Wisconsin looked like it was indeed overlooking Indiana to
begin the game, spotting the underdogs 10 points. An Indiana fumble late in the
second quarter changed the complexion of the game. It led to the Badgers taking
a 14-10 lead into the break. The Badgers broke the game open in the fourth
quarter with 21 points to break open a seven-point game and make the score
closer than it should have been.
While the Hoosiers started out well, the Badgers actually
marched down the field on their first drive, helped by a 45-yard Jonathan Taylor
run on their first play from scrimmage. The Badgers converted one first down,
but on the second one, quarterback Alex Hornibrook was hit from behind as he
was throwing the ball and it was picked off on a diving interception in the end
zone by Tegray Scales.
But Indiana dominated the nine minutes, scoring 10 points to
give Wisconsin its biggest deficit since also trailing 10-0 in the opener
against Utah State. Indiana took a 7-0 lead on a Richard Lagow 23-yard toss to
a wide open Devonte Williams on the left side of the end zone. After a
3-and-out, Indiana connected on a short field goal by Griffin Oakes to make it
10-0 a minute into the second quarter.
But just like the Utah State game, Wisconsin came back to
end the half.
Already down 10-0 and facing a 3rd-and-8 from its
own 28, Wisconsin needed to make a play. And that is exactly what happened. As
he was hit, Hornibrook threw a perfect pass down the seam to A.J. Taylor for 32
yards. It helped that the defensive back fell down, but a good pass nonetheless.
Four plays later, Hornibrook ran play action and found a wide open fullback
Alec Ingold at the goal line for the easy touchdown.
Midway through the second, replay reviews on back-to-back
plays helped put Wisconsin into the lead. On the Badgers punt, Wisconsin was
initially called for kick catch interference, but replay showed Derrick Tindal
was blocked into the return man, so no flag. On the first play of the Indiana
drive, Morgan Ellison ran for a yard, but was brought down by Tyler Johnson,
forcing a fumble. The runner was ruled down before the fumble. Replay
overturned it and Wisconsin clearly recovered the ball. That set up a two-play
drive for the touchdown, as Hornibrook threw an 8-yard touchdown to Quintez
Cephus, who Moss’d his coverage man in the end zone.
That gave the Badgers a 14-10 lead, one that they’d take
into the locker room.
Bucky scored 10 quick points out of recess to take a 24-10 lead. With Wisconsin leading 17-10, Hornibrook found Kendric Pryor along the sideline on a great catch for 14 yards on 3rd-and-2. That helped set up Taylor’s 32-yard touchdown run. JT23 lined up at wide receiver and then went in motion. He found a hole and maneuvered his way through defenders and came out the other side and strolling to the end zone for the score.
Indiana came right back with a touchdown pass from Lagow to
Simmie Cobbs and forced the Badgers to punt on their next drive. Starting with
the ball at their own 10 with a chance to tie, disaster struck early in the
drive.
With the Hoosiers facing 2nd-and-20 from their
own 11, Lagow was drilled as he threw it over the middle. Safety Joe Ferguson
stepped in front of the receiver and intercepted it at the Indiana 27.
Seven plays later, Wisconsin made it a two-score game again
with an Ingold 1-yard touchdown run. No play on the drive went for longer than
six yards.
The Hoosiers did not respond to the adversity well, as Lagow
was intercepted again by Ferguson on the first play of the next drive. That led
to another Ingold touchdown run, his third total and second rushing one of the
day.
A turnover on downs set up Wisconsin’s final touchdown to
cement the win. It was not as much of a blowout as the score indicated, but the
Badgers won by 28.
Wisconsin would indeed go on to finish the regular season
undefeated and finished the campaign with a program-record 13 wins.
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