17. Wisconsin 28, Iowa 17 (2018)

In 2017, Wisconsin had its best season in its history, finishing with a 13-1 season. In 2018, expectations were high, but they were not living up to the expectations. Wisconsin blew out two over-matched opponents, Western Kentucky and New Mexico, to begin the season. But the Badgers then fell at home against BYU as a heavy favorite as Rafael Gaglianone’s last-second field goal sailed wide. Things did not get any easier the following week, as the Badgers traveled to Iowa City to battle an undefeated Hawkeyes team that had allowed just 24 points in their first three games.

It was a back-and-forth game all evening long, as neither team was ahead by more than one score until the final seconds. With a minute to play and the ball at the Iowa 17 and the Badgers down by three, Alex Hornibrook threw a dart over the middle to A.J. Taylor in the end zone for the score. That score capped an 88-yard drive, led by the much-maligned quarterback. Linebacker T.J. Edwards picked off Iowa quarterback and Wisconsin native Nate Stanley on the next drive, which helped set up the final score, a 33-yard run by fullback Alec Ingold with 22 seconds left to make the score a little deceiving and send Bucky to 4-1.

With Wisconsin trailing 17-14, the Badgers were pinned back to their own 12 with 5:40 remaining, Hornibrook needed to make a play….or several plays. Taiwan Deal and Garrett Groshek began the drive with eight and five yards, respectively, to get them out of jail. Then Horni got to work. The Badgers faced a 2^nd-and-5 from their own 30, and the heat was coming on Alex. He launched a pass to an open Kendric Pryor near the left sideline for 28 yards down to the Hawkeyes 42.

Alex converted a 3^rd-and-5 with a pass to Groshek to the Iowa 32. He followed that up a 12-yard connection to Jake Ferguson on an out pattern. Following a timeout, Horni found AJ over the middle for the leading score. Alex got criticized quite a bit, but the West Chester, Pennsylvania, native, went 5-for-5 for 67 yards on the game-deciding drive.

The Badgers essentially ended the game three plays into Iowa’s next drive when Stanley rifled it over the middle to a wide open Ihmir Smith-Marsette from about five yards away and it went off his hands and bounced in the air and into the arms of Wisconsin linebacker T.J. Edwards.

Wisconsin ran the ball three times, exhausting Iowa of two of its timeouts. On the third run, Ingold came from right to left and found a huge hole and ran to the end zone down the left sideline.

There were a few keys to the game. First, Iowa turned the ball over three times to Wisconsin’s none. Those turnovers led to 14 Badgers points. Secondly, Iowa scored 17 points on four trips to the red zone, while Wisconsin scored 21 points in three trips to the red zone.

Despite the big win for Wisconsin, Iowa started off well. After forcing a Badgers punt, the Hawkeyes rumbled 80 yards in 11 plays, helped by a 24-yard reception by T.J. Hockenson and a 20-yard run by Smith-Marsette. They drove down to the 5 where they faced a 4^th-and-1. Despite Iowa needing a full yard, Stanley kept it on a quarterback sneak and was stuffed. Badgers ball.

Wisconsin proceeded to drive 95 yards the other way for the game’s first score. Jake Ferguson caught a touchdown pass from Hornibrook from six yards out to give Bucky the first lead. The score was set up by a long reception by fullback Alec Ingold. With Wisconsin facing a 3^rd-and-2 at the Iowa 39, Hornibrook went back to pass and found Ingold down the left sideline on a wheel route. Ferguson’s touchdown came on the very next play.

Iowa had two outstanding tight ends in Noah Fant and T.J. Hockenson. Both came through in a big way to tie the game.

With Iowa faced with a 3^rd-and-9 from its own 34, Stanley was flushed and rolled to his left. He heaved it for Hockenson, who caught it while be tackled at the 20-yard line for 46 yards. One play later, Stanley found a wide open Fant in the back of the end zone for the score to tie it up.

The game remained that way until halftime.

Iowa began the second half with a field goal, but then the teams traded touchdowns in the remainder of the third quarter.

The Wisconsin touchdown came following the second Iowa turnover, both coming on Wisconsin punts. On the punt, the ball was bouncing and hit an Iowa kick return team member. Three plays later, Hornibrook threw a back shoulder throw to Danny Davis for the 12-yard touchdown.

But, of course, Iowa responded with a 75-yard drive that ended with a 1-yard touchdown reception by Fant. That set the stage for the final quarter and the dramatic Bucky victory.

The win for Wisconsin was the third straight in the series. Even though Kinnick Stadium is a tough place to play, this was the fifth consecutive win in Iowa City for Wisconsin, dating back to 2010.

Unfortunately, Wisconsin could not use this as a springboard to turn around their season, as two weeks later, the Badgers were blasted in Ann Arbor and finished just 8-5, their worst season since 2012.