Studs and duds from Wisconsin Badgers 38-14 loss to Alabama Crimson Tide

The Wisconsin Badgers were thoroughly man-handled by the Alabama Crimson Tide in Week 3.

It wasn't all bad, but the team has plenty of blame to go around on both sides of the ball as to why things didn't go well in the 38-14 loss.

A few positive standouts emerged along the way, but they were few and far between.

Stud: WR Vinny Anthony II

The Badgers couldn't get much going in the first half, but they got a spark at the start of the second quarter from Vinny Anthony II.

Immediately after a 75-yard touchdown for Alabama, Anthony responded by housing the ensuing kickoff 95-yards for a score, untouched on his way to the endzone.

It was the first special teams touchdown of his career at the moment Wisconsin needed it most.

It didn't win the game, but it was a bright spot in a game that didn't have many. He added one catch for eight yards in the passing game, too.

Dud: CB Geimere Latimer

Most of the Wisconsin secondary belongs in the "dud" category for how Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson carved them up, but Latimer appeared to be the worst offender on some of the Crimson Tide's biggest plays.

PFF credited him with allowing 3 catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns, unfortunately responsible for Alabama's 75-yard screen pass touchdown in his coverage responsibility.

Cornerbacks Ricardo Hallman and Omillio Agard also gave up big plays, and the safeties Preston Zachman and Austin Brown failed to limit the damage, too.

No one had answers on the back end of the defense.

Dud: RG Colin Cubberly and RT Emerson Mandell

Much like the secondary, the offensive line has plenty of blame to go around.

The two redshirt freshmen on the right side were the weakest link, though they weren't helped by the injury to center Jake Renfro that limited his consistency in the middle.

Sep 13, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Danny O'Neil (18) is sacked by Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman London Simmons (90) during the second quarter at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. | David Leong-Imagn Images

The right guard and right tackle struggled with communicating and passing off Alabama's blitzes and stunts, leaving backup quarterback Danny O'Neil under pressure far too often.

The same was true in the ground game, where Badgers running backs found little room to run.

The more experienced linemen on the left side of the offensive line gave up pressure too, but the Crimson Tide seemed to be targeting the young blockers on the right, and it paid off.

Stud: LB Christian Alliegro

It's hard to find many studs on a defense that gave up 38 points and couldn't stop the pass, but Alliegro was a key part of the Badgers largely shutting down Alabama's running game.

He consistently filled his gaps in the run fit, not always getting to make the actual stop but redirecting the ball-carrier into the arms of his teammates.

He was also the only player to successfully sack Simpson, getting home on a blitz in the second quarter.

His fellow linebacker Tackett Curtis also deserves some credit, but it Alliegro made the impact plays to stand out.

Dud: Penalties

Wisconsin's margin of error in this game was too small to beat themselves with self-inflicted wounds.

They didn't rack up a high volume of penalties, but the flags they did draw hurt them in critical moments.

In the first quarter, an offensive pass interference call negated a first down and led to a sack on the next play, followed by a punt

Then in the second, the Badgers had stopped Alabama on third down but Mason Reiger was flagged for a roughing the passer penalty and the Crimson Tide scored a touchdown on the very next play.

A false start, an offsides and a defensive holding put Wisconsin in more difficult down and distance situations and gave Alabama free yards.

The Badgers just couldn't afford that in a game like this.

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WATCH: Vinny Anthony II goes 95-yards untouched on Badgers kick return touchdown at Alabama