It’s the second week in a row the Fighting Illini have taken on an opponent who’s lost its last four games. Much like Indiana, Wisconsin has been suffering since Big Ten play began.

With a No. 13 preseason ranking, the Badgers (3-4) have not dominated the conference like head coach Bret Bielema and the rest of the Big Ten anticipated.

“Yes, I am surprised in terms of their record,” head coach Ron Zook said of the ailing Badgers. “They have a very tough schedule. I’m surprised at their record because obviously they’re a better football team than that.”

In Bielema’s third season as Wisconsin’s head coach, he is going back to the fundamentals in an attempt to salvage the rest of the season. To do this, he uses a technique called CASKAR – meaning the call, alignment, stance, key and responsibility – something he learned during his freshman year while playing at conference foe, the University of Iowa.

“We need to have our best players on the field to give us a chance to have success on any given play when we call it from an offense, defense or special teams standpoint,” Bielema said during Tuesday’s Big Ten press conference. “As coaches, that’s our obligation to put 11 guys on the field that we feel best give us the chance to have success.”

Benn’s ‘impact’ on video games

After Juice Williams’ impressive performance against the Hoosiers, wide receiver Arrelious Benn said Williams had put up “video game numbers.”

Benn was being modest at the time, but his own numbers tell a different story. In the last four Big Ten games, the sophomore has averaged more than 135 receiving yards and 7.2 catches per game, putting him second in the conference.

Off the field, Benn manages to put up even more numbers on his favorite video games – Madden NFL Football and NCAA Football.

“(I put up) some ridiculous numbers!” Benn said with a laugh. “No, it’s just a video game; you can do those types of things on a game.”

Bielema has been preparing his Badger defense for the “talented wide receiver,” but Benn might be even better in NCAA Football. He believes the makers of the game have animated him accurately, too.

“I got a style around me as an impact player (on the video game),” Benn said. “But yeah, I’m better in person.”

Illini offense channels its inner ‘bear’

Offensive coordinator Mike Locksley has figured out a “friendly reminder” for his offense to not fumble a ball, drop a pass or throw an interception both in a game and during practice.

Locksley’s solution? The bear crawl, which means crawling 100 yards on your hands and feet, without your knees touching the ground.

At the end of Monday’s practice, several players stayed on the field even after the team sprints were over. Those players weren’t exactly there by choice.

“Any time they have a turnover in practice, for every one the quarterback has, they have to pay the price,” Locksley said. “In the game, when you turn the ball over they pay the price of losing possibly, so it’s just a friendly reminder and a strength exercise, mentally.”

Locksley and the rest of the coaches have always had some type of punishment system in place, and for this season, the bear crawl has worked well.

Instead of tacking on extra sprints for turnovers, this exercise helps strengthen the players’ fingers, forearms and shoulders – all muscles offensive players routinely use.

“You want to be demanding, but not demeaning,” Locksley said. “You don’t want punishment to be brutal, but you want to get something out of it.”