For the third straight season, Wisconsin walked into the Heartland Trophy game and left looking flat, outmatched and empty on offense. Iowa handled the Badgers 30-0 at Kinnick Stadium on Halloween, and the rain never washed away the ugliness.
The opening series set the tone fast. Wisconsin’s defense had Iowa in a third-and-seven, but Matt Jung slipped while trying to close on DJ Vonnahme, and the Hawkeye tight end turned the mistake into a big sideline gain all the way to the Wisconsin 25-yard line. Charles Perkins did help force a field goal, limiting the damage to 3-0, but that was about as good as it got for the Badgers early.
Wisconsin’s offense, meanwhile, went nowhere. Colton Joseph was sacked on the first play from scrimmage, and the Badgers managed just one complete drive in the entire first quarter. They also picked up two false starts on one possession and barely moved the ball before punting again.
Iowa’s second drive didn’t need a huge explosive play to finish in the end zone. The Hawkeyes faced a third-and-four at the Wisconsin 40, and Hank Brown used his legs to keep the series alive with a 15-yard run. Four plays later, Brown found Vonnahme for a four-yard touchdown and a 10-0 lead.
Wisconsin finally showed some life with 11:05 left in the first half. After another penalty slowed things down, Joseph hit Chris Brooks Jr. for 18 yards, and the Badgers put together an 86-yard march that ate nearly seven minutes. A 41-yard connection between Joseph and Jaylon Domingeaux pushed Wisconsin inside the Iowa 10, but the drive died on fourth-and-goal from inside the one when Abu Sama was stuffed trying to get wide.
Iowa made the Badgers pay for that miss. Brown hit Tony Diaz for 45 yards to move the Hawkeyes back into Wisconsin territory, then Diaz got loose again on a touch pass from Brown for a four-yard touchdown.
That capped a 98-yard drive and sent Iowa into halftime with a 20-0 edge. Brown had 190 passing yards by the break.
Wisconsin’s final chance to head to halftime with some momentum disappeared in a hurry. Joseph fumbled at Wisconsin’s own 17-yard line, and Iowa cashed it in for three more points in the closing minute of the half.
The second half brought more of the same. Domingeaux hauled in a 15-yard catch to start the third quarter, but the Badgers gained only one yard on the next three plays. Their next possession ended in another three-and-out without a single yard gained.
Iowa kept rolling in between those stalled Wisconsin possessions, driving 71 yards and finishing with a two-yard touchdown run by Vonnahme. Then, before the third quarter ended, Caden Buhr drilled a 54-yard field goal to make it 30-0 with 2:16 left in the period.
The final quarter never changed the feel of the game. After both teams exchanged punts in the last two minutes of the third, Ryan Hopkins came on to lead the Wisconsin offense. He did help create one last chance, connecting with Tyrell Henry for a 57-yard gain late, but Henry fumbled away the opportunity before the Badgers could put points on the board.
Wisconsin heads back home next weekend to face Rutgers.
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Wisconsin Just Suffered The Kind Of Loss That Changes Everything
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Luke Fickell Just Made Wisconsins Iowa Problem Feel Even Worse
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For Wisconsin, the concern is no longer just the scoreboard on one Saturday. The offense has struggled badly in these matchups, and each flat performance adds more pressure around a program that expected a quicker climb under Fickell. When the same opponent keeps exposing the same flaws, questions about the direction of the team and the coachs standing only get louder. [Read more 🡒]