MADISON, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin’s defense had a monumental task on its hands in primetime. How would the Badgers slow an offense that possessed a statistically solid quarterback, arguably the best wide receiver in the sport, and depth at the other skill positions?
Defensive coordinator Mike Tressel and his group delivered a game plan that proved up to the task. The problem was they could only do so much, especially considering all the issues Wisconsin’s offense, special teams, and play calling laid on top of them in the first half.
“This one hurts. We played our tails off, we fought, and we came up short,” said safety Hunter Wohler, as Wisconsin could never fully get over the hump in a 24-10 defeat to No.3 Ohio State Saturday night. “We’ve just got to finish. We’ve got to be able to close the game out.”
Wisconsin’s defense looked nothing like the unit that was bludgeoned in Columbus 399 days ago, at least in the opening half. After giving up 52 points, 539 yards, and 7.7 yards per play, UW (5-3, 3-2 Big Ten) limited its visitors to 10 points, 5.5 yards per play, and forced three turnovers in the opening act.
But there could only be so many times the defense could be put in adverse situations and be asked to deliver. Midfield fumble? Hold them. Missed field goals? Stop Them. Shanked punt … Do it again?
While the defense answered the call, an offense stuck in neutral for seven of the previous eight quarters couldn’t crack an Ohio State unit that was third nationally in points allowed (10.0 per game) and fifth in yards allowed (260.2). On six first-half drives, Wisconsin managed 83 yards of offense, five first downs, and countless missed opportunities.
“We’ve got to step up,” head coach Luke Fickell said. “We got to make everybody around us better.”
Life only became harder as the game progressed when receiver Chimere Dike and Braelon Allen – UW’s only healthy, capable tailback – were ruled out for the second half with leg injuries. It was cruel irony considering Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson returned from a three-game injury absence to wear down Wisconsin in the second half (207 yards on 28 touches) to keep the Buckeyes (8-0, 5-0) perfect and UW still searching for answers.
“When defenses are playing their tails off, getting us in great position, forcing some turnovers, it’s definitely frustrating,” said receiver Will Pauling, who led UW with 51 receiving yards. “We’ve got to be able to run our offense.”
The Badgers lost last year’s meeting in Columbus in the first 16 minutes, 30 seconds of game time, trailing 28-0 after giving up 241 yards on a mere 23 plays. Over that same stretch of time Saturday, the Buckeyes scratched out only three points on a 5.0 yards per play average (129 yards on 26 plays).
Marvin Harrison Jr. – who entered the weekend leading the Big Ten in receiving yards (766) and yards per catch (18.2) – was blanked by cornerbacks Ricardo Hallman and Nyzier Fourqurean, limited to one 35-yard catch on five targets in that early stretch. He finished with six catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns, but no other Ohio State player had more than 45 receiving yards.
“We weren’t scared, we weren’t nervous, we just went out and played our ball,” Wohler said. “Defensively when we do that, we’re really frickin’ good. When we do our job and compete and just fly around, we’re a tough defense to score on.”
UW started the game in grand fashion, having outside linebacker C.J. Goetz’s speed off the edge forcing a strip sack on fourth down at the UW 33. Two plays later, the Buckeyes got the ball back after Allen fumbled at the OSU 44.
Inside linebacker Jordan Turner limited that damage to a field goal after his tackle on third-and-four forced the 27-yard chip-shot. Safety Preston Zachman’s end-zone interception erased another prime Ohio State scoring opportunity, one that came after UW gained zero yards following Dike’s 35-yard punt return to the OSU 36 and Nathanial Vakos’ 54-yard attempt fell well left and short.
UW's three forced turnovers only put three points on the scoreboard … and even that decision was disappointing.
Hallman’s interception and subsequent return spearheaded the offense’s first sustained drive. Needing eight plays to reach the one-yard line, UW thought it had a one-yard touchdown catch from Skyler Bell, only to have the call reverse after replays showed Bell received the low throw with his knee touching the turf.
“I take full responsibility for that,” said quarterback Braedyn Locke, who went 18-for-39 for 165 yards, one touchdown, and no interception with a reduced arsenal around him. “It was a pretty poor throw to Skyler Bell … If I just put the ball on his chest, he’s going to be able to duck right in.”
What followed bordered on the unusual, two straight plays from the 1-yard line out of a shotgun formation that gained no yards, the last of which was a quick pass to Allen that caused the junior to suffer his leg injury. With three seconds left and facing fourth down, UW elected to kick the field goal rather than go for seven, drawing plenty of ire from the sellout crowd and on social media.
“I made the decision in my head that we needed to get points,” Fickell said. “Those are the plays that in order to beat a team like that you need to capitalize on in those situations, and we just weren’t able to do it.”
UW managed to get its touchdown on its first drive of the second half, a 13-yard strike from Locke to Pauling on third-and-8 to tie the score, but Ohio State responded with a touchdown of its own on the ensuing drive and never looked back, holding UW to less than 25 total yards on four of the Badgers’ final five drives.
The early struggles follow a familiar pattern. Wisconsin has scored a combined 27 points in eight opening quarters, has registered points on only 13 of 49 first-half possessions (26.5 percent), and is averaging 1.4 points per possession in the opening half. UW has led at halftime only three times this season, defeats that prevent them from currently controlling their path to the Big Ten Championship game.
Already playing without two of its top offensive weapons in quarterback Tanner Mordecai and tailback Chez Mellusi, Wisconsin is going to have to dig deeper down the roster if Allen and Dike need to miss more time ... depleting a depleted offense even further.
“We’re going to have to find those guys,” Fickell said, “who have the ability to step up when somebody else goes down.”
_________________________________________________
*Chat about this article in The Badgers' Den
*Check out our videos, interviews, and Q&As on our YouTube channel
*Subscribe and listen to the BadgerBlitz.com podcast (as seen on Apple, Google, Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts)
*Follow us on Twitter: @McNamaraRivals, @TheBadgerNation, @RaulV45, @seamus_rohrer, @DonnieSlusher_
*Like us on Facebook
