After a locomotive-like offensive performance against Michigan State a week prior, the steam ran out and the wheels ground to a halt for the Badgers against the Iowa Hawkeyes Saturday in Iowa City, Iowa.
The Badgers (1-4 Big Ten, 6-4 overall) fell to the Hawkeyes (6-0, 9-1) 20-3 in a game marked by the Badgers inability to establish a running game and Iowa senior quarterback Brad Banks picking apart the Badgers' secondary.
The Iowa defense effectively shut down the Badgers offense, holding sophomore running back Anthony Davis to 34 yards on 16 carries and the whole Badger offense to just 215 total yards. The Hawkeyes also knocked senior quarterback Brooks Bollinger and junior quarterback Jim Sorgi out of the game, further hampering the Badgers offense.
The game started sluggishly, as both teams amassed a combined 66 offensive yards in the first quarter. The action picked up in the second quarter as Iowa mounted a drive that resulted in a 32-yard field goal from junior place kicker Nate Kaeding.
The Badgers answered with an 11-play, 72-yard drive that ended with a 26 yard field goal from sophomore kicker Mike Allen. The Badgers showed some offensive life as sophomore wide receiver Jonathon Orr and freshman wide receiver Brandon Williams both came up with big receptions and some holes started to open for Davis.
A pass interference penalty gave the Badgers a first and goal at the Hawkeyes' nine-yard line, but the drive stalled when sophomore running back Jerone Pettus dropped a surefire touchdown pass on third-and-goal.
Iowa however had the last laugh, when late in the second quarter they got the ball back with great field position. Banks then proceeded to find the end zone with a minute left in the half, from his 21-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Maurice Brown.
The first half looked to end on that note, but before the teams made it into the locker room, Bollinger took a hard hit on the sideline, banging his already ailing head. Sorgi came in and finished the half, only to be knocked out later in the second half.
The second half was all Hawkeyes as the Badgers could never get the offense going after their sole scoring drive. Kaeding added a 30-yard field goal and Banks threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to junior tight end Dallas Clark. The Iowa defense continued to shut down the Badgers' running game, daring third string freshman quarterback Owen Daniels to make plays to get the Badgers back into the game.
\We were beaten by a very good football team,"" Head Coach Barry Alvarez said to ESPN. ""We came in thinking we could establish the running game, but we never did. I'm not making excuses, but they just out-executed us.""
Iowa was without starting running back, junior Fred Russell, but his backup, sophomore Jermelle Lewis ran for 81 yards and Banks added 36 to negate the absence of Russell. That, combined with Banks '275 yards and two touchdowns and the exceptional play of Iowa's defense, spelled doom for the UW.
""We go out and play hard-nosed defense,"" Iowa senior defensive lineman Colin Cole told ESPN. ""We came in trying to stop the run, and I think we did that pretty well today.""
With Illinois (2-3 Big Ten, 3-6 overall) coming into Madison this Saturday, the Badgers will need to do what Iowa did to them: stop the run and establish a power running game of their own.
