Grading Each Phase of Wisconsin's Deflating Loss to No. 12 UCLA

At the sport’s grandest venue on Saturday night, Wisconsin’s upset hopes fell flat in a hurry. While the game felt winnable on paper, UCLA grabbed hold of the momentum early and never let up as it continued its undefeated season.

The Badgers now sit at 4-2 overall, with a 2-1 mark in conference play. Here’s how I assessed the performance of each phase of the ball.

Offense: D+

I get it. UCLA has one of the best defenses in the country and you got absolutely zero help from an officiating crew that wanted to have its fingerprints on every play, but seven points in a Big Ten game will simply never cut it.

To single out a bright spot, the run game — led by Colton Joseph’s 18 carries — was plenty serviceable, amassing 148 yards on 4.5 yards-per-carry. Beyond that, however, there’s not a lot to be excited about with this offense.

In a game that Wisconsin trailed nearly the entire way, Joseph threw just 16 passes, completing six for 66 yards. I know the Badgers won a few games without a passing attack late last season, but it wasn’t sustainable, and that’s now on full display.

Right now, it feels like Jeff Grimes and Luke Fickell don’t trust Joseph through the air. The Old Dominion transfer has showcased big-play ability with his arm, but it was nowhere to be found at the Rose Bowl.

Wisconsin's Colton Joseph. — Oct 17, 2026; Pasadena, California, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph (1) gets a lift after scoring a touchdown in the second half against the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Even during the lone scoring drive of the night, there wasn’t much to feel great about moving forward. With USC and Iowa up next on the schedule, there’s no time for experimentation. Joseph will need to pose a more significant threat through the air if this offense is going to win big games.

Defense: C

As has been the case often this season, the performance from the defense in Pasadena was extremely polarizing. On one hand, it allowed just 17 points to a top-15 team in the country. On the other hand, it allowed multiple long drives led by a backup quarterback.

Even in scenarios where things were trending in the right direction such as Nicolas Clayton’s sack to force second-and-26 and back-to-back UCLA penalties backing it up to its own 3-yard line, the defense couldn’t deliver a knockout punch.

All things considered, the effort against Wayne Knight and the rush attack was exceptional. The Bruins averaged just 3.2 yards-per-carry.

Where Wisconsin struggled was with Ty Dieffenbach. There was hardly any tape on the 6-foot-6 quarterback at this level, but he still looked far too comfortable for a backup quarterback in his first power-conference start.

Dieffenbach threw for 264 yards, completing 22 of his 33 attempts through the air. He did have an interception on a last-second heave to close the first half, but if you didn’t know he was the backup, you wouldn’t have been able to tell.

Despite winning the turnover battle and allowing just 17 points, the three drives of 80-plus yards and back-breaking lapses make it hard for me to go any higher with this grade.

Special Teams: C-

In the lone opportunity defending the return, Bob Ligashesky’s crew made a nice play, stopping Knight after a return of 19 yards, but Tyrell Henry had just one opportunity of his own, recording an 11-yard punt return.

Sean West was pretty good tonight. The 39.6 yards-per-punt is a bit misleading as he was often looking to pin the Bruins. Four of his five kicks were downed inside the 20-yard line. It wasn’t anything spectacular, but he did his part.

Wisconsin's Tyrell Henry. — Oct 3, 2026; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Tyrell Henry (0) during the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At the worst time for it, Gavin Lahm missed his first field goal of the year on a 46-yard attempt late in the first half. He wouldn’t have a second opportunity to redeem himself, leaving a sour taste in his mouth heading into next week’s clash with USC.

Overall, the special teams have had better games, but they did enough to win tonight, it was the other phases that were inadequate.

Overall: C-

It wasn’t the worst possible loss, but it certainly feels like a missed opportunity. In an environment that lacks the intimidation factor of other Big Ten venues, against a backup quarterback, it felt like a grand opportunity for a statement win. Instead, the Badgers will fly home with a deflating loss.

I haven’t really addressed the officiating yet in this piece. I’m likely with the majority in thinking it was abysmal, but that can’t be the excuse for Wisconsin’s performance tonight. Even when it caught a break, it seemed to dig its own grave just a little deeper.

Like I said earlier, seven points will never win you a Big Ten game. 17 points as a defense is sufficient, but UCLA controlled this game from start-to-finish, in all three phases.

I’m not totally panicking yet, but as that Penn State win continues to look less and less impressive, I’m waiting on this team to truly make a statement. Luckily for Fickell, the next two weeks are the best opportunities remaining on the schedule to do so.

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