The Wisconsin Badgers were shut out for the second consecutive week on Saturday, losing 34-0 to the Ohio State Buckeyes at Camp Randall Stadium to fall to 2-5 on the season and 0-4 in Big Ten play.
It was
a tough game for the Badgers from the start, as they couldn’t get any offensive consistency, having four three-and-outs, another punt, and an interception in the first half.
Meanwhile, Ohio State flourished, scoring on three of its first four opening possessions and playing strong complementary football from start to finish.
“If I said it once at the end of the game, this’ll be the fifth or sixth time I’ve said it: I’m incredibly disappointed in a lot of things. Obviously, the scoreboard is probably the most notable,” head coach Luke Fickell said after the game. “To not find a way to put points on the board will never give us a chance. We know we have to be able to do that and we have to get a hell of a lot better at it.
Let’s get into our recap of the game.
1st Half
The Badgers began the game with the ball, looking to put some early points up on the talented Ohio State defense, but the troubles for the offense continued as they have all season. Wisconsin went three-and-out to start the game, unable to generate any type of rhythm or momentum.
Ohio State, led by sophomore Julian Sayin, started the game on fire. Sayin connected on eight passes on the first drive for 95 yards and a touchdown. The score came on a 3rd & 12 when junior receiver Carnell Tate climbed the ladder to catch the ball over Wisconsin safeties Matt Jung and Austin Brown.
Down seven early, the offense needed to respond and retake the momentum. Wisconsin’s second drive started promisingly with a huge 15-yard catch by tight end Jackson McGohan. That drive was quickly derailed, however, when a dropped pass by Cade Yacamelli fell right into Sonny Styles’ hands for the first interception of the game. Styles returned it to the Wisconsin 43, setting up the Ohio State offense in a prime position to go up two scores.
The Badgers defense stood their ground though, allowing only a single first down. Ricardo Hallman came up with a big pass deflection in the endzone against Jeremiah Smith on 1st down, and from there, the front seven kept the Buckeyes from advancing. Sebastian Cheeks and Mason Posa combined for a sack on third down, forcing Ohio State to settle for a field goal and a 10-0 lead with four minutes left in the first quarter.
The Badgers offense remained stagnant—a common sight this season. With three straight run plays, Dilin Jones and Cade Yacamelli were getting beaten up by the Ohio State front four. Wisconsin punted after another three-and-out, their second in three drives. Through three possessions, the Badgers had totaled just 34 yards and an interception.
With a chance to go up three scores, Julian Sayin did not disappoint. Starting at their own 11-yard line, the Buckeyes picked up three first downs and 54 yards in just three plays. Following a couple of short runs from Bo Jackson, Sayin connected with Carnell Tate for a 10-yard touchdown pass. Similar to last week against Iowa, the Badgers faced a steep uphill battle, down 17-0 in the first quarter.
On their fourth drive, the Badgers finally showed some life, picking up three first downs and driving into Ohio State territory. Unfortunately, a set of penalties created a 3rd and 17 that ended with an incomplete pass when Hunter Simmons’ hand was hit as the ball came out. While the drive didn’t end well, there were signs of life. On 3rd and 12, Simmons found Lance Mason over the middle for 24 yards, and the play before saw Simmons execute the bootleg well, connecting with Mason for seven yards and a first down. Lance Mason has been one of the very few bright spots in the offense this season. Interestingly, the Badgers moved away from targeting Vinny Anthony and Trech Kekahuna, with neither receiving a single target through the first four drives.
The defense continued to battle, getting multiple stops following the first three scoring drives. With a 3rd and 2 at the Ohio State 22-yard line, the Badgers came up big, stuffing the run up the middle for one yard and forcing the punt. Freshman linebacker Cooper Catalano made the play on third down, shooting the gap and standing Bo Jackson up to prevent the first.
