The Wisconsin Badgers’ 14-7 loss to the Michigan Wolverines was quintessential Big Ten football. Both teams relied on their running game as their quarterbacks struggled, and it was all a matter of which defense cracked first.
Ultimately, it was junior UW cornerback Derrick Tindal who gave up a deep touchdown to redshirt senior wide receiver Amara Darboh that put Michigan in the lead for good to seal the win. That one play does not tell the story of this game; it was a tight matchup from start to finish.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook took a step back in his second career start, perhaps as expected against a top five opponent with a top five defense. He ultimately finished 9-of-25 for 88 yards with one touchdown and a trio interceptions. The young passer had a number of throws he wanted back, with a few more that likely should have been picked off.
Hornibrook also left a few touchdowns on the field, as there were at least three throws where he had an open receiver deep down field, and he couldn’t hit them. The impressive touch he showed last week against Michigan State was nonexistent today with Michigan blitzing him heavily.
The Wolverines gave the Badgers a number of opportunities to put points on the board with short drives, interceptable passes and penalties all over. But Wisconsin couldn’t take advantage, and although its defense played a solid all-around game, Michigan got the last laugh.
