The University of Wisconsin-Madison football team welcomed No. 4 ranked Alabama to Camp Randall in a highly anticipated non-conference game on Saturday.
No one expected a game against Alabama to be easy. In fact, anyone who thought it would be anything less than a battle was lying to themselves. The Crimson Tide have curated one of the greatest legacies in college football, one that has gone through a growth period since the retirement of longtime coach Nick Saban but nonetheless has remained a solid force in the SEC.
Wisconsin, on the other hand, is withstanding its own program changes under second-year head coach Luke Fickell’s reign and with the loss of several key players from previous seasons such as star running back Braelon Allen.
But in enduring a 42-10 blowout loss to Alabama last weekend, it’s hard not to reflect on the elements of the loss that came from facing a heavily accomplished, national-title contending program, as well the holes the Wisconsin team dug itself into.
The difficulties for the Badgers began early. On just the first drive of the game, starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke was sidelined with a right knee injury. Fickell expressed his disappointment in Van Dyke’s injury at the post-game press conference.
“I don't think it looks real good for us or for him,” Fickell said. “That's really, really difficult because I think that he was really well prepared, and I think that he had grown in those first few weeks and was really sharp to start that game."
The sharp start Fickell was referring to was the early points Wisconsin was able to get on board during the first few minutes of the game. Even after Van Dyke’s abrupt exit, second-string quarterback Braedyn Locke was able to progress the ball enough to allow kicker Nathanial Vakos to score a 53-yard field goal. But, those three points were the only score on Wisconsin’s side for the entire first half and into a chunk of the second.
The Badger defense was no match for the Crimson Tide’s quarterback, Jalen Milroe. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported the Alabama “junior completed 12 of his 17 passes (70.6%) for 196 yards and three touchdowns” (Kuhagen and Radcliffe) — those were just the three touchdowns Milroe threw, while he ran for two more. Locke, on the other hand, went 13-for-26 on the day for 125 yards and a touchdown.
Additionally, Alabama simply made quick haste of every opportunity they were given. Seconds before the first half ended, Alabama scored its third touchdown of the game with a drive that only lasted two plays. Between both plays, the Tide covered 73 yards, making the score 21-3 before halftime.
But it’s what led Alabama to receiving and capitalizing off of the ball so quickly that marks the real issue of Saturday’s matchup.
“The latest problem came just before halftime when Vakos missed a 44-yard field goal, which gave the Crimson Tide the ball back with just enough time to go two plays and 73 yards for a touchdown,” The Athletic said. This seemed to be the story of the game. Wisconsin made a mistake, and Alabama took advantage of it.
A key element of Wisconsin’s performance on Saturday that needs fixing fast is the lack of control on the ball, which ultimately led to two major fumbles. One such turnover was during the first quarter when Wisconsin running back Chez Mellusi “picked up 21 yards but lost a critical fumble that gave Alabama the ball at the Badgers' 28-yard line,” Temple said.
All in all, the Crimson Tide converted plays, and Wisconsin did not. Wisconsin went 3-for-14 in third-down conversions whereas Alabama went 8-for-14. Meanwhile, Wisconsin actually had the majority of possession for the game but failed to score with it. Wisconsin had the ball for 34 minutes whereas Alabama had it for 25 minutes.
There were some positives that can be taken away from Saturday’s game. Beyond the play that cost Wisconsin a turnover, Mellusi had a relatively successful game. The Wisconsin Athletics page detailed Mellusi and his fellow running back, Cade Yacamelli’s achievements: “Chez Mellusi was yet again a force for the offense, rushing for 66 yards on 11 carries and being second on the team in receptions with four. Mellusi's running back mate Cade Yacamelli had a strong outing for the second straight week, racking up 39 yards on just eight attempts.”
Wisconsin’s sole touchdown for the day showcased what a successful drive for the team could look like. Late in the third quarter, Locke connected with wide receiver Will Pauling on fourth-and-goal to close out a 17-play drive which covered 75 yards.
“They beat us in every phase of the game today,” Fickell said during the post-game press conference. “Give them credit; they're a really, really good football team. We knew coming in here that we were going to have to play and execute really, really well, and we did not do that today.”
The Badgers have a bye week this next weekend, after which they will travel to Los Angeles to take on the No. 11 University of Southern California Trojans in their first conference game of the season.