With a stop and some momentum finally on their side, the crowd was looking for offensive production, but it remained nonexistent. The Badgers went three and out for the third time in their first five drives, giving Ohio State another chance before halftime. The Buckeyes responded immediately. Superstar receiver Jeremiah Smith caught three straight passes totaling 27 yards. Following a set of rushes and precise passes from Sayin, the Buckeyes faced a 3rd and 4 at the Wisconsin 20-yard line. The Badgers defense came up big, forcing a fourth down and a subsequent missed field goal.
Still down 17-0 with one minute left in the half, the Badgers got the ball back but were clearly ready to take it to halftime. Wisconsin ran the ball three times before punting for the fourth time. Out of seven first-half drives, four ended with three-and-outs.
The Buckeyes offense was on fire in the first half, totaling over 200 passing yards and two touchdown passes. However, the Badgers’ run defense held strong, limiting the Buckeyes to just 35 first-half rushing yards.
2nd Half
Ohio State’s offense picked up right where it left off in the second half, driving downfield to the Wisconsin 17-yard line. Two passes to Carnell Tate—including a big 17-yard pitch and catch on 4th & 4—put Ohio State in prime scoring position. The Badgers defense stood firm as Christian Alliegro and Mason Reigor combined for a big 4-yard tackle for loss, setting up a long third down and eventually another field goal. Julian Sayin went 6-for-6 on the drive, totaling 60 yards, but was unable to convert in the red zone.
Unfortunately, the Badgers offense and Hunter Simmons couldn’t even come close to the red zone. On the following drive, Wisconsin finally committed to the pass game, but two straight incompletions led to yet another three-and-out. Without complementary football, it’s hard to win a game, but without an offense capable of gaining 100 total yards, it’s impossible. The defense continued to work hard and fight all game long, to no avail.
The Wisconsin linebacking corps also saw significant substitution. Look out for next week, as one of the freshman linebackers may take the start over Tackett Curtis, who did not have a great overall game today.
Ohio State continued to dominate offensively, scoring following another Wisconsin three-and-out. While the defense initially forced a fourth down, Ryan Day didn’t back down and called a quarterback sneak, getting the first down and letting Sayin take it from there. He connected with Bo Jackson and Quincy Porter for gains of 16 and 22 yards, respectively. Running back Isaiah West also had a big 15-yard rush to put the Buckeyes at the Wisconsin 4-yard line. From there, Sayin connected on a tight end pop pass for a touchdown—his third passing touchdown of the game—putting the Buckeyes up 27-0 with a minute left in the third quarter.
The Badgers were backed up on the ensuing possession. After a third-down sack on Hunter Simmons that ended his day, Wisconsin faced a 4th and 19. Looking for a lifeline, freshman punter Sean West came up with a huge run, breaking tackles and fighting his way to a first down—the second biggest offensive play of the game. The energy brought by the punter was quickly killed by the offense, and the ball was punted right back to the Buckeyes.
Sayin was ready to put the final nail in the coffin, driving downfield, this time on the ground. Running backs Bo Jackson and Isaiah West carried the ball a combined seven times for 33 yards. The icing on the cake was a beautiful pass from Julian Sayin to Brandon Innis on a deep crosser at the back of the endzone, putting the Buckeyes up 34-0.
At this point, Wisconsin fans were extremely frustrated, and the “Fire Fickell” chants started again. Some fans in the student section even mimicked what Oklahoma State fans were doing, taking their shirts off and swinging them over their heads.
With one last chance to avoid the shutout, the Badgers offense—with Danny O’Neil at the helm—tried to put together some sort of last-ditch scoring attempt. With running backs Dilin Jones and Durrion Dupree out, Gideon Ituka got the nod, rushing for 30 yards on three attempts. The drive stalled yet again. On 4th and 5, Danny O’Neil couldn’t find anyone past the sticks and threw a hospital ball to Trech for no gain.
Ohio State came into Camp Randall and made it their second home, shutting out the Badgers and putting up 34 points. The Badgers look to have a long season ahead and a lot of changes coming their way during the offseason if they want to compete in the Big Ten.
