After a large portion of head coach Luke Fickell's first three seasons in Madison were defined by injuries, Wisconsin has has some remarkable injury luck, both in terms of staying healthy but more so based on the key injuries opponent after opponent has suffered right before they've had to play the Badgers.

The trend started in earnest in Week 4 at then-No. 13 Penn State, when the Nittany Lions announced their best offensive player, wideout Koby Howard — who had put up 12 catches for a whopping 344 yards and two scores through three games — was out for an extended period of time.

It continued in Week 5 against Michigan State. In the lead-up to that game, tailback Cam Edwards, easily the Spartans' best offensive player, was ruled out for the season.

After a bye, the trend rolled on in Week 7 with UCLA starting quarterback Nico Iamleava suffering a season-ending injury before the Bruins' played Wisconsin. That didn't wind up mattering too much, however, as UCLA's backup Ty Dieffenbach tossed for 264 yards and led the Bruins to a win.

Against then-No. 16 USC, Wisconsin had the luxury of avoiding having to play Trojans' star tight end Mark Bowman. He had been out for several weeks already, but that was yet another example of Wisconsin's remarkable injury luck, or the lack thereof from its opponents.

Once again, Wisconsin catches a huge injury break ahead of arguably its biggest game of the season, on the road against Iowa on Halloween. Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz told reporters that starting tailback Kamari Moulton is out for the remainder of the season after he suffered a hand injury in Iowa's upset loss to Minnesota.

Moulton had 125 all-purpose yards and a touchdown against Wisconsin last season.

What Moulton's injury means for Saturday

Like the litany of other injuries Wisconsin's opponents have suffered right before they have to play the Badgers, this is a significant development for Iowa. Moulton was by far the leading rusher on the Hawkeyes with 86 carries for 541 yards (6.3 yards per carry) and four touchdowns. Iowa's next closest running back, Xavier Williams, has 25 carries for 187 yards and three scores.

Moulton had been on a tear this season. In his second year alone atop Iowa's running back room, he had notched 359 yards after contact alone and forced 28 missed tackles. For context, Wisconsin's Abu Sama and Darrion Dupree have combined to force 24 missed tackles on 14 more carries than Moulton.

Now, the Hawkeyes look poised to rely on some combination of Williams, LJ Phillips and Braeden Jackson. Williams and Jackson have both shown some explosiveness, ripping off a 48-yard run and a 62-yard run, respectively, but neither has been nearly as dynamic as Moulton.

Wisconsin must contain Iowa's ground game if it wants a shot in the battle for the Heartland Trophy. With Moulton out, the Badgers must capitalize.