Young D-line doing job for Penn St.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The back of his white jersey soiled by grass stains, P.J. Hill caught his breath on the sidelines. Covered in sweat, Wisconsin's tough tailback looked as if he were delivering another punishing performance.

Except this time, it was the Penn State defense and a jelling defensive line that delivered the knockout blows in a 38-7 rout of the Badgers on Saturday.

"They just play with a motor," senior captain Dan Connor said of the line. "They're relentless."

It's a nice sign for a defense that already features standouts Connor and Sean Lee at linebacker and a quick, experienced secondary.

It could be bad news next weekend for Indiana, Penn State's next foe, as the Nittany Lions (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten) try to climb back into the conference title chase.

Sophomore defensive end Maurice Evans was a pass-rushing force, notching two sacks and adding a highlight-reel solo stop for a loss to thwart an end-around by slumping Wisconsin (5-2, 2-2).

Sophomore tackle Chris Baker didn't start, but pushed around offensive linemen once he got in the game in the second quarter. Fellow tackles Ollie Ogbu, a freshman, and Jared Odrick, a sophomore, also provided some punch in the defensive line rotation.

Junior end Josh Gaines -- the only returning line starter from last season -- set the tone by forcing Hill to fumble on Wisconsin's first play.

The defense held an opponent to just one touchdown for the second straight week.

It helped that the Nittany Lions scored 14 points off two early Wisconsin turnovers, forcing the Badgers to play catch-up all day. Penn State's "bend-but-don't break" defense held firm.

"So we're getting them a little bit different than their M.O., and now our guys up front can start to dig in, because that's really an excellent offensive line that we played against," defensive coordinator Tom Bradley said.

There's a ripple effect when the line plays well. Connor and Lee are free to roam the field to make plays -- as when Lee picked up the fumble forced by Gaines.

"I think the biggest factor is the linebackers," Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema said. "The linebackers can really run, they were bringing pressure."

A quick, experienced secondary can hone in on third-and-long situations and concentrate on Bradley's mantra to "play to the ball." Defensive backs Lydell Sargeant and Anthony Scirrotto each had an interception.

Hill (groin, wrist) was slightly banged up and finished with 19 carries for a score and 75 yards -- 50 below his season average. His punishing running style took a toll early on the defense, though he wasn't really a factor after the first quarter.

Receiver Kyle Jefferson's 124 yards on six catches was the only glaring stat on offense for the Badgers, who were held to a season-low point total.

Potentially tough tests still await Penn State's defense. Indiana next weekend will feature an athletic young quarterback in Kellen Lewis.

There's the prime-time showdown at Beaver Stadium the following week against Ohio State -- Penn State's annual measuring stick game.

And the wear of the 12-game, no-break schedule is also starting to affect the Nittany Lions physically.

Ogbu and fellow tackle Tom McEowen have been nicked by nagging injuries all season. Odrick, who had a sack against Wisconsin, broke a bone in his left hand but is expected to be OK to play.

Sparkplug defensive end/linebacker Jerome Hayes, a key reserve, had to be helped off the field Saturday after appearing to hurt his right knee.

Another tackle, Phil Taylor, has battled weight problems, according to coach Joe Paterno. He had been part of the D-line rotation until this past weekend, and JoePa said Taylor was "in his doghouse" for an unspecified reason.

Key backup linebackers Navarro Bowman (ankle) and Dontay Brown (arm) have sat out the past couple weeks with injuries.

"Obviously I'm pleased that we appear to be making progress," Paterno said. "I'm not sure how far we are, but we've got some games to find out."