Freshman adds to strong tradition in Badgers' win

By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Montee Ball looks like the next in a
long line of top-notch Wisconsin running backs.

With top rusher John Clay out because of a concussion and Erik
Smith sitting at home with a broken hand, the Badgers asked a
true freshman to keep their ground game chugging. No problem.

Ball ran 27 times for 115 yards, scored two touchdowns and
overpowered an Indiana defender on a decisive 3-yard TD run in
the fourth quarter to give Wisconsin a 31-28 victory that moved
them up four places in the AP Top 25 poll to No. 20.

“Being a running back, you have to lower your shoulder and just
punish him – punish him for trying to tackle me,” Ball said.

The Badgers (7-2, 4-2 Big Ten) have excelled over the years
behind a variety of different running backs. Heisman Trophy
winner Ron Dayne, like the 248-pound Clay, used his size to
bruise defenses. Smaller backs like P.J. Hill and Anthony Davis
were just as effective with their nifty moves.

But the common thread for each was breaking tackles and
finishing runs, as Ball repeatedly did against Indiana (4-6,
1-5).

“Montee is the kind of kid that once you give him a little bit
of sugar, he’s going to keep going and going,” coach Bret
Bielema said. “I really think the sky is the limit for that
young man. For what we do, he fits perfectly into our system.”

Bielema was so confident Ball could excel Saturday that he
force-fed the ball to the Missouri native rather junior Zach
Brown, who had his own concussion a couple of weeks ago. Brown,
who rushed for 250 yards against Minnesota in 2007, came into
the game with 56 carries for 217 yards and three TDs. Ball had
only 21 carries for 63 yards and one TD in eight games. That was
fewer yards than Smith, a redshirt freshman.

But when Clay felt groggy at halftime, Bielema immediately went
to Ball, who lived up to the Badgers’ powerful tradition.

“After every carry, I was just smiling,” Ball said. “I was
thanking my offensive line for making the holes and, you know,
playing Wisconsin football.”

The Badgers now have five straight wins in the series, and over
the past two years have piled up 735 yards on the ground. A year
ago, they ran for 441 yards and had three 100-yard runners.

Indiana has lost three straight and six of seven this year as
their bowl hopes continue to fade. The Hoosiers must win next
week at No. 19 Penn State, a team they are 0-12 against
all-time, and at home against rival Purdue to become
bowl-eligible.

“We were close. Again, just a couple of plays if they swing our
way, we win the game,” quarterback Ben Chappell said. “Wisconsin
played well today, and they ran the ball really well.”

No matter who had the ball.

Clay carried 15 times for 134 yards with one score, all in the
first half, and Ball joined the 100-yard club for the first time
by carrying 19 times for 85 yards in the second half.

Numbers were only part of the story for Ball, though.

When Wisconsin needed him most, Ball showed he had the knockout
punch of a champion.

With 8:18 to go, and the Hoosiers within 24-21, an Indiana
defender met Ball squarely in the hole. Ball didn’t flinch,
running through the tackle and bowling his way into the end zone
for a 31-21 lead.

The next time Wisconsin got the ball, protecting a 31-28 lead
with 4:01 left, Ball carried it eight times in nine plays to run
out the clock.

What role will Ball play in the future?

Bielema can’t say for sure.

Ball said he expects Clay to return next week, though Bielema
would not confirm that. Smith is expected to play on special
teams next week against Michigan, but is likely out of the
running back rotation because of the cast on his hand.

So it appears Ball will get a chance to be the second back in
the rotation next week. Or perhaps, if things go the way they
did Saturday, to become the Badgers go-to back again.

Either way, Ball plans to be ready.

“Coming into this game, I knew I was going to get a lot more
carries than I would in previous weeks,” he said. “I just became
a man today.”