Turnovers bring stunning defeat WINDING ROAD
UW’s path to Big Ten title game and Rose Bowl laden with highs and lows
LOS ANGELES – Despite a loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten title game, Wisconsin is headed to the 2020 Rose Bowl to face Pacific 12 champion Oregon.
UW (10-3), No. 8 in the final College Football Playoff rankings, is making its first Rose Bowl appearance since the 2012 season and its seventh since 1993. Sixth-ranked Oregon (11-2) secured its eighth Rose Bowl berth.
Here are several key plays that affected the course of UW’s 2019 season.
Punt the ball? No thanks.
Paul Chryst set the tone for the Big Ten opener against Michigan on the fourth offensive play of the game.
The Badgers won the coin toss and took the ball. They faced fourth and 1 at their 34-yard line when Chryst eschewed the punt and instead kept the offense on the field.
UW deployed its Hippo package for the first time. That featured eight offensive linemen, including Cormac Sampson as a tight end, and tailback Jonathan Taylor gained 3 yards to the 37.
That was the key play of a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. UW rolled to a 35-14 victory.
Defense never rests
One week after routing Michigan, UW was mired in a typical slugfest with Northwestern.
The Badgers held a 17-3 lead early in the final quarter, but the Wildcats drove from their 25 to a first down at the UW 45.
Then on third and 10, Badgers linebacker Zack Baun hit quarterback Aidan Smith as he tried to throw. Linebacker Noah Burks made an easy interception and raced 68 yards for a touchdown to help UW take a 24-3 lead.
The Badgers held on for a 24-15 victory.
UW went to Illinois unbeaten a 6-0, with only five turnovers (four fumbles, one interception) in six games.
The Illini turned three UW turnovers into 17 points in a stunning 2423 upset on James McCourt’s 39-yard
field goal on the final play of the game.
UW held a 23-14 lead in the fourth quarter and, after a fourth-down stop by the defense, was in position to put the game away.
Then on second and 3 from the Illini 25, Taylor gained 8 yards to the 17 but lost the ball as he continued to fight for yards. Illinois recovered and took over at its 25 and then drove 75 yards for a touchdown in just four plays to pull within 23-21.
That five-play sequence changed the direction of the game.
Let’s meet at the quarterback
UW entered November with a 3-2 record in the Big Ten, two games behind Minnesota in the West Division, and 6-2 overall.
The Badgers began their run to the West Division title with a 24-22 victory over rival Iowa but it wasn’t easy.
UW took a 21-6 lead into the fourth quarter, but Nate Stanley threw touchdown passes of 3 and 75 yards to help the Hawkeyes pull within two points with 3:12 left in the game.
Iowa, which had installed a special two-point play that week, went for the tie. Stanley ran a draw, which UW did not expect, but linebacker Chris Orr hit Stanley low and safety Eric Burrell came in high to stop Iowa’s quarterback at the 1.
The Badgers then ran eight plays to eat up the final 3:12 to secure the victory.
All three phases contribute
Kick-return specialist Aron Cruickshank gave UW a lift in the first quarter after Nebraska took its first lead; A.J. Taylor refused to go down on a 55-yard touchdown reception to give UW the lead for good; and Orr and fellow linebacker Jack Sanborn combined for a critical turnover that allowed UW to build a double-digit halftime lead.
The result: UW extended its winning streak against Nebraska to seven games with a 37-21 decision.
Nebraska’s 7-0 lead last 11 seconds as Cruickshank returned the kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown to forge a 7-7 tie.
Taylor eluded three defenders and gained 44 yards after the catch on his 55yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. That helped UW take a 17-14 lead.
Two plays later, Orr spied quarterback Taylor Martinez and got his hands up and deflected the ball into the air. Sanborn made the interception at the 32 and gained 11 yards to the 21. That led to a 1yard touchdown run by Taylor and a 2414 lead.
‘Legatron’ rocks Camp Randall
UW was locked in a battle with Purdue and held a four-point lead in the final minute of the first half when senior Zach
Hintze trotted onto the field for a fieldgoal attempt.
A 62-yard attempt.
Hintze, whose lone attempt came in 2018 at Northwestern, hit the ball solidly from the left hash.
The ball hurtled toward the north end zone, stayed just inside the left upright and barely made it over the crossbar.
Hintze had set the program record for longest field goal and given UW a 24-17 halftime lead.
The Badgers went on to a 45-24 victory to improve to 6-2 in the league and 9-2 overall.
Axe returns to Madison
UW clinched a berth in the Big Ten title game by routing Minnesota, 38-17, with perhaps its most complete effort of the season.
Still, the outcome hadn’t been decided with the Gophers facing fourth and goal from the 4 and looking to cut into UW’s 24-10 lead.
Quarterback Tanner Morgan tried to hit Tyler Johnson near the left sideline – for the second consecutive play – and cornerback Caesar Williams again broke up the pass to preserve the 14-point cushion.
Five plays later, UW faced third and 6 from its 9. The Badgers had shown in the opener at South Florida they would be an effective screen team and burned the Gophers with that simple play.
Minnesota rushed six and quarterback Jack Coan calmly flipped the ball to Garrett Groshek on the left side. Groshek followed the blocks of center Tyler Biadasz, guards Jason Erdmann and Kayden Lyles and wide receiver Quintez Cephus for a 70-yard gain to the Gophers 11.
Jonathan Taylor, who was not in the lineup for the play, could be seen sprinting down the sideline, in front of the UW bench, as Groshek followed his blockers down the field.
Taylor scored on the next play to help UW take a 31-10 lead. Paul Bunyan’s Axe was coming back to Madison and UW was heading to Indianapolis for a rematch with Ohio State.
Buckeyes’ rally leaves UW crushed
UW played a spectacular first half on both sides of the ball and built a 14-point lead in the Big Ten title game.
The Buckeyes were in trouble but quarterback Justin Fields and receiver Chris Olave combined to steal back the momentum and spark a comeback that ended with a 34-21 Ohio State victory.
Ohio State faced third and 7 from its 28 on the first series of the second half. Fields initially couldn’t find anyone open but rolled left to buy time.
Olave was covered by Williams. But Olave broke off his route and went down the field. Williams lost contact and Fields hit Olave for a 50-yard gain to the UW 22. Fields hit tight end Jeremy Ruckert for a 16-yard score two plays later and the comeback was on.