The University of Wisconsin football team might not want to mess up a good thing when it comes to freshman linebacker Chris Borland.

Even though Borland played well as the replacement for the injured Mike Taylor in the last game against Iowa, it looks like the coaches are now leaning toward starting junior Blake Sorensen on Saturday against Purdue.

"Blake's been kind of one of the unsung heroes," UW coach Bret Bielema said at his Monday news conference. "He maybe statistically hasn't popped up but he's been there, he's been really the backup for all three linebacker positions since fall camp.

"A guy that came in with the hopes of being a starting linebacker and still might be on Saturday, depending on how he practices this week."

Borland had 10 tackles, including 21⁄2 for losses, and forced a fumble in the 20-10 loss to the Hawkeyes two weeks ago. He took over as the strong-side linebacker after Taylor suffered a torn ACL early in the second quarter.

During last week's bye, Borland was regarded as the likely starter. But he plays on all four main special teams units and is also a blitzer in the 3-3-5 formation the Badgers use on third downs.

"Chris has got a lot on his plate," Bielema said. "We kind of had to weigh and measure, is he better off playing as an every-down starter or a guy that can continue to fill that role for us and be productive?

"Sometimes, freshmen just can't handle as big a picture as you want. As much as I'd love for it to be the seventh game of his sophomore year, it's still his first year of playing."

One consideration could be Sorensen's ability in pass coverage, which is his strength. Purdue rushed for 220 yards on 39 carries in a 24-14 win over Illinois on Saturday, but the Boilermakers still rely on the pass. They rank third in the Big Ten Conference in passing, averaging 254.6 yards per game.

Borland expressed confidence last week in his ability to play both the run and pass. But most of his experience on defense prior to the last game was as a pass rusher, not in coverage.

"I can always get better and I'm going to try and get better," Borland said of being an every-down player. "But I'm not guessing out there at all."

Appleton to be involved

After weeks of talking about getting freshman wide receiver Kraig Appleton involved in the offense, the Badgers are going to force the issue.

Appleton, the heralded recruit who was slowed by a hamstring injury early in the season, has played in five games but has not caught a pass.

Bielema compared it to using backup quarterback Curt Phillips against Iowa.

"I think you've got to force it," Bielema said. "When we make a decision we're going to get Curt Phillips in the game we say, 'This is when it's going to happen, this is how it's going to happen.'

"So, that's what we've done this past week with Kraig, 'This is where we're going to get him in, this is what we're going to do.' "

One of the issues, Bielema said, is two tight ends and one running back remains the team's preferred formation. That allows for only two receivers and Nick Toon and Isaac Anderson were playing well.

Toon was battling minor injuries the two weeks before the bye, which gave Appleton a chance for a few more snaps.

"Nick had been a little bit dinged up and hadn't been able to take the number of reps," Bielema said. "Just a matter of getting reps on the field (for Appleton)."

Anderson potentially to return kicks

Anderson came up to Bielema last week and requested to return kickoffs.

"If he continues to catch the ball well this week in practice, we'll probably give him an opportunity," Bielema said.

The Badgers don't have much to lose at this point. They rank 10th in the Big Ten in kickoff returns, averaging 18.1 yards. Their main returner, David Gilreath, ranks seventh individually with a 21.7 average.

Anderson practiced as a returner in camp, but when the season started coaches wanted him to focus on playing receiver.

"One of the things I told our team last Sunday, 'As coaches, we're always open to ideas,' " Bielema said. "You focus in on what you see in front of you. Sometimes, you don't even have a young man pop in your mind."

Extra points

UW's game against Indiana on Nov. 7 will have an 11 a.m. kickoff and be televised by the Big Ten Network. ... Other than Taylor, who is out for the season, Bielema said the Badgers are healthy. ... According to NCAA statistics, UW has played the 11th-toughest schedule to date and second-toughest in the Big Ten behind Iowa.

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