Wisconsin Football Report Card: Grading Every Offensive Position After Embarrassing Loss to Iowa

Traveling to Iowa City for the 100th meeting of a historic rivalry, Wisconsin (5-3, 3-2) failed to exorcise its black-and-yellow demons, suffering a humiliating 30-0 defeat at the hands of Iowa (6-2, 3-2). The Badgers have now been shut out by the Hawkeyes in back-to-back seasons and have yet to capture the Heartland Trophy under Luke Fickell.

Following a thoroughly embarrassing showing, Badgers On SI breaks down and grades each position group, starting with the offense.

Quarterbacks

Wisconsin's Colton Joseph — Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Colton Joseph | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Wisconsin has been plagued by injuries at quarterback throughout Luke Fickell’s tenure, with the likes of Hunter Simmons and Braedyn Locke forced into starting roles against Iowa in recent years. This time, however, there were no such excuses.

The Badgers invested heavily in bringing Colton Joseph over from Old Dominion through the transfer portal, and he’s remained healthy throughout the season. Health hasn’t been an issue, but quality of play certainly has.

Joseph went 5-for-14 for 90 yards through the air while managing just six rushing yards on seven carries. He avoided throwing an interception, extending his streak to four straight games without one, but coughed up an inexplicable fumble on an awkward read-option in the second quarter.

The fourth-year gunslinger was inaccurate and uncomfortable as a passer, failed to make an impact with his legs and continued to display poor decision-making on read-options, a bit of a recurring issue throughout the season.

Late in the third quarter, Joseph gave way to freshman Ryan Hopkins, who went 8-for-13 for 93 yards and an interception. Hopkins looked understandably green at times, but I was generally encouraged by his poise and effort. His interception came on a fourth-down heave, while a deep completion to Tyrell Henry offered a glimpse of his potential. That play would’ve put Wisconsin on the doorstep of scoring had Henry not subsequently fumbled.

With Joseph continuing to struggle and Hopkins receiving extended playing time Saturday, questions about a potential quarterback change are inevitable. Whether the Badgers have a legitimate controversy under center is a discussion for another time. For now, the grade from Iowa City is straightforward.

Grade: F

Running Backs

Wisconsin's Abu Sama III — Wisconsin Badgers running back Abu Sama III | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After finding success on the ground against USC, Wisconsin took a significant step backward in its rushing attack against Iowa. The workload was split relatively evenly, with Abu Sama III leading the way with 23 yards on six carries (3.8 yards per carry), followed by Darrion Dupree with 22 yards on five attempts (4.4 yards per carry) and Bryan Jackson II with just six yards on five carries (1.2 yards per carry).

Sama and Dupree each broke off a run of 10+ yards but otherwise struggled to find running room, while Jackson was unable to get anything going. Perhaps the most infamous carry came in the second quarter, when Sama took a sweep on fourth-and-goal and was stuffed short of the end zone, bringing an 86-yard drive to a frustrating halt.

Of course, running back production is heavily dependent on blocking, and Wisconsin’s blockers did their ball carriers few favors. It’s difficult to place the backs near the top of the list of culprits for Saturday’s offensive debacle when they were routinely given so little room to operate. Nevertheless, the lack of production is impossible to overlook, and the position group receives a failing grade.

Grade: F

Wide Receivers

Wisconsin's Jaylon Domingeaux — Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Jaylon Domingeaux | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

When you get shut out, there aren’t many positives to take away, but Jaylon Domingeaux’s emergence was one of the few bright spots for Wisconsin. The Southeastern Louisiana transfer hauled in six receptions for 86 yards, highlighted by an incredible adjustment to come down with a 41-yard catch in the second quarter. It was arguably the Badgers’ best offensive play of the afternoon.

Elsewhere in the receiving corps, Tyrell Henry finished with two catches for 54 yards, including a 57-yard bomb in the fourth quarter. However, his subsequent fumble took considerable shine off what otherwise would’ve been a spectacular play. Chris Brooks Jr. chipped in two receptions for 25 yards, while Eugene Hilton Jr. added one catch for 10 yards. Malachi Coleman logged 12 snaps and Shamar Rigby played six, but neither was targeted.

Wisconsin’s struggles through the air have been well-documented, but in my opinion, placing significant blame on the pass-catchers would be misguided. The quarterback play has been poor, and the receivers haven’t always been given opportunities to make an impact.

Henry’s fumble certainly factors into the evaluation, but Domingeaux delivered an impressive performance and the receiving corps was far from the root of Wisconsin’s offensive issues. I’m not entirely sure a C- is the perfect grade, but something above a failing mark feels appropriate given the circumstances.

Grade: C-

Tight Ends

As was the case for most of Wisconsin’s offense, it was a day to forget for the tight ends. After finding considerable success getting Jacob Harris involved early in Big Ten play, the Badgers have struggled to get the ball to their big-play threat in recent weeks. Harris was targeted twice against Iowa, finishing with just one reception for two yards, while Ryan Schwendeman added a six-yard catch.

While production in the passing game depends on several factors beyond the tight ends themselves, their struggles as blockers were painfully apparent. All four tight ends who saw action received PFF run-blocking grades below 60, with Grant Stec’s 42.1 mark ranking as the worst of the group. On the fourth-and-goal sweep that saw Abu Sama III stuffed short of the end zone, Emmett Bork appeared to miss a key block.

With Wisconsin’s offensive line struggling and undergoing constant shuffling, reliable blocking from the tight ends could go a long way toward stabilizing the ground game. Unfortunately, that support was nowhere to be found against Iowa, continuing what has quietly been a disappointing trend throughout the season.

Grade: F

Offensive Line

Trench play is always at the heart of Wisconsin-Iowa matchups, and the Badgers’ inability to hold their own up front Saturday contributed to a thorough beatdown. Barrett Nelson’s absence due to injury forced another round of shuffling along the offensive line, with Austin Kawecki starting at right guard. Playing with a broken hand that prevents him from lining up at his natural position of center, Kawecki held his own in pass protection but struggled as a run blocker, a problem that plagued the entire unit.

Left tackle Kevin Heywood endured an uncharacteristically abysmal outing, allowing two pressures and earning a 46.3 PFF grade. Right tackle Emerson Mandell graded out the best among the starters, although his 62.3 mark was hardly impressive, and he also surrendered two pressures.

The lack of push up front was reflected in Wisconsin’s rushing production, as the Badgers managed just 52 yards on 24 carries (2.2 yards per carry). The offensive line continued to rotate personnel as the game progressed, with Ryan Cory playing 17 snaps at center, Blake Cherry logging 14 between the guard spots in his first action in nearly a month and PJ Wilkins seeing 11 snaps at right guard.

The struggles weren’t limited to blocking, either. Wisconsin’s offensive line committed four false-start penalties, all in the first half, with Colin Cubberly, Stylz Blackmon, Heywood and Mandell each flagged once. Shooting yourself in the foot with pre-snap penalties is damaging in any game, but especially on the road against an Iowa defense that already makes moving the ball difficult.

In a matchup where physicality and execution in the trenches were paramount, Wisconsin failed to rise to the occasion. The Badgers knew the challenge they were facing, yet delivered a thoroughly disappointing performance up front. If this program hopes to reach the heights it aspires to, drastic improvement along the offensive line is a necessity.

Grade: F

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