Last year's game against Wisconsin ended with disappointment for Penn State's defense.
A redshirt freshman, P.J. Hill, had taken the Badgers offense on his shoulders and had run them down the field. Penn State's offense, which could only muster three points all afternoon, was forced to watch helplessly from the sidelines while Hill stacked up 148 yards on 31 carries.
The Lions defense hasn't forgotten how Hill pushed the Badgers down the field that day.
"P.J. Hill is their bread and butter," cornerback Justin King said this week.
Wisconsin's offense received some bad news when Badgers coach Brett Bielema announced senior wide receiver Luke Swan will need surgery and miss the rest of the season. But they can still look to Hill to remain a consistent contributor -- the sophomore has rushed for 750 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2007.
He may provide the biggest test for Penn State's defense this season since Michigan's Mike Hart bullied them for 153 yards on 45 carries in the season's fourth week.
When Joe Paterno was asked about Hill at his weekly press conference, it sounded as if the coach had been researching the sophomore running back. Both men are from Brooklyn and their former high schools have a long-standing rivalry, the coach said.
"That kid is a difficult guy," Paterno said of Hill. "You've got to go in there and get after him."
After last season's loss to the Badgers, linebacker Dan Connor put the blame on Penn State's defense for not keeping the game close enough.
On Monday, Connor and the rest of the defense sat down to watch tape in preparation for this weekend's matchup with the Badgers and were reminded of that day last year.
Connor concluded this year's test might be just as tough as last year's. But, he added, facing Michigan's Hart and Illinois' Rashard Mendenhall were good warm-ups for trying to stop Hill.
"It gets you ready for anything you're going to face," Connor said. "It's definitely beneficial to have faced real good backs a few times this season."
Connor said the Lions' defense has earned a "B" or a "B-plus" grade for the first half of the season. Still, he is optimistic for this weekend.
"I really think that we can take another step in the defense," the senior linebacker said. "These next six games are going to be a time to prove it."
