GAME NOTES: The Big House in Ann Arbor is the site of this Saturday's Big Ten- opening clash between the Wisconsin Badgers and the sixth-ranked Michigan Wolverines. Bret Bielema's first season at the helm has gotten off to a great start, as his Badgers have won their first three games by a combined score of 83-24. They are coming off a 14-0 whitewashing of San Diego State and a win in this contest would make Bielema only the second coach in UW history to start his career with four consecutive victories. Wisconsin has won 13 straight games in the month of September and has won its last three Big Ten openers. As for Michigan, it is coming off an impressive performance in its bout with then No. 2 Notre Dame, whipping the Fighting Irish on their own field, 47-21. It was the second straight game in which coach Lloyd Carr's club scored in excess of 40 points, and the Wolverines have outscored the opposition by a staggering 115-45 margin this season. Michigan has claimed victory in 36 of its last 38 Big Ten lidlifters, and had a 23-game league-opening win streak snapped last year at Wisconsin (23-20). The Maize and Blue still hold a commanding lead in the all- time series with the Badgers, 47-11-1, and last year's loss was UM's first to Wisconsin since October 29, 1994. As lopsided as the series appears, the last five meetings have been decided by seven points or fewer.

The Wisconsin offense did just enough the move the team to 3-0 last week, as it piled up 372 total yards and made a pair of second-half TDs hold up. The Big Ten's leading rusher, P.J. Hill, was at it again as he picked up a career-high 184 yards and a TD in helping the Badgers amass 287 yards on the ground. QB John Stocco was just 12-of-23 for 85 yards, but he hooked up with Paul Hubbard for a six-yard scoring strike in the fourth quarter. So far this season, Stocco is completing 57.1 percent of his passes for 145.3 ypg with three TDs and one INT. Hubbard leads the team in receiving, but has just eight catches. Hill is clearly the team's most dangerous offensive weapon, as he has 415 yards and five TDs already, averaging 5.9 ypc and 138.3 ypg. Slow starts have plagued the Badgers this season, as they are averaging just three points in the first quarter of games.

The UW defense was dominant last week against San Diego State, holding the Aztecs to just 115 total yards, including a mere 13 yards rushing. The Badgers have gone nearly 142 minutes without giving up a TD. Wisconsin's stand, particularly against the run, has shown dramatic improvement since the season opener in which Bowling Green accumulated 219 rushing yards, as the last two foes (Western Illinois and SDSU) have gained a combined 93 yards. Mark Zalewski had eight tackles, two of which were sacks, in last week's shutout, while Jonathan Casillas finished with six stops and a forced fumble. Zalewski is tied with Joe Stellmacher for the team lead in tackles with 25, and Casillas is hot on their heels with 23. Casillas has 4.5 TFLs, the team logging 17 for the season. Unfortunately, only six of those have resulted in sacks. Another somewhat disappointing stat is the mere four turnovers the Badgers have collected to this point, but when you're giving up just 8.0 ppg, that can almost be excused.

Simply put, the Wolverines came to play last week. The Fighting Irish were bullied all afternoon, as the UM offense did pretty much what it wanted and finished with 340 total yards, including 220 passing. The pass-catch combo of Chad Henne to Mario Manningham proved lethal as the latter wound up with four grabs for 137 yards and three TDs. Henne hit a lackluster 13-of-22 pass attempts, but made some big plays when UM needed them most. Mike Hart led the Wolverines' ground effort, rushing for 124 yards and a TD on 31 carries. Manningham, who was recently named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for his monster performance against the Irish, has four of the team's five receiving TDs on the year, while Steve Breaston is its top receiver in terms of catches with 12. Hart is averaging 128.7 ypg on the ground and has reached the end zone four times, while Henne is a 54.0 percent passer with five TDs against only one INT. As a team, Michigan is posting 38.3 ppg behind 369.0 ypg. The run has clearly been the Wolverines' bread and butter, accounting for 206.0 ypg and six TDs.

The Michigan defense completely shut down the Notre Dame rushing attack last week, allowing the Irish a mere four yards on 17 carries. UND QB Brady Quinn did throw for 234 yards and three TDs, but he was intercepted three times and sacked three times as well. The Irish were a woeful 2-of-14 on third down and held the ball for just 26 minutes. Add to that two lost fumbles and 11 penalties and it's not difficult to see why Notre Dame struggled. Morgan Trent was one of three Wolverines to log six stops on the day, and he also pounced on a loose ball, while Prescott Burgess came up with a pair of picks, one of which he returned 31 yards for a TD, in being tabbed the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. LaMarr Woodley also got into the scoring act, picking up a fumble and taking it 54 yards to paydirt. Michigan is allowing just 15 points and 206.7 total yards per contest through the first three games, impressive numbers to say the least. Foes have found it extremely difficult to move the ball on the ground, doing so for just 20.7 ypg.

This is an interesting matchup, pitting the Big Ten's top ground gainer (Wisconsin's Hill) against its top run defense (Michigan). Unfortunately for Badger fans, their team is pretty much a one-trick pony on offense, although Stocco has the ability to do some damage through the air. In the end, expect the Wolverines to prevail on the strength of some timely plays on offense and another suffocating performance on defense.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Michigan 27, Wisconsin 13