GREEN BAY (Wis.) — Everyone knew the formula the Wisconsin Badgers had to follow to pull off the upset at Lambeau Field against No. 5 ranked LSU: find a way to stop Leonard Fournette. For 35 minutes, this defense did the seemingly impossible, and that was long enough for the offense to secure the win.
Over the first seven drives of the game for the Tigers, the redshirt junior Heisman contender’s longest run was for only nine yards. Up until the 10:15 mark in the third quarter, Fournette had 13 carries for 39 yards, as the Badgers’ defense held him to only three yards a carry.
He proceeded to break off runs of 30 and 31 yards, but the damage was already done. This Wisconsin defense knew they could stop one of the best runners in the country, and that confidence carried them to victory.
“He’s a great back, a physical guy, but we’re physical too. That’s what we’re built for,” junior safety D’Cota Dixon said. “So we were totally prepared, we weren’t surprised with what they were doing, we just executed.”
It wasn’t a one-player effort. It’s cliché, but it takes a team to stop Fournette. The defensive linemen have to tighten the running lanes against the opposing offensive line, the linebackers have to be disciplined in their gap responsibilities, and the defensive backs have to make the tackle when the ball comes their way.
The Badgers did all of that, shutting out LSU for three and a half quarters while helping their team dominate time of possession for much of the game. They kept the ball out of Fournette’s hands when it mattered most, forcing inconsistent redshirt junior quarterback Brandon Harris to have to throw his team to victory, just like UW planned.
“We did what we wanted to do—made him throw the ball,” junior cornerback Derrick Tindal said. “They kept pressure on the quarterback, and he was making some errant throws.”
Those errant throws resulted in two interceptions for Wisconsin, the second one sealing the victory as a hurried Harris placed it right in the arms of Dixon. It was the cherry on top of an impressive showing for the Badgers, who felt like they had something to prove.
“I think they [the public] had us counted out for this game,” Tindal said. “But I feel like we went out there and proved to them that just because we have a hard schedule doesn’t mean we’re going to lay down and not make plays.”
A win like this for this UW defense can go a long way when it comes to the season as a whole. When their conference schedule starts, they face No. 12 Michigan State, No. 7 Michigan, No. 6 Ohio State and No. 17 Iowa in four consecutive games.
The confidence this group built at Lambeau is something that can carry them, and the adversity they overcame in this game provides moments they can look back to when they face tough opponents and situations later on down the line.
“Give credit to our defense. We made a big-time stop in a big-time game against a big-time team. We’re going to build on this,” redshirt senior outside linebacker Vince Biegel said. “I’m excited about what the future holds for this defense and this Wisconsin Badgers football team.”
LSU knew what Wisconsin was going to do to them, and it didn’t matter. The Badgers’ defense reestablished themselves as a group that cannot be overlooked, as they did what many others have struggled to do. They held down Leonard Fournette and pulled off the upset.
