PASADENA, Calif. - BadgerBlitz.com reporter Benjamin Worgull grades Wisconsin after a 28-27 loss to Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

The fact that Wisconsin was in the game down the stretch to begin with was a miracle, considering the Badgers’ offense turned the ball over three times inside their own 35-yard line. Oregon cashed those in for 14 points.

Wisconsin’s offense was stuck in neutral for the majority of the first half and, to be frank, lacked some creativity.

Tailback JonathanTaylor was bottled up by Oregon’s front and when he did get something going in the first half, a pair of holding penalties erased 12-yard gains.

Quarterback Jack Coan was his usually efficient self by going, 15-for-18 and completing passes to seven different receivers, but the junior only threw for 88 yards and misfired badly to Quintez Cephus, a throw behind the receiver that was picked off in UW territory.

UW might have also had a touchdown to start the second half, but Coan underthrew a wide-open Kendric Pryor, creating a jump-ball opportunity that went incomplete. That was the start of more creativity – or guts– from Wisconsin. On a fourth-and-1 from the Oregon 45, Wisconsin faked dive and Coan hit Taylor for 34 yards on a wheel route.

All those good plays were overshadowed by the mistakes. Coan’s interception erased the first Wisconsin lead and Danny Davis’ fourth-quarter fumble led to the last lead the Badgers would hold.

The game didn’t start great for Wisconsin’s defense, as Oregon elected to receive and preceded to run and pass the ball down their throats on a 12-play touchdown drive. To credit of defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard and his players, the Badgers quickly adjusted.

Jack Sanborn intercepted Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert on the first play of the next drive, and the Badgers limited the Ducks to only eight yards on the next 14 plays, including a critical fourth-and-1 stop of tailback CJ Verdell at the Wisconsin 27. The only touchdowns UW allowed was on a 33-yard scoring drive following Coan’s pick and a 30-yard Herbert scramble following Davis’ fumble.

After allowing the Ducks to gain 75 yards of offense on the first drive, Wisconsin didn’t allow Oregon to gain its next 75 yards until Herbert’s 30-yard scramble midway through the fourth quarter.

The Badgers held once to get the ball back to their offense but were unable to do it again, as the Ducks ran out the clock.

Aron Cruickshank twice flipped momentum for Wisconsin when he returned his first kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, whipping out Oregon’s game-opening touchdown, and going 47 yards on his second return to setup UW’s only offensive touchdown of the first half.

Collin Larsh cashed in Herbert’s interception with a 44-yard field goal in the first quarter, but he missed a 47-yard field goal to the left in the second quarter, leaving a once promising drive with no points.

Anthony Lotti nearly had his first punt block before delivering a beauty that flipped field position. He wasn’t as fortunate on his second attempt, muffing his drop and allowed the Ducks to take a 21-17 lead with a 31-yard fumble return.

Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst could have been subject to massive ridicule by the message boards had his fourth-and-1 gambles of Taylor’s wheel route and Mason Stokke’s 2-yard touchdown not paid off early in the third quarter. On UW’s fourth-and-1, Chryst called an end-around to Jack Dunn that moved the chains inside the red zone and set up UW for a field goal.

Leonhard made sure to craft a fine balance between when to and not to bring pressure. The result was Herbert’s passing attack being held mostly in check and Verdell being mimited to under 50 rushing yards.

A solid defensive performance was waisted by four turnovers that ultimately sent Wisconsin to a fourth straight Rose Bowl loss. The Badgers have become all too familiar with heartbreak in Pasadena and this one might be the one that hurts the most.