Badgers need even better effor to beat Iowa

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MADISON - The Wisconsin football team says preparation will be the key to winning at Iowa on Saturday. Quarterback Scott Tolzien said the Badgers had their best week of practice just before their upset of Ohio State last weekend. And Tolzien says they’ll need to raise the bar even higher this week.

He said it would be up to the seniors to keep the players locked in on their mission. Senior guard John Moffitt says he no longer believes a team can have a bad week of practice, and then play great on game day. In many ways, the Badgers know they’ll be fighting themselves as they head to Iowa City.

Of course, there’s the possibility of a letdown after such a huge victory over the Buckeyes. Also, Wisconsin is playing its eighth straight game without a break – while Iowa came off a bye week when it beat Michigan by 10 points last Saturday. The Badgers will have their bye after Saturday’s Iowa contest.

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Wisconsin freshman Manasseh Garner could get more playing time on Saturday at Iowa. He was converted from a wide receiver to a defensive end this season – and he had three tackles while covering kickoffs in the Badgers’ upset of Ohio State. Assistant coach Charlie Partridge says Garner has a knack for getting to the football – and he’s seen it since the Badgers’ pre-season camp. J.J Watt is the only defensive lineman who’s putting consistent pressure on the quarterback. So Garner could be called in to help in that regard. Coach Bret Bielema says Garner is fast and gifted. And because he has played several positions, the coach says Garner has a strong general awareness of the game.

The 10th-ranked Badgers are 2-1 in the Big Ten and 6-1 overall. Iowa is at 2-0 in the conference, and 5-1 overall.

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