Wisconsin’s defense did plenty to keep the Badgers in games this season, but it can’t keep carrying the whole load.
That was the big takeaway from Saturday’s trip to Iowa, where Wisconsin’s offense never gave its defense much of a chance. The Badgers finished with 235 yards, picked up only nine first downs and were shut out. They had the ball for less than 24 minutes, and that kind of day puts a defense in a brutal spot.
Yes, Wisconsin gave up 30 points. That’s not a number anyone wants to see. But the offense made the margin feel even wider by going nowhere for long stretches and failing to score at all.
The contrast with the USC game was impossible to miss. Wisconsin’s defense intercepted two passes, recorded five sacks and held USC to minus-18 rushing yards.
That effort helped the Badgers win 24-7, even though the offense managed only 200 yards. Colton Joseph threw for 58 yards in that one, and the defense made it irrelevant.
That’s the problem. You can get away with that once in a while. You can’t build a season around it.
Against Iowa, Wisconsin ran for just 52 yards and averaged 2.2 yards per carry. Joseph and Ryan Hopkins combined for 183 passing yards, but most of that production never turned into points.
The one sequence that looked like it might change the game came late in the second quarter, when Joseph connected with Jaylon Domingeaux for 41 yards to move the Badgers to the Iowa 8. Wisconsin came away with nothing.
Iowa controlled the game for more than 36 minutes and ran 66 plays, which only made the strain on Wisconsin’s defense more obvious. The Badgers kept having to get off the field, then turn right back around and do it again.
The season numbers don’t point to a defense that’s dragging Wisconsin down. The Badgers are allowing a little more than 17 points per game and just over 100 rushing yards. The offense, though, has been far less reliable.
Wisconsin scored seven points against UCLA. It got enough defensive help to beat USC while producing 200 yards. Then came Saturday, when the Badgers didn’t score at all.
The quarterback situation is still unsettled, and it’s still unclear whether Joseph or Hopkins gives Wisconsin the better chance. But this wasn’t just about the quarterback. Wisconsin has to run the ball better, stay on the field longer and cash in when it gets to the 8-yard line in a game like that.
This is the part that stands out: Wisconsin has already beaten Penn State and USC, so the ceiling is there. The defense has done enough to keep the Badgers alive in a lot of these games.
Now the offense has to give something back.
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Delaware now arrives as the next test, and it will be the first-ever meeting between the programs. Wisconsins projected starting group is expected to look much like it did in the opener, even as a few players are still working their way back from injury, which leaves the Badgers with an early chance to clean up the details before the schedule starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]
Barry Alvarez Just Turned Up Pressure On Wisconsin's Quarterback Debate
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It is the kind of idea that can sound simple in theory and complicated in practice, especially with Rutgers, Maryland and Purdue coming up. Those games could become the backdrop for a live evaluation, one that tests not only Hopkins readiness but also how long Wisconsin can keep the competition balanced before the quarterback question demands a more permanent answer. [Read more 🡒]