IOWA CITY, Iowa-When the Badgers (6-2 Big Ten, 9-2 overall) lost 30-7 to the Iowa Hawkeyes (7-1, 9-2) Saturday, they lost more than a Big Ten championship. For days in advance, the team knew the inaugural Heartland Trophy was on the line, and they found out before taking the field that they could claim a Rose Bowl bid and the conference title outright. With everything to gain, the team lost because of a lackluster defense against Iowa's passing game, a paltry ground game and a failure to convert turnovers into points.
Before the kickoff in Iowa City, Head Coach Barry Alvarez informed the players of Ohio State's upset of No. 7 Michigan 37-21.
\I got the score just before we went out and I told them,"" Alvarez said. ""If you have an opportunity to play for a championship, you win, and win the championship. We didn't take advantage of it.""
It appeared as though the Wisconsin defense was going to embarrass the Hawkeyes. Senior safety Jim Leonhard picked off two of Iowa sophomore quarterback Drew Tate's passes on Iowa's first two possessions. The offense could not follow through, as a botched snap on one field goal attempt and a missed field goal on another left Wisconsin with nothing on the board despite two possessions that started in Iowa territory.
While Tate made fewer completions than UW sophomore quarterback John Stocco, he made more that counted on the scoreboard. Tate marched Iowa down the field on its next possession and capped a nine-play, 66-yard drive with a 6-yard pass down the sideline to junior wide receiver Clinton Solomon.
The Badgers came back in the second quarter and tied the game as sophomore running back Booker Stanley slipped in the end zone from four yards out.
Tate came back strong on the next possession and made the big play that broke the early tie. Late in the second quarter, he connected with Solomon again for a 51-yard touchdown.
But passing alone did not indicate Tate's talent. While Tate completed 15 of 24 passes compared to Stocco's 18 of 39, Alvarez noted that Tate tests the defensive line.
""He puts guys on eggshells because they're afraid to really go after him hard, because he's going to make you miss,"" he said.
Tate frequently broke tackles and scrambled away from pressure. Defensive coordinator Bret Bielema said Tate's talent made him an offensive menace.
""He has the ability to make something of nothing,"" he said. ""He has the elusive ability that allows him to get in position and make plays that aren't necessarily there.""
Stocco tried to follow suit at the close of the second half as he fired a deep middle pass to the Iowa end zone. Junior wide receiver Jonathan Orr was in position to come down with it, but did not, sending the Badgers to the locker room down by seven points.
If the first half was a struggle for Wisconsin, the third quarter was a disaster. On the Badgers' second possession Stocco threw an interception to junior defensive back Jovon Johnson. The Hawkeyes were stopped by an interception by junior cornerback Brett Bell that put Wisconsin on their own 2-yard line. A run up the middle by Stanley gave Wisconsin some breathing room, but didn't put them in the clear. Stocco threw his second interception of the quarter, this time to senior defensive back Sean Considine, putting Iowa at Wisconsin's 32.
After a pass interference penalty, Tate connected with sophomore wide receiver Scott Chandler for Iowa's third touchdown. The Badgers got the ball back only to lose it on a fumble at their own 21-yard line. Sophomore kicker Kyle Schlicher added a field goal and Iowa opened up their lead to 24-7 by the end of the third quarter.
While the turnovers were a major drawback for the Badgers, their inability to produce big plays was just as detrimental. The biggest gain of yardage for them in the third quarter was a 15-yard penalty in their favor. Brian White, Wisconsin's offensive coordinator, said Iowa's ability to contain the Badgers gave the Hawkeyes the advantage.
""Their defense determined the outcome of this game,"" he said.
Facing a 17-point deficit, the Badgers could not rally in the fourth quarter. Senior defensive lineman Jonathan Babineaux picked up a Stocco fumble and returned it 39 yards, ending the Badgers' hope for a victory. Iowa scored two more field goals before time expired.
Though UW lost its Rose Bowl bid, it is most likely headed to the Outback Bowl in Tampa Bay, Fla., on Jan. 1. Alvarez said he is still proud of the 2004 Badger football team.
""A nine-win season is a pretty good year,"" he said.
