Wisconsin Football: Instant Takeaways from Ugly Loss to Iowa

Here are your instant takeaways from Wisconsin Football’s ugly loss to Iowa.

Once again, the offense didn’t show up, in what ended up being another ugly loss for the Wisconsin Football team. The defense was stout for much of the game but gave up a few big plays, and the special teams unit forced a turnover. However, it wasn’t nearly enough to beat Iowa as the Badger offense couldn’t do much of anything.

With the fourth-quarter clock just striking zero a few minutes ago, here are my instant takeaways from Wisconsin’s performance.

• Overall, I’d say this was a good performance from the Wisconsin defense. It was really three big plays that led to Iowa touchdowns, which ended up as the difference. And it’s not a coincidence that all three of those plays took place in the second half. I think the Badger defense was gassed at that point from being on the field for so much of the game.
• Injuries didn’t help the Badger offense either. Just before kickoff, we learned that they would be without Jalen Berger, Danny Davis, and Kendric Pryor.
• Without Berger, and against a good Iowa defensive front, the Badgers couldn’t even average two (!) yards per carry as a team.
• Graham Mertz still has plenty of growing to do. He was inaccurate and it doesn’t look like he’s always progressing through his reads.
• With that said, he isn’t getting much help from his teammates or the play-calling, and this was only his 5th start. But ultimately, Mertz has to be better as well.
• And I don’t know what that wildcat play was on 4th down, but I never want to see it again.

https://twitter.com/IowaOnBTN/status/1337881610008494080

• The lack of an explosive RB has been obvious all season.
• This was an Iowa offense that averaged over 5.4 yards per carry entering the game and almost 200 rushing yards per game, but the Badger defense shut them down for the most part.
• MORE turnovers for the Wisconsin offense. That is now 9 in their last three games.
• If you enjoy punting, well, then this was the game for you–especially in that first half.
• Despite the offense’s struggles, it’s not as if they had bad field position, multiple times they began past their own 40-yard line.
• Was this the play of the game for Wisconsin? Great punt.

• The Badgers went into the half down 6-0; has six points ever felt so insurmountable? Goodness.
• Jack Dunn was a favorite target of Mertz’ today.
• Those two red-zone trips in the 4th quarter—yikes.
• The missed field goal by Collin Larsh followed by the Hawkeye touchdown felt like, as Wayne Larrivee says, the dagger. However, the fumble from Iowa on the punt return that quickly followed gave the Badgers new life.
• But then Petras found Smith-Marsette for a 53-yard TD and that was the dagger.
• The offense converted FIVE third or fourth downs the entire game–with a few of those coming once the game was out of hand.
• There’s no one person or position to blame for Wisconsin’s struggles on offense. Everyone has to be better and there is certainly work to be done this offseason.
• With that said, there’s a lot to be excited about with this team. The defense remains elite, they’ll have the best recruiting class in program history step on campus next summer, and there are several young players already on the roster who could be really, really good.