45. Wisconsin 23, Nebraska 21 (2015)

Wisconsin was limping in to the second Big Ten game of the season at 3-2, but lost the Big Ten opener the week before at home against Iowa. Nebraska also lost its Big Ten opener in heartbreaking fashion at Illinois. Nebraska was coming in at 2-3 with all three losses coming in the closing seconds, including a loss on a Hail Mary in the opener against BYU. Wisconsin would only add to Nebraska’s misery, as Rafael Gaglianone nailed a 46-yard field goal with four seconds left to knock off the Cornhuskers and stay in contention for a Big Ten Western Division championship.

After a series of punts by both teams, Wisconsin took over late in the first quarter and drove 77 yards in 13 plays to take the lead on a Joel Stave pass to Troy Fumagali from seven yards out. But the rest of the half was all Nebraska. The Cornhuskers scored a touchdown in each of their final two possessions of the first half. The first was on a 14-play drive that was capped off by a Tommy Armstrong 7-yard touchdown run to tie it a 7.

That was followed by perfect throw from Armstrong to Alonzo Moore for 41 yards and Nebraska took the 14-7 lead into the break.

The only scoring in the third quarter would be a Gaglianone 45-yard field goal to cut the Wisconsin deficit to 14-10.

Then the fun began in quarter number four.

Two third down conversions, including a pass interference aided an 11-play drive that was capped by an Alec Ingold 1-yard touchdown run to put the Badgers ahead. After a Nebraska punt, Dare Ogunbowale ran for 32 yards to set up a Wisconsin field goal to put Bucky in front 20-14.

Considering the Cornhuskers offense had been bottled up by the stingy Wisconsin defense, most thought Wisconsin would hold on. Think again.

On the following drive, Armstrong converted a 3rd-and-15 with a run of 16 yards. Soon after that, Nebraska fullback Andy Janovich broke tackles and ran 55 yards to give the Cornhuskers the lead back at 21-20.

Wisconsin started deep in its own territory on the next possession, but quickly moved the ball out of the shadow of its own goal post on a 31-yard connection from Stave to Alex Erickson. The Badgers would drive down to the Nebraska 21 and lined up for a 39-yard field goal with less than a minute and a half left.

Gaglianone hit the upright and the Huskers kept the one point lead. Fortunately for him, he would get a chance at redemption.

After Wisconsin’s defense forced a three and out and using all of its timeouts, Bucky was able to get the ball back with less than 50 seconds left and no timeouts. Three plays netted the Badgers 42 yards. The longest was on a 23-yard pass to tight end Troy Fumagalli, down to the Nebraska 28. The drive would stall and Gaglianone had his chance to redeem himself from 46 yards out.

After making only two of his four field goals to that point in the game, Gaglianone calmly snuck this one inside the right upright to give the Badgers the lead and eventually the win with four seconds remaining.

The win kept the Badgers over .500 at 4-2 and evened their Big Ten record at 1-1. The victory over Nebraska started a run that helped the Badgers only lose one game the rest of the season, and even that loss was due to horrible officiating.