This is first game from the 2017 season to make the list, as Wisconsin was looking to remain perfect on the season. College Gameday was in the house to see No. 5 Wisconsin battle No. 24 Michigan at Camp Randall Stadium. In a game between two of the best defenses in the country, the Badgers earned a hard-fought 24-10 victory to stay in the College Football Playoff picture.
Gus Johnson was on the call on FOX, and it was a defensive struggle in the first half, which was to be expected. Each team punted its first two times with the ball, but on the third punt by Michigan, punter Brad Robbins was pinned deep in his own territory. Robbins booted a short kick that bounced at the Michigan 48 before coming to a stop at midfield. Many Wolverines players thought Wisconsin punt returner Nick Nelson would let them down it, so they let up a bit. But Nelson made the risky play of picking it up and eluded a defender immediately. The Badgers return man then made his way down the sideline before eluding another Wolverine at the 37. After that, Nelson cut to the middle of the field where he had nothing but green grass in front of him. The 50-yard touchdown put Bucky in front 7-0. It also was Wisconsin’s first punt return for a touchdown since Kenzel Doe did it against Utah State in 2012.
It would stay at 7-0 until late in the second quarter, but Michigan had a chance to tie it up midway through the second period. After a poor punt by Anthony Lotti set the Wolverines up with fantastic field position, Brandon Peters would drive his offense down the field on the strength of a 35-yard pass to tight end Zach Gentry. But the Wolverines would face a 3rd-and-Goal at the Badgers 5. Peters took the snap and was flushed to his left. He got away from Conor Sheehy and tried to run it in himself. But unfortunately for Peters, he was hit by Leon Jacobs at the 3, and he fumbled, which was recovered by Wisconsin cornerback Derrick Tindal.
But on Michigan’s following possession, the Badgers would not be able to take the ball away again. Starting on their own 16, it took the Wolverines seven plays to drive the 84 yards to tie the game up at 7. The big play of the drive was a 48-yard pass from Peters to Donovan Peoples-Jones to move to the Wisconsin 36. Five plays later, Ben Mason crashed in from a yard out to tie the game. On 3rd-and-8 from the 34, Peters found running back Chris Evans down to the 15, and the Wolverines would have no trouble moving down the field from there. It remained tied at 7 until halftime.
The first four possessions in the second half yielded a total of one first down and 13 total yards of offense. However, the Wolverines dominated the field position battle early on in the third quarter, and the Badgers would take over at their own 10 midway through the third. Michigan waited for Wisconsin, and specifically Alex Hornibrook, to make a costly mistake. That would happen on the first play of Wisconsin’s third drive of the second half. Hornibrook went back to pass and had a clean pocket, but tried to force it into tight end Troy Fumagalli. The ball was tipped and picked off by Michigan’s Devin Bush and he fell to the ground at the 29.
After a completion from Peters to Peoples-Jones for a first down on the first play of the drive, the Badgers defense stiffened to hold Jim Harbaugh’s club to a field goal, but Michigan had the 10-7 lead with 6:36 left in the third quarter. But, after this, it was all Wisconsin. Michigan would gain just 39 yards on 17 plays in their final four drives of the game. In those drives, the Wolverines would gain just two first downs as well.
With the perfect season in the balance, the Badgers needed to make a play. In their first three drives of the second half, they gained a total of zero yards and had gained just 95 yards in the game. Their fourth drive did not start well, as Jonathan Taylor was dropped for a loss of four. They got bailed out on a pass interference on the 2nd-and-14 play, which gave them a first down. But, once again, Michigan stuffed Wisconsin on its first two plays following the penalty. With the Badgers facing a 3rd-and-13 from their own 31, the tide turned. Hornibrook found A.J. Taylor down the left sideline for 51 yards down to the Wolverines 18.
But once again, Michigan pushed the Badgers back, forcing them into a 3rd-and-16 from the 24. Hornibrook threw perhaps his best pass of the season. The Badgers quarterback had great protection and stepped up to fire a dart over the middle to A.J. Taylor in the end zone in between two defenders and Wisconsin took the lead for the first time in the half.
Michigan would go three-and-out on its next drive, but the bigger story was Peters being knocked out of the game. On 3rd-and-5 from the Michigan 30, Peters overthrew a deep pass to Evans. On the play, he was rushed by Wisconsin’s Andrew Van Ginkel, which caused the errant pass. Just after he released it, Van Ginkel hit Peters and all of his weight landed right on the left shoulder of the Michigan quarterback. After several minutes, Peters was carted off the field and would not return.
Bucky would waste little time getting back into the end zone. The drive would last five plays, including another big third-down conversion. On 3rd-and-8 from his own 41, Hornibrook threw another dime, this one to freshman wide receiver Danny Davis for 27 yards down to the Wolverines 32. From there, fellow freshman wide receiver Kendric Pryor did the rest. Pryor would receive the handoff on a jet sweep, and he received blocks from center Tyler Biadasz at the line of scrimmage and downfield from Beau Benzschawel. Pryor used those blocks to scamper in untouched from 32 yards out to give the Badgers a two-score lead.
Michigan would get two first downs on the next drive, but would end up punting and Wisconsin would salt the game away. Starting on their own 6, the Badgers would drive into Wolverines territory on the strength of a 52-yard run by Jonathan Taylor. Bucky would be forced to punt, but Badgers were able to flip the field position. After a Michigan punt, Wisconsin would take more than five minutes off the clock on a 40-yard drive that resulted in a field goal to put Bucky in front 24-10.
A turnover on downs would give Wisconsin the win. It was Wisconsin’s 10th consecutive home victory. It also gave the Badgers a record of 11-0 and kept them alive for a College Football Playoff berth. Wisconsin would win its regular season finale against Minnesota to complete its first perfect regular season since 1912.
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