The Badgers had a night to forget on Saturday against one of their biggest rivals.
The Wisconsin Badgers came into Iowa City and Kinnick Stadium hoping to bring the Heartland Trophy back to Madison for the first time in two years against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
They weren’t able to accomplish that and instead lost 42-10 in what was a disappointing performance from the team.
Here’s what went wrong for Wisconsin in their 42-10 loss to Iowa.
Run game
Tawee Walker hasn’t looked as good these past two weeks against Iowa and Penn State. Granted, both of those teams have strong run defenses, but it still shouldn’t make him a non-factor in the offense. Walker’s struggles have limited Wisconsin’s success on the ground, which also hurts this offense.
One thing that frustrated me was how Darrion Dupree was very effective and continued to play well against this Hawkeye defense, yet he still had nine fewer carries than Walker. If Walker is gassed or isn’t playing well, I don’t see the downside in giving Dupree, Jones, and Yacamelli carries.
Braedyn Locke
Braedyn Locke’s struggles with turnovers continued in this game. Locke threw two bad interceptions and set Iowa up for easy scoring opportunities both times. He has struggled with knowing how long to hold the football.
On multiple plays this game, Locke held the ball for a couple of seconds too long, which gave the opposing defense time to adjust and stifle the play.
Another issue with Locke has been his lack of size. Since he is so much smaller than most defensive linemen, so many of his passes are tipped and batted down by the opposing defense.
That’s not something he can control, but it hurts the offense when someone who is smaller isn’t a dual threat and doesn’t have the best pocket presence.
Run defense
I really like Coach Tressel and think that he’s done a very good job as Wisconsin’s defensive coordinator thus far. However, the defensive line and run defense have been a killer for the Badgers all season.
The run defense always starts off well but since the offense doesn’t have very long drives, it gives the defense little time off the field. The defensive line was always a concern heading into this season, but is amplified when they face teams that only run.
Iowa’s quarterback Brendan Sullivan diced up this Badger defensive line and easily created plays with his legs. Wisconsin needs to attack the transfer portal and find a defensive lineman who can help fix these issues.
I still think Wisconsin will end up 7-5 and beat Nebraska and Minnesota, but this loss makes that prediction and outcome a lot more difficult.