Things aren’t getting any easier for the NIU football team.

Coming off a 37-6 loss to South Florida, the Huskies have No. 18, Wisconsin, staring them in the face. The Badgers host NIU Saturday at 11:10 a.m. at Camp Randall Stadium.

NIU senior cornerback Vince Thompson doubtfully will be out with an undisclosed injury.

Wisconsin (3-0) has dominated its last two games, defeating UNLV and West Virginia by a combined score of 61-24.

NIU (1-1) will play its second game without senior tailback Thomas Hammock, who is out with an undisclosed heart condition.

Huskie quarterback Josh Haldi would be wise to be careful with his pass selection. Wisconsin has picked off eight passes this season and forced 10 turnovers.

“We have to play smart football and not turn the ball over,” Haldi said. “If we can do that, we should have a good shot at positive things happening for us.”

The Badgers’ offensive attack is led by tailback Anthony Davis, who rushed for 340 yards this season. Signal caller Brooks Bollinger is the team’s second-leading rusher and possesses a 137.9 quarterback rating.

Freshman flanker Jonathan Orr has made his presence felt for Wisconsin, accumulating 285 receiving yards and three touchdowns this season.

On the defensive side of the ball, sophomore strong safety Jim Leonhard has been the main thief with three interceptions.

Against USF, the Huskies allowed a 95-yard touchdown pass that put them down 16-0 and seemed to break their backs.

“We can’t allow that,” NIU coach Joe Novak said. “We know they’re going to make some plays, but we need to keep those to 10-15 yards.”

With Hammock gone, Michael Turner got the majority of the carries against USF, rushing 29 times for 66 yards. True freshman Adrian Davis and A.J. Harris also will take handoffs from Haldi on Saturday, Novak said.

“They’ll all get opportunities,” Novak said. “Whoever is getting the best results will get the ball.”

Two underclassmen have been pleasant surprises for Novak at the wide receiver position. Sophomore Dan Sheldon is the team’s leading receiver with seven grabs for 153 yards while true freshman Sam Hurd has three catches for 54 yards.

A Texas native, Hurd is the youngest Huskie at age 17.

“He’s really coming on,” Novak said. “He’s getting better and better and will get more opportunities as the season goes along.”

While last week’s loss should be motivation enough, the Huskies have the extra incentive of playing a perennial Big Ten powerhouse in its own house.

“This is a great opportunity to play football against a real good team,” Haldi said. “You only get a couple chances a year to play a team like Wisconsin, so we’ve got to take advantage.”