Wisconsin's Defense Can't Keep Being Asked to Save the Offense

I don't blame Wisconsin's defense for what happened at Iowa. Yeah, they gave up 30 points, and that's never going to look good. But I kept watching Wisconsin's offense Saturday and wondering how long the defense was supposed to hold up. The Badgers finished with 235 yards, had nine first downs and didn't score a point.

They also had the ball for less than 24 minutes. That's a long day for a defense when the offense isn't doing much to help. We saw almost the opposite against USC. Wisconsin's defense picked off two passes, had five sacks and held USC to minus-18 rushing yards.

The Badgers won that game 24-7, and I came away from it thinking maybe we were finally seeing what this team could be. Looking back at it now, the defense covered up a lot.

The USC Win Looks a Little Different Now

Wisconsin linebacker Mason Posa (8) celebrates his fourth down tackle during the third quarter of their game against Michigan State Saturday, October 3, 2026 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Wisconsin only had 200 yards of offense against USC. Colton Joseph threw for 58 yards, and somehow none of it mattered because the defense was that good. You can't count on that every Saturday.

Iowa made that pretty obvious. Wisconsin ran for 52 yards and averaged 2.2 yards per carry. Joseph and Ryan Hopkins combined for 183 yards through the air, but most of it didn't lead to anything.

The one drive I thought might change things came late in the second quarter. Joseph hit Jaylon Domingeaux for 41 yards and suddenly Wisconsin was sitting at the Iowa 8. That was the chance to get back in the game. They got nothing out of it.

How Long Can the Defense Keep Doing This?

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Wisconsin is giving up a little more than 17 points per game this season and just over 100 rushing yards. I look at those numbers and don't see a defense that's killing this team. The offense is a different story.

Wisconsin scored seven points against UCLA. Then came the USC game, where the defense helped make 200 yards of offense good enough to win by 17. Saturday the Badgers didn't score at all.

Iowa had the ball for more than 36 minutes and ran 66 plays. I kept thinking about that while watching the game. The defense would get off the field and before long it seemed like they were right back out there again. You can only do that for so long.

This Is Bigger Than the Quarterback

Oct 31, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph (1) looks to throw a pass against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the fourth quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I've already written about the quarterback situation. I still don't know whether Joseph or Hopkins gives Wisconsin the better chance going forward, but I'm pretty sure of one thing. This isn't all on the quarterback.

Wisconsin has to run the ball better than it did Saturday. The Badgers have to stay on the field longer, and they definitely can't get to the 8-yard line in a game like that and walk away without points.

That's what bothers me about this offense right now. We've seen Wisconsin beat Penn State and USC, so I know this team is capable of playing better than what we saw at Iowa. The defense has done enough to give Wisconsin a chance in a lot of these games.

At some point, the offense has to return the favor.

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