It was not a pretty day for the Wisconsin Badgers offense on Saturday, as they mustered just seven points, while Colton Joseph threw for only 66 yards on 6 of 16 passing. The Badgers were just 3 of 10 on third downs, averaging a 9.4-yard to-go distance.
So, we had to look into the film and see what exactly went wrong in a game where it felt like the Badgers had a ton of chances to pull off the win over an elite UCLA defense. Let’s break it all down, and this might be a long one.
1st drive
The Badgers
started with the ball, and things were smooth on their first three plays. Jaylon Domingeaux got a quick pass his way for three yards. Kevin Heywood and Colin Cubberly had nice blocks on a four-yard run to set up 3rd & 3 and Colton Joseph got an easy first down on a QB keeper with the linebacker biting on the fake jet sweep motion.
Then came trouble on the next set of plays. Let’s break it down.
1st & 10: On a zone read, Colin Cubberly whiffed as a puller, taking away what would’ve been a solid hole as everyone else on the offensive line did their jobs. Good decision by Colton Joseph to pull, but the missed block leads to zero yards.
2nd & 10: Play-action shot play. UCLA covered the two routes to the boundary side well, Jacob Harris was double-covered on the corner, and this play felt like it was meant for the Malachi Coleman crosser. But Coleman didn’t have a great release and bumped into the referee on his route, didn’t end up getting open.
Joseph never looked his way though. He took the shot to the double-covered Harris and it was broken up.
3rd & 10: Didn’t like this playcall. Wisconsin ran it on 3rd & 10 at their 38-yard line into a five-down front with seven in the box. They had man-to-man across the board with a single high safety. If you wanted a quick drop, could’ve gone with the bubble screen with a 3v2 (3 receivers, two DBs up) look to the right side. Instead, run and punt.
2nd drive
Wisconsin started to get things going here as well.
1st & 10: Good run on first down for six, with Stylz Blackmon having a nice block.
2nd & 4: UCLA blitzed and nobody was open, Jacob Harris looked to be the top option on a quick out, but was covered. Joseph did a great job scrambling out for the huge gain (was brought back 15 yards with the taunting penalty). OL had a great blitz pickup, but curious as there was no hot route.
1st & 10: Low snap, but good blocking got the Badgers 5 yards on a QB draw.
2nd & 5: Play-action shot play. Wisconsin had something here, but poor execution. Tyrell Henry was open on the deep corner route with a clearout taking out the perimeter defensive back. But Joseph doesn’t anticipate the throw and Henry doesn’t flatten his route. If both happen, the Badgers have an explosive. Felt like Henry did get a pass interference on the play, but wasn’t called, instead Wisconsin was flagged here separately.
2nd & 10: Joseph very late to check ball down to the running back, who had a ton of space for a first down. Pressure came off PJ Wilkins, who had a rough rep, but ball has to come out sooner here to the checkdown.
3rd & 15: Didn’t like the playcall to throw the screen to the loaded side. Joseph throws the bubble high anyways, and we get the bad blindside block on Malachi Coleman. Drive ended with the great catch from Jaylon Domingeaux on 3rd & 25, but Badgers punted on 4th & 2 at the 50.
3rd drive
1st & 10: Jet sweep to Abu Sama, UCLA bit inside and great blocks from Ryan Schwendeman and Grant Stec get huge gain on outside run.
2nd & 9: After gain of one on loaded box on 1st down, Badgers got zero on 2nd down run. Zone read here, and Joseph should’ve kept with edges continuing to crash on the run.
3rd & 9: Ton of execution mishaps here. Badgers tried to set up slot fade to Eugene Hilton that was covered, but Chris Brooks was open underneath. Joseph goes off that. Right side covered well with 3 DBs on 2 WRs, and Joseph scrambles out of clean pocket. Should’ve hit Darrion Dupree open underneath for a catch-and-run, but holds the ball, then throws back over middle of field and misses Brooks wide.
4th drive
1st & 10: With loaded front, love the 1st down play-action call. Chris Brooks open on crosser and Badgers get 17.
1st & 10: Liked end around call to Hilton here with how much edges were crashing in run game. Gain of 9.
2nd & 1: Once again, like the PA shot call on short distance 2nd down with loaded front, and another missed opportunity here. Off play-action, Joseph has Jacob Harris on the crosser with a layered throw. Has to fire, but is late and doesn’t step up in clean pocket to make throw. Schwendeman is beaten quickly off the edge, and forced fumble, but Badgers get 1st luckily. Need to step up there and still, miss of a 15-yard gain there.
