ThotDoc's Brain Droppings on the Wisconsin Game
On a cool November evening in Madison, the Wisconsin Badgers scored in overtime and held off the Nebraska Cornhuskers 24-17 for their 10th win in a row against the visitors. Nebraska hasn’t won in Madison in 57 years. The game marked the Huskers fourth one-possession loss this season and their third in a row in their attempt to get bowl-eligible.
Nebraska has now lost seven straight overtime games and it was the second overtime loss in their past four trips to Wisconsin (also in 2016). When Nebraska gets into OT, they don’t just lose, they become inept. In their last six overtime losses, they not only have been shut out, but they have also failed to get a first down. In the battle for the Freedom Trophy, the Huskers have never been close enough to see it let alone hold it.
The overtime track record makes one question the clock management on the Huskers final 9-play, 68-yard drive that ended with a 30-yard game-tying field goal. The Huskers really needed to win this one in regulation but squandered more than 30 seconds down the stretch. The Huskers were down to the Wisconsin 26-yard line when the Badgers called timeout with 1:35 left. Emmett Johnson ran for 7 yards to the 19 (no timeout) and then for 1 yard to the 18. Twenty seconds ran off the clock before Matt Rhule called timeout with :20 left (his first of the half). Chubba Purdy then scooted to the 12-yard line for a first down with :13 left (NU timeout). After an incompletion on first down leaving seven ticks on the clock, the Huskers were forced to kick the field goal on second down. Oh my, huge opportunity lost and ultimately the game was as well.
Now, if you want to get picky, in overtime the Wisconsin QB ran for 9 yards on third and 10 from the Husker 14 and the refs missed a blatant tripping penalty on Braelon Allen which would have backed the Badgers up to nearly the 30, forcing an almost certain field goal try. But expecting Big Ten officials to call that penalty is almost as pointless as the Huskers in overtime. After all, they refused to call holding when the Nebraska defensive linemen were being mauled all evening.
The Husker offense started quickly, scoring on a 55-yard Chubba Purdy run and a 58-yard Jaylen Lloyd reception in the first nine minutes. The 14 points exceeded the Huskers' first-quarter output of 13 points in the previous ten games combined. Meanwhile, the defense shutout its opponent for the seventh time in 11 games, not allowing a first-quarter touchdown in six consecutive games and allowing just 23 first-quarter points all season.
Unfortunately, the next nine Nebraska possessions resulted in 5 punts, a turnover on downs, a missed field goal, a field goal, and finally an interception to end the game. The offense generated 270 first-half yards and just 94 yards in the second half and overtime. They were 4 for 6 on third-down conversions in the first two quarters and just 1 for 6 the rest of the contest. The first four possessions of the second half and overtime netted just 16 yards, and they still had a chance to win it in regulation.
Chubba Purdy, in his first start this season, accounted for a Nebraska season-high 274 yards of total offense (previous high was Heinrich Haarberg with 264 total yards vs. Louisiana Tech). Purdy completed 15-of-23 passes for 169 yards and one touchdown and had 14 carries for 105 yards including the 55-yard score. He posted his first career 100-yard rushing game.
Each of the Huskers three quarterbacks now have runs of 50 or more yards this season. Unfortunately, he has also thrown an interception on the last Husker possession in each of the last two games. Nevertheless, he remains the best option at quarterback next Friday versus Iowa. He runs nearly as well as Haarberg and has thrown better than Haarberg or Sims, and yet, has not shown a proclivity to fumble. Give him another week of practice with the ones and let’s see what he can do.
Senior receiver Billy Kemp IV led all receivers with eight catches for 43 yards, setting a season high in receptions, and bettering his five catches against both Colorado and Louisiana Tech. Freshman receiver Jaylen Lloyd caught a 58-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, marking his second touchdown of the season. Both of his TDs have covered more than 50 yards, with his first TD a 73-yard touchdown against Purdue.
Thomas Fidone added three catches for 23 yards and Malachi Coleman (2 catches for 32 yards) had a leaping grab for 26 yards on the Huskers final drive in regulation. Lloyd and Coleman are getting valuable experience this year due to the depleted receiver core that can only help next year.
Emmett Johnson rushed 13 times for 50 yards and Anthony Grant carried 12 times for 45 yards in the game. His 45 rushing yards gave Grant 1,324 rushing yards at Nebraska, moving him into the top 50 on the Husker career rushing list. Running yardage was hard earned as the Huskers outrushed Wisconsin 195-156. Unfortunately, some of the trick plays in the Husker backfield resembled a Chinese Fire Drill and were largely unsuccessful.
Nebraska had more yards than Wisconsin passing and rushing and won the time of possession, but lost the statistic that matters, total points. The Huskers also reverted to less disciplined play with 7 penalties for 54 yards that turned several third and manageable into third and long.
The Blackshirts appeared to wear down as the game wore on and were leaky at times down the stretch. After surrendering just 133 total yards in the first half with just 45 on the ground, the Badgers totaled 183 yards with 111 yards rushing after intermission. The ground game proved to be the difference in overtime as well as it accounted for 16 of the final 25 yards. Nebraska did manage two sacks in the game, giving the Huskers 31 sacks on the season, the first time Nebraska has had 30 sacks in a season since 2013.
The defense really struggled in covering Wisconsin receiver Will Pauling, who had 8 receptions for 79 yards, many of them for third-down conversions. The Huskers stopped two drives on fourth down in regulation but surrendered a fourth down in overtime that led to the winning score.
Safety Marques Buford Jr. led the team with a career-high 10 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss. The TFL total ties his career high, set last week against Maryland. Isaac Gifford added 8 stops and Javin Wright contributed 6 tackles but whiffed on what would have been about a 10-yard sack that Tanner Mordecai ended up scrambling for 13 positive yards on a second-and-long. It was a huge miss as Nebraska was up 14-10 but it continued a drive for the Badgers that finished with a touchdown to take the lead.
Luke Reimer (4 tackles) and Jimari Butler (3 tackles) each notched a sack for the defense. The only two pass breakups were attributed to Ty Robinson who batted balls to the ground. Phalen Sanford, Nick Henrich and Omar Brown all made tough stops to stuff Badger runners on third and short and fourth and short plays.
The special team play was anything but special as punter Brian Buschini actually downed his own 19-yard punt that bounced back toward him and ultimately set up a Wisconsin field goal. Buschini averaged just 35.2 on 5 punts and actually contributed to Wisconsin having better field position. The Huskers continued to present no threat in the return game and missed a couple tackles on the coverage units.
Tristan Alvano missed a very makeable 42-yard field goal to end the first half that proved to be crucial points in a tight game, yet he nailed the 30-yarder to send the game to overtime. It also appeared that Nebraska could have blocked Wisconsin’s last punt had the defender laid out for the ball. It would have given Nebraska a much shorter field with three and a half minutes remaining. Winning teams make those kind of plays and losing teams do not.
I feared about six games ago that Nebraska might have to beat Iowa on Black Friday to get its sixth win. When Nebraska moved to 5-3, I had hoped it wouldn’t be that prophetic, but here we are with one game remaining against the Big Ten West champions who have defensed their way to a 9-2 record. They out-uglied Illinois Saturday 15-13 to clinch, and if the Husker offense can get to 20 points, they will most likely upset the Ditch Chickens. From my lips to God’s ears, may it be so. Go Big Red!!
