MADISON - Offensive coordinator Bobby Engram met with the media Tuesday to recap the Badgers' beatdown of Maryland and preview the road trip to Iowa. He touched on Iowa's impressive defense, the receiving tandem of Chimere Dike and Skyler Bell, and more.

Below, BadgerBlitz.com outlines the key takeaways.

While much has been made of Iowa's at times hilariously incompetent offense, the Hawkeyes have a formidable defense that has kept them in games this season. They get lots of pressure from a variety of guys, and they have a few cornerbacks who are great at getting their hands on the ball.

"They're extremely sound. They play hard, physical. Nothing's easy. They don't pressure a lot. They have the ability to pressure; they'll send five. They have some things where they can bring six, they'll zero blitz you," Engram said. "They're well coached, and they understand the scheme. Each guy seems to know what his responsibility and his job is. It's gonna be a tough challenge. It'll be an exciting game to go up there and see where we are, go against one of the top defenses in the country."

This game is setting up to be an absolute slugfest with the way both defenses are currently playing. The Hawkeyes are very stingy — this will be the Badgers' toughest test offensively since Illinois came to town and shut them down.

Wisconsin deployed their seventh different offensive line combination against Maryland, sending out (from left to right) Jack Nelson, Tanor Bortolini, Joe Tippmann, Trey Wedig and Riley Mahlman. It's a young group that has a lot of promise and potential; what are Engram's thoughts on that iteration of the offensive line?

"For me, the o-line is five guys trying to play as one. So the more we can get those five guys playing together, the more they communicate, the more they learn certain run schemes," Engram said. Indeed, the continuity of an offensive line is a big factor in how it performs, and the Badgers have had anything but continuity in the offensive trenches this season.

"I think all five of those guys have experience, all five of those guys have position flexibility. Health is a big part of it. Those guys have battled through some adversity that we don't talk about a lot, and they don't make excuses. But just being healthy, being able to go out there and play fast and physical, which is our brand of football. It bodes well for us, just getting healthy at the right time...It's a good group of guys, they did really well...We ran the ball really well in some tough conditions vs. a good defense."

It's hard not to get excited about that young group and what they can accomplish moving forward if they can stay healthy and the lineup can stay intact.

Wisconsin's top two wideouts, Dike and Bell, have shown a lot to like for the Badgers this season. The Badgers don't run anything close to an air raid, but that doesn't mean their receivers can't be difference makers. Dike has been especially good at moving the sticks on third down.

"No. 1, he's playing really fast and confident in what we're asking him to do," Engram said of the junior receiver. "No. 2, as you mature as a player, I think he understands defenses better. He's seeing defenses, knowing off of leverage, based on the safety rotation, what they want to do. And just post snap. You gotta be in tune to what you're doing after the snap, because teams are gonna make you adjust, make the quarterback read after the ball is snapped. So with his experience, it's really helping him get better in those areas."

Dike has been steadily reliable for Graham Mertz this year, as he should be given his standing as the most veteran wide receiver on the team. But other receivers are making themselves know as well in Madison, chief among them being the redshirt freshman Bell. He seems to get better with ever game, and Engram loves to use him not only through the air, but on the ground off sweeps and reverses.

"I like the fact that he's strong at the catch point. I really like him after the catch with the ball in his hands. You seen growth in every area, honestly. I think I said he was the most improved in the spring, and he just consistently kept improving. But he's a guy that can run routes, has great feet, strong at the catch point. He's got a really good upside; I like everything about his game."

Bell is a bright, young talent at receiver that should be a staple of this offense for several years.

Ever since Chez Mellusi went down with a leg injury, the Badgers have been very particular about which backs they're handing the ball to. Specifically, no back besides Braelon Allen and Isaac Guerendo have gotten involved. Who would the next man up be if the injury bug again bit the running back room?

"Right now, it's been (Brady) Schipper and Julius (Davis). Based on health. I think Julius had a bit of an injury last week. So I think every week is a little different, hopefully we can get Chez back here soon...Right now it'll be one of those two guys based on what coach Al (Johnson) sees, where we're going with the game situationally, that'll dictate who's the third guy. But we feel comfortable with both those guys."

Engram told the press last week that he feels comfortable going deeper than Allen and Guerendo. The snaps have yet to reflect that, but it appears as though at least officially, some combination of Schipper and Davis will make up the halfback three spot for Wisconsin.

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