The Wisconsin Badgers suffered a rough 38-14 loss at the hands of the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, struggling to get going and never finding a footing on the road for their first defeat of the season.
Throughout the game, Wisconsin looked outmatched from both a scheme and talent standpoint, as Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson had yet another outstanding game, working off his perfect completion rate from last weekend’s 73-0 win over UL-Monroe.
Here’s our recap of Saturday’s 38-14 loss.
1st Half
The
discipline issues for the Badgers began on their first drive, as Trech Kekahuna was flagged for an offensive pass interference on 3rd & 4, ultimately derailing the drive.
Wisconsin’s defense was able to get a big fourth-down stop inside Alabama territory, giving the offense a big opportunity, but quarterback Danny O’Neil threw an interception on the first play of the Badgers’ drive, giving the ball right back to the Crimson Tide.
Alabama had a methodical drive to get its first touchdown, going 11 plays and 61 yards, and finishing the drive with a Germie Bernard rush to the edge on 4th & Goal from the 2-yard line. That gave the Crimson Tide a 7-0 lead at the end of the first quarter
Wisconsin got one first down on its following drive, but Danny O’Neil was sacked on back-to-back plays to kill the Badgers’ next drive.
Alabama’s offense cruised on the ensuing drive, going four plays and 65 yards for another touchdown, with Bernard capping things off by beating Omillio Agard 1-on-1 for a 43-yard score.
Once again, the Badgers were derailed on their following offensive drive, this time due to a Joe Brunner personal foul as Wisconsin neared midfield. Alabama made the Badgers pay again, going eight plays and 98 yards for a killer touchdown drive to give them a 21-0 lead at the half.
Wisconsin struggled to run the ball in the first half, totaling 15 yards on the ground, while those discipline errors consistently killed drives and took away opportunities. That just couldn’t happen against an opponent of Alabama’s quality.
2nd Half
Alabama picked up where they left off, getting a 75-yard touchdown on a trick play to Ryan Williams to open the second half, extending their lead to 28-0.
Vinny Anthony finally got the Badgers on the board with a kickoff return for a touchdown, but the Crimson Tide got their fifth consecutive touchdown with another methodical seven-play, 87-yard drive.
At this point, we could see the Badgers defense starting to wear out and slow down. The energy levels weren’t as high and the dominance from Alabama’s offensive line was illustrated even more on the field.
Wisconsin finally seemed to have some momentum offensively, going 10 plays and 54 yards down the field, which was the most they had gone all afternoon long. But, facing a 2nd & 6 at the Alabama 21-yard line, Danny O’Neil had another questionable decision. Looking for Lance Mason on an out, O’Neil threw his second interception to Alabama safety Bray Hubbard, killing Wisconsin’s momentum. Mason had been jammed by Hubbard at the stem of his route and wasn’t open or looking for the ball. Still, O’Neil threw the ball, and it was an easy pick for the safety.
From there, Alabama delivered the final blow, going 12 plays and 73 yards into the red zone yet again. They would’ve had a sixth consecutive touchdown, but star Ryan Williams dropped a third-down pass in the end zone, leading to the Crimson Tide settling for a field goal.
With the game out of hand in the fourth quarter, the Badgers finally were able to get an offensive touchdown, going seven plays and 70 yards, with O’Neil hitting Jayden Ballard for a 41-yard score to make it 38-14.
But, the damage was already done, as the Badgers suffered another loss to a Top 25 team, making them 0-7 against ranked opponents in the Luke Fickell era.
Now, Wisconsin will have to bounce back from another disappointing loss when it opens conference play against the Maryland Terrapins next weekend at Camp Randall Stadium. But, heading into a new week, Wisconsin has more questions than answers with its new-look team.
