18. Wisconsin 38, Michigan State 0 (2019)

Wisconsin had shut out three of its first five opponents, including a 48-0 shellacking of Kent State the previous week. Michigan State was 4-2 and in the midst of a tough three-game stretch against three top 10 foes. Being in the opposite division, this was only the second time the Badgers had played the Spartans since 2013, a 30-6 domination in East Lansing in 2016. It was also the first meeting since 2012 that was played at Camp Randall Stadium, a 16-13 Michigan State win in overtime.

The 2019 meeting was more along the lines of the 2016 game than the 2012 matchup. The Badgers held MSU to fewer than 40 yards of total offense in the first half and 149 overall. Only three of the drives finished with double digit yardage and all but two were of 13 yards or fewer. It was a defensive clinic by the Bucky defense.

While the defense was shutting down the Sparty offense, the offense scored points on three of its first four drives to take a 17-0 lead at halftime. They never looked back as the Badgers crushed the Spartans 38-0. The loss was the second of five straight defeats suffered by MSU, which dropped the Spartans to 4-6.

As I mentioned above, the Badgers scored points on three of their first four possessions. The only one of the first four they didn’t score on was the very first drive. The Badgers had a nice start to the drive going, moving to MSU territory, but a holding penalty and a Jack Coan fumbled snap put an end to the drive.

Following a 3-and-out forced by the Wisconsin defense, the offense went to work. Stud running back Jonathan Taylor, who was held to 80 yards on 26 carries, rushed seven times for 25 yards and a touchdown.

The touchdown was set up by a Jake Ferguson 27-yard catch on a 4^th-and-2. On the fourth down play, Coan ran play action and found a wide open Ferguson, but he tripped over the 10-yard line even though he could have moon walked into the end zone. Even Taylor’s touchdown was hard-fought. He was tripped up at the line of scrimmage, but JT dove into the end zone for the score.

Wisconsin got back in the end zone with a Quintez Cephus touchdown on its third possession. Runs for 19 by Nakia Watson and 11 by JT 23 set the Badgers up for the score. On the first play of the second quarter, Coan went back to throw and fired over the middle to Quintez, who bobbled it but hauled it in for the score.

A 29-yard field goal by Collin Larsh made it 17-0 going into halftime.

Michigan State had something going on its first drive of the second half, as it tried to fight back. On a 4^th-and-8 from their own 38, the Spartans ran a fake punt. The snap went to upback Tyriq Thompson, who went around the left side for 20 yards down to the Wisconsin 42. The Spartans picked up another first down on an 11-yard pass from Brian Lewerke to Darrell Stewart Jr. down to the 27.

But from there, back-to-back sacks by Chris Orr and Isaiahh Loudermilk pushed them back to the 39 and they would have to punt.

Wisconsin responded by going on a 92-yard drive that essentially ended the game. The Badgers converted two third downs, including a perfect pass from Jack Coan to Ferguson for 21 yards on 3^rd-and-8 from the MSU 22. That set up Taylor’s second score of the game early in the fourth that pretty much ended the game.

On MSU’s following possession, Lewerke threw a pick six into the hands of Zack Baun. His 34-yard interception return made the score 31-0 with a little less than 13 minutes to play.

Kendric Pryor finished the scoring on a 66-yard touchdown run on a jet sweep to put salt in the wound to make the final 38-0 Badgers.

They may have been a bit too cocky after shutting out four of their first six opponents, as they dropped their next two, including an embarrassing loss the following week a below average Illinois team. But the Badgers rebounded to win their final four regular season games to win the Big Ten West and earn a trip to the Rose Bowl for the fourth time in the decade.