is coming off a bye week.

“We gave [Penn State] too many opportunities by not getting off the field on third down,” UW defensive coordinator Kevin Cosgrove said.

The Indiana football team has traditionally been labeled mediocre, and this season is no exception. The Hoosiers stand at 2-3 (0-1 Big Ten), and their offense hasn’t had an easy time recovering from the loss of Randle El.

But although the Hoosiers have managed to put more than 17 points on the board just once this season, the offense contains some bright spots. Seniors Gabran Hamdan and Tommy Jones split the quarterbacking duties. Although neither has legs like Randle El did, they have combined to throw for 1,248 yards and nine touchdowns on the season.

“Both their quarterbacks are very strong, physical guys,” Cosgrove said. “[They] have good arm strength and good presence about them back in the pocket.”

Hamdan will most likely get the start, but don’t be surprised to see Jones take some snaps as well.

Yet no matter who’s under center, Indiana will get the ball to its big-play receivers, junior Glenn Johnson and sophomore Courtney Roby. The duo has combined for 842 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on the year. Freshman fullback John Pannozzo has been a threat out of the backfield, catching 11 passes for 124 yards and three touchdowns.

“Their receivers run good routes, catch the ball and have the ability to make big plays,” Cosgrove said. “They’ve had some outstanding catches this year, [like on] deep balls over their heads, laying out and making the play.”

Johnson and Roby, however, don’t have a distinct height advantage over Badger corners Starks and B.J. Tucker. Indiana has also been picked off nine times this season, so the ball-hawking Wisconsin defense should have opportunities to force turnovers.

“I’m always looking forward to facing some pretty good receivers,” Starks said. “It’s always going to be a challenge because they’re all Division I athletes too, so it’s going to be fun.”

One thing the Badgers won’t have to worry about Saturday is defending the quarterback keeper. Indiana’s new offense is a far cry from the option-style offense the team ran under Randle El. Expect to see the Hoosiers spread it out while their quarterbacks stand in the pocket and look for receivers in what is almost a West Coast offense under head coach Gerry DiNardo.

“It’s a totally different offense [from last year],” Cosgrove said. “They’re going to spread it out. They’ll be one in back, one tight end, one back, no tight end [formations]. They haven’t run an option up to date. The biggest difference is more formations and throwing the ball.”

The biggest difference for the Badgers will be not looking like a deer caught in the headlights as they were last year against Indiana. With no Randle El and no Williams to face, Wisconsin hopes it will not have to face an 0-2 record in the Big Ten after Saturday’s game in Bloomington.