Wisconsin did what it had to do against No. 16 USC, and then some.
The Badgers turned in the kind of defensive performance that can swallow a game whole, smothering the Trojans in a 24-7 win that leaned heavily on Mike Tressel’s group. USC’s offense never found a rhythm, never found space, and never came close to looking comfortable. Wisconsin made the Trojans’ skill talent irrelevant for long stretches and forced the kind of night USC will want to forget.
The number that jumps off the page is the most brutal one: USC finished with -17 rushing yards. The Trojans’ longest run went for just seven yards, courtesy of tailback Shan Alston, and Wisconsin limited them to a wild -0.7 yards per carry while piling up nine tackles for loss. The Badgers were in the backfield constantly, and the front seven set the tone from the first quarter on.
Hammond Russell IV and Junior Poyser helped make the middle of the line look sealed shut. Sebastian Cheeks did a strong job on the edge, while Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano kept disrupting things from the inside linebacker spot. Behind them, Wisconsin’s secondary added two interceptions and held Jayden Maiava to his second-lowest completion percentage of the season at 62%, along with his second-lowest yardage total at 258.
Tressel’s approach deserves a lot of credit too. He mixed in exotic blitzes throughout the night and leaned more on man coverage than usual, a wrinkle that clearly paid off. It was one of the more inventive game plans he has put together since arriving in Madison.
That defensive edge gave Wisconsin room to survive an offense that was effective enough, but not explosive. The Badgers kept adjusting their starting five up front, sticking with Stylz Blackmon at center and starting Barrett Nelson at guard for his first start of the season, which sent PJ Wilkins to the bench. Austin Kawecki was available, but Wisconsin chose to keep Blackmon snapping rather than have Kawecki, who has a broken right hand, try to use his left hand.
The run game wasn’t flashy, but it was good enough to control the night. On Wisconsin’s final touchdown drive, Bryan Jackson - the former Trojan - ran for 26 yards and nearly finished the job himself with the knockout score. By then, the Badgers had clearly worn USC down and taken over the line of scrimmage.
Abu Sama was a featured part of the plan from the start. He got 17 carries, a season-high, and also caught two passes, including a swing pass on Wisconsin’s opening drive. The Badgers clearly wanted him involved, and he responded with 4.2 yards per carry while forcing misses and churning out steady production.
That ground game, paired with Colton Joseph’s legs, gives Wisconsin a foundation. The bigger question is whether the passing attack can ever rise to match the defense. Joseph has just 124 passing yards over his last two games combined, a startlingly low total even with a win over the No. 16 team in the country now in that stretch.
Malachi Coleman’s absence didn’t help the vertical threat, but Joseph still finished 12 of 14. He was accurate, protected the ball and kept the offense on schedule. What Wisconsin didn’t have was any real downfield passing presence, and that part of the offense remains the piece holding the whole thing back.
In Other News...
USC's Wisconsin Loss Brought Back Familiar Problems Fans Feared
USCs trip to Madison was supposed to feel like a reset after the bye week, but instead it dragged old concerns back into the spotlight. The Trojans flashed on defense early, generating sacks and tackles for loss, yet the offense never found a steady rhythm against Wisconsin and spent too much of the night dealing with mistakes and a ground game that went nowhere.
Wisconsin, meanwhile, settled in after the opening stretch and took control the way Badgers teams often do, leaning on the run game and shortening the game with long possessions. By the second half, the pressure was squarely on USC to answer, and the 24-7 final only deepened the sense that the same issues fans feared before the trip are still waiting to be fixed. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Just Got A New Reason To Believe Against USC
Wisconsin heads into its matchup with USC with a little more confidence than a typical underdog brings, and it is easy to see why. The Badgers have built a strong pass defense, which gives them at least one obvious path to slowing down a Trojans offense that has been efficient on third downs, and the game script feels like the kind that can tighten quickly if Wisconsin gets the first few stops it needs.
The latest boost for the Badgers comes from an outside source, too, as the College GameDay crew leaned Wisconsins way in its picks. That does not change the oddsmakers view, and USC still brings plenty of firepower, but it does add to the sense that this is not a mismatch and could become one of those games where Wisconsin has a real chance to turn a small edge into an upset. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Faces One Problem That Could Kill Its Upset Shot
After a tough loss to UCLA, Wisconsin heads into a home matchup with USC in a spot where the margin for error is thin and the upset path is pretty clear. The Badgers have leaned on their defense to keep games within reach, and with USC bringing plenty of offensive firepower, Wisconsin will need that unit to carry the load again if it wants to hang around as a three-point underdog.
The issue is whether the Badgers can create enough balance on offense to complement it. Running the ball has been a challenge, and against a team like USC, Wisconsin cannot afford long stretches without answers on that side of the ball. For the Badgers to turn this into a real game, the defense will likely need to force turnovers and give the offense shorter fields, because otherwise the pressure keeps building on every possession. [Read more 🡒]