Indiana 14, Wisconsin 6 The Badgers offense struggled as Indiana snapped a 10-game losing streak to UW, which is now 2-2.
Badgers offense struggles often in rare loss to Hoosiers
MADISON – The 2020 Big Ten football season continues to get more painful for Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst and his players.
After seeing three games canceled because the coronavirus, the Badgers finished their home schedule ended with a dreadful 14-6 loss to Indiana.
Wisconsin (2-2) is scheduled to close the regular season Saturday at Iowa.
What will be on the line? Pride and a chance to finish above the .500 mark in a season that has lacked any flow because of the cancellations.
Indiana, on the rise under fourthyear coach Tom Allen, snapped a 10game losing streak to UW and improved its record to 6-1.
Graham Mertz, making his fourth start at quarterback for UW, had wide receiver Kendric Pryor back but Danny
Davis remained out.
Two weeks after suffering four turnovers against Northwestern, Mertz gave the ball away twice against Indiana. The first came on a second-quarter fumble that led to Indiana’s first touchdown.
Mertz completed 7 of 12 for 70 yards in the opening half and finished 20 of 34 for 202 yards, with one interception.
UW ran the ball effectively in spurts.
Held to an average of 3.6 yard per carry and 140 total rushing yards in the loss at Northwestern, the Badgers managed 140 yards on 35 carries Saturday.
Freshman tailback Jalen Berger made his first start and finished with 87 yards on 15 carries.
Indiana quarterback Jack Tuttle, filling in for injured starter Michael Penix Jr., appeared poised and didn't make any glaring errors.
Tuttle capped a 53-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass in the opening half to help the Hoosiers to a 7-0 lead. He capped a 75-yard touchdown drive to open the second half with a 7-yard touchdown pass to help the Hoosiers build an 11-point lead.
Tuttle finished 13 of 22 for 130 yards. In the end, the outcome was decided by red-zone proficiency.
Indiana went 2 for 2, with two touchdows. UW finished 2 for 3, with two field goals.
The Badgers' offense suffered a huge blow on its second series when center Kayden Lyles went down with an apparent right leg injury with 11:02 left in the first quarter.
With backup Cormac Sampson out because of an unspecified injury, freshman Tanor Bortolini replaced Lyles.
Indiana's defense produced the first big play of the game, with UW having moved to the Hoosiers' 39.
Defensive back Tiawan Allen blitzed off the right side of the UW formation and drilled Mertz, causing a fumble recovered by linebacker James Miller at the Hoosiers' 47 with 51 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Hoosiers turned that mistake into a 7-0 lead by driving 53 yards in 12 plays. Tuttle capped the drive with a 1yard touchdown pass to tight end Peyton Hendershot with 11:03 left in the half. It appeared Hendershot got behind safety Eric Burrell and was open in right corner of the end zone.
That score gave the Hoosiers 65 points off 19 takeaways this season.
UW responded with its best drive of the game, although the Badgers had to settle for a field goal rather than a touchdown.
The Badgers drove from their 9 to the Hoosiers' 10, but Mertz and Pryor could not connect on third and 6.
Collin Larsh came in to hit a 29-yard field goal with 4:03 left in the half to pull UW within 7-3.
Indiana, which opened the game on defense, had one more chance to pad its lead before getting the ball to open the second half.
The Hoosiers picked up two first downs to move to their 49, but the drive stalled at the UW 41 after incompletions on second and third down.
Indiana chose to punt, and Haydon Whitehead hit a 40-yarder that was downed at the 1 with 1:20 left.
UW played conservatively and ran out the clock.
The Hoosiers got the ball to start the second half and moved through UW's defense with ease.
A roughing-the-passer call on linebacker Jack Sanborn gave Indiana a first down at its 44. Tuttle then hit Ty Fryfogle, who was covered by cornerback Caesar Williams, for 35 yards to the UW 21. Five plays later, Tuttle threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Whop Philyor, who beat safety Scott Nelson to the left corner of the end zone for the score with 11:03 left in the quarter.
The teams traded turnovers – an interception by Mertz and a fumble by Tuttle – and UW started at its 38 with 7:10 left in the third quarter.
UW moved to the Indiana 16 but three plays resulted in only 6 yards and Larsh came on to hit a 28-yard field goal with 21 seconds left in the quarter to cut the deficit to 14-6.
Mertz tried to hit Pryor in the end zone on third and 4 from the 10 but two defenders had the receiver bracketed and the pass was incomplete.
UW's next offensive series got off to an ugly start.
Berger gained 22 yards to the 38 but a holding call on Josh Seltzner wiped out the gain and put the ball at the UW 8.
The Badgers overcame that penalty and reached the Hoosiers' 46 but Mertz's third-down throw to tight end Jake Ferguson was high with 8:58 left.
Chryst chose to punt, hoping to pin the Hoosiers deep and then have his defense get off the field quickly.
Indiana took over at its 14 with 8:50 left but picked up two first downs and moved to its 41 before punting with 5:01 left.
UW took over at its 8-yard line after a 51-yard punt, with 4:48 left.
The Badgers reached the Indiana 17, but their final scoring chance ended when Mertz's fourth-down throw to Chimere Dike was incomplete with 46 seconds left.