MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin’s offense took the field with 7:39 remaining in the fourth quarter backed up inside its own 10-yard-line against Ohio State. It wasn’t exactly an ideal situation for the Badgers, but the rub was this: They had given themselves an opportunity to tie the score with a long drive and send Camp Randall Stadium into hysterics.
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That drive never materialized. Wisconsin went three-and-out, punted and surrendered a touchdown in a 24-10 loss to No. 3 Ohio State. But at least the Badgers had earned a fighting chance late in the game. Here are three initial takeaways from Wisconsin’s performance:
1. This was the type of game in which Wisconsin absolutely needed to win the turnover battle, and the Badgers’ defense came through even in a losing effort. Wisconsin’s defense played outstanding football for lengthy stretches against an explosive Ohio State team and recorded three first-half turnovers.
Outside linebacker C.J. Goetz sacked Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord for an 8-yard loss on fourth down, and inside linebacker Maema Njongmeta recovered the McCord fumble. Safety Preston Zachman made a remarkable diving interception of McCord by keeping his left ankle inbounds in the right side of the end zone after McCord rolled to his right and threw a pass intended for wide receiver Carnell Tate.
Finally, cornerback Ricardo Hallman intercepted a McCord pass when he stepped in front of wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. — Hallman’s fifth interception this season. Those plays resulted in only three points by the offense, as Wisconsin entered halftime trailing 10-3.
Wisconsin’s defense brought consistent pressure and finished with nine tackles for loss and four sacks. The Badgers twice forced intentional grounding penalties in the second half on third downs, one from outside linebacker Darryl Peterson that pushed the Buckeyes out of field goal range and one from inside linebacker Jake Chaney. Wisconsin eventually ran out of gas, but the defensive effort should largely be applauded, even with Ohio State surpassing 400 yards of total offense.
2. Running back Braelon Allen had a tough game on a big stage. He entered the night with two fumbles on 120 carries this season but fumbled on back-to-back plays over the course of two drives, losing one of them. After Wisconsin recovered a McCord fumble, Allen gave the ball right back as he fought for yardage across midfield. Ohio State took advantage with a field goal for a 3-0 lead. Allen then fumbled on the first play of the next drive, but left tackle Jack Nelson fell on the ball. Yet those plays weren’t the worst thing to happen to Allen on Saturday night.
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Allen suffered a left leg injury late in the second quarter when he was stopped short of the goal line on a shovel pass from quarterback Braedyn Locke on third-and-goal from the 1. That sequence proved to be the play of the game, as Wisconsin was forced to kick a field goal. Allen needed assistance from two staffers as he limped off the field at halftime and did not play the rest of the game. He returned to the sideline during the third quarter out of uniform and in a walking boot. Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell had no update on Allen’s status afterward. Allen finished with 10 carries for 50 yards.
Wisconsin was forced to use Jackson Acker as its top tailback with Allen and Chez Mellusi (who suffered a broken leg against Purdue) out. The Badgers even brought in Cade Yacamelli, who opened the season as the No. 4 running back and earned his first carry — a four-yard loss with Wisconsin backed up near its own goal line.
3. Wisconsin found itself in a difficult position because of injuries, and Allen wasn’t the only big name to be lost for the game. Chimere Dike limped off the field after being tackled on a kick return with 10:29 remaining in the second quarter and did not play the rest of the way. Not having Allen, Dike, Mellusi and quarterback Tanner Mordecai was a lot to overcome. Outside of Locke’s 13-yard touchdown pass to receiver Will Pauling, the Badgers couldn’t generate much momentum on offense.
Wisconsin started three drives beyond its own 40-yard line in the first half, which included one that began at the Ohio State 36-yard line following a 35-yard punt return from Dike. The Badgers were flagged for a delay of game penalty on the drive, and kicker Nathanial Vakos eventually missed a 54-yard field goal well left.
Wisconsin’s best scoring chance came when it had first-and-goal at the Ohio State 1-yard line late in the second quarter. But the Badgers couldn’t punch the ball in the end zone. Locke went under center and completed a quick pass to slot receiver Skyler Bell, but Bell’s knee was down at the 1 as he caught the ball and a potential touchdown was negated on replay review. Allen then was stopped on the third-down shovel pass.
(Photo: Jeff Hanisch / USA Today)
Jesse Temple is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Wisconsin Badgers. He has covered the Badgers beat since 2011 and previously worked for FOX Sports Wisconsin, ESPN.com and Land of 10. Follow Jesse on Twitter @jessetemple