3rd & 5: After swing pass to Henry for five on 1st down and throwaway vs. all-out blitz on 2nd down, Joseph has a bad decision forcing a shot in triple coverage to Hilton. Anticipates the throw, but clearly the wrong decision Cubberly was beaten by a blitzer here, giving some pressure, but Badgers bailed out with a PI.
2nd & 9: After a one-yard gain on a QB keeper, Badgers have chance for TD with good playcall on another shot play. Coleman beats his defender and has a step, but has a bad route. Doesn’t flatten to open space and drops diving catch as Joseph tries to lead him. Good throw, poor execution, and a missed TD.
3rd & 9: UCLA sends 6 and nobody to throw hot. Joseph locks in on Harris, who’s double-covered, and gets sacked. Badgers actually picked up blitz quite well, but PJ Wilkins instantly beaten on play. Badgers miss FG on next play.
Drive 5
Best drive of the game execution wise, and it came with dominance on the ground to start 2nd half.
Saw great blocking from the offensive line throughout the drive. Kevin Heywood and Collin Cuberly had some good blocks, there were jet sweeps, fakes, and different variations of the run game. With UCLA crashing and loading the box, Badgers had a lot of success running to the outside, both with the QB and in the run game.
Led to Wisconsin’s only TD drive of the game.
Drive 6
Wisconsin got a huge opportunity here for points down 10-7 with the momentum.
1st & 10: With a loaded box and a 2v2 up top, Badgers set up a swing pass to Jacob Harris. Got good blocks from Chris Brooks/Jaylon Domingeaux on perimeter, and Wisconsin gets set of downs at the UCLA 39 after a penalty.
1st & 10: Big missed opportunity here. Badgers set up PA and have Shamar Rigby open on the dig for the first down. But Stylz Blackmon is instantly beat and Joseph has no chance but to throw it away.
2nd & 10: Fake jet sweep here to QB draw. Thought Joseph took a bad angle in the run game and didn’t follow his blockers. Emerson Mandell missed a block at second level but would’ve gotten at least five rather than set up 3rd & 10.
3rd & 10: Clear miscommunication between QB and WR, as Joseph throws elswhere to where his receiver goes. Complete blown chance as the Badgers punt after starting with 1st & 10 at UCLA 39. Just a ton of execution woes.
Drive 7
Still got a shot here. Wisconsin now down 17-7 in the fourth quarter, but there is time for a comeback.
2nd & 1: After gain of 9 from Joseph on 1st, Badgers set up shot play on play-action vs. loaded box. Good call here, and Joseph goes deep to Malachi Coleman. Didn’t like Coleman’s release (a recurring theme), doesn’t separate at the line of scrimmage, but thought there were two uncalled flags: illegal contact during the route and a clear pass interference with Coleman being held as the ball is coming down.
Luke Fickell was furious on the replay. Had every right to be. If Wisconsin gets the flag, in much better position.
1st & 10: Badgers got the first on a pitch outside to Dupree for a sizable gain. But PJ Wilkins/Emerson Mandell struggle on blocks on HB dive after fake jet sweep, gain of only one here.
2nd & 9: Huge chance here. Badgers have 3v2 to right side with UCLA showing 7 at the line of scrimmage. Had the blocking and Tyrell Henry drops bubble screen. Brutal.
3rd & 9: Good playcall. UCLA showed 6 at line of scrimmage, but motion moves off the linebacker. QB draw gets six yards to set up 4th & 3 behind good block from Grant Stec.
4th & 3: Liked the decision to hand off on zone read. Two misses here: Emmett Bork’s whiff on a block costs the Badgers a 1st (looked like he might’ve gotten there anyways) and a huge missed facemask call cost the Badgers possession and the game.
Drive 8
On their last string of hope down 10 with 6:19 left, Wisconsin’s final drive went poorly.
1st & 10: Edge stays on QB run, gain of one. UCLA went hard against the run in this one.
2nd & 9: Bad snap kills play, but no wide receiver got open anyways. Recurring theme as Badgers just did not beat 1-on-1 coverage often.
3rd & 9: UCLA blitzes 6, poor play design. No hot route, nowhere to go for Colton Joseph. Badgers punt and don’t get the ball back.
I’ll have a writeup detailing the biggest mistakes and flaws I see from Wisconsin’s offense up later, but as you read the film breakdown, it’s execution mistake after mistake, some poor play designs, and just a complete struggle in the passing game.
