The Badgers had a rough loss over the weekend to a top-three teams.
Let’s be honest: the Wisconsin Badgers loss to Penn State was demoralizing, especially since the team had a 10-7 lead with momentum. It was an opportunity for Luke Fickell and the Badgers to pick up their first top-5 win since 2016, and they let it slip. Coming up with three positives after a loss was a challenge.
I have been a Braedyn Locke defender this season, but yesterday’s game was unacceptable. Locke finished 22 of 42 for 217 yards but threw a galling pick-six deep in Wisconsin territory to Penn State safety Jaylen Reed that turned the game around in favor of the Nittany Lions. It was a back-breaking turnover that the Badgers could not afford if they wanted any shot at a big upset.
It is unfair to specifically blame Locke for the Badgers’ loss, especially given the wide receiver drops from both Trech Kekahuna and Will Pauling this game, but his play was not enough to pull off the upset.
In addition to quarterback play, the offense took a step back. The Badgers had a difficult time generating anything from the run game. As Rohan mentioned yesterday, Tawee Walker was held to 2.7 yards per game. That is his lowest since he was held to 2.4 yards per game in the Badgers’ blowout loss to Alabama in September.
While the negatives outweigh the positives, this game had some good takeaways. As mentioned earlier, Will Pauling had critical drops but rebounded to finish with eight catches for 79 yards. On defense, Hunter Wohler did have a solid game for the Badgers. His 11 tackles, including seven solo tackles, were a team-high.
Next week, Wisconsin travels to Kinnick Stadium to face an Iowa Hawkeyes team that might have found something on offense with backup quarterback and Northwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan. Their defense has yet to live up to the elite standard they set last year, so if the Badgers can make some adjustments on offense and get better quarterback play, they might come away with a victory.
Here are three positives to take away from the Badgers loss to third-ranked Penn State:
Atticus Bertrams
Special teams were solid for most of this game, and punter Atticus Bertrams got the Badgers’ momentum started immediately. A fake punt on the game’s first drive led to the Badgers’ first points. After that drive, Bertrams’ punts in the first half pinned the Nittany Lions deep in their territory.
Nathaniel Vakos
Vakos had been unable to replicate his solid 2023 season so far, but seeing him hit his two field goal attempts in Saturday’s game was refreshing. His successful field goals were critical in keeping the Badgers in the game.
No Major Injuries
Wisconsin will enter the Iowa game without all starters injured, which is critical if the Badgers want to get back into the win column and extend their bowl streak. Wide receiver Bryson Green may return next week, but we will see if the same can be said for safety Kamo’i Latu.