Good, Bad and Ugly From Wisconsin Badgers Loss to Iowa

Tory Taylor punted Wisconsin football into submission.

Madison, Wis. — On Saturday, Luke Fickell and the Wisconsin Badgers football program (4-2, 2-1 B1G) laid an egg in a crucial Big Ten West showdown, falling to the Iowa Hawkeyes at home.

Here’s a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from the Badgers 15-6 loss to Iowa at Camp Randall Stadium in Week 7.

The Good: Badgers Defense Showed Up, but It Wasn’t Enough

If I had mentioned before the game that the Wisconsin football defense, led by Mike Tressel, would limit Deacon Hill to just 37 passing yards, generate 10 punts, and produce as many three-and-outs (9) as Iowa’s total first downs — and we’d still end up with a loss — you might have thought I was using illicit drugs.

But numbers and logic get thrown out the window when talking about Wisconsin vs. Iowa.

Wisconsin’s defense managed to limit the Hawkeyes to just 237 total yards of offense and registered nine tackles for loss. However, Kirk Ferentz and his typical Iowa approach – avoiding self-inflicted mistakes and capitalizing on opportunities when they present themselves – ultimately determined the game’s outcome.

While it was encouraging to witness the Wisconsin football defense holding another conference rival under the 300-yard mark, a closer look reveals some recurring issues. Tackling problems resurfaced, the run defense showed vulnerability, and the lack of pressure from the front seven on the Hawkeyes offense significantly influenced UW’s downfall.

This one isn’t on the defense, but in a game with a razor-thin margin for error, the Wisconsin Badgers damn near needed perfection from this unit.

The Bad: Wisconsin’s Offense is in Trouble Without Tanner Mordecai

Everything that could go wrong for Wisconsin yesterday did go wrong. But losing starting quarterback Tanner Mordecai to an injury takes the cake.