The Badgers suffered their second consecutive shutout Saturday, falling to No. 1 Ohio State 34-0 at home. The loss is Wisconsin’s fifth in a row and marked the first time the Badgers have been shut out consecutively since 1968.
Wisconsin struggled from the get-go, going three-and-out on their first drive.
Immediately after, Ohio State orchestrated a nine play, 89-yard drive that ended with quarterback Julian Sayin throwing a 33-yard touchdown to receiver Carnell Tate.
The Badgers’ second offensive drive was even worse than the first. A short ball thrown up the middle by quarterback Hunter Simmons was bobbled by running back Cade Yacamelli, resulting in an interception by star Buckeye linebacker Sonny Styles.
An Ohio State field goal, paired with a second touchdown pass from Sayin to Tate with 4:40 on the clock and yet another Wisconsin three-and-out, gave the Buckeyes a 17-0 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Ohio State’s 187 first quarter yards was more than Wisconsin’s offense picked up all game.
The Badger defense was solid in the second quarter, keeping the Buckeyes off the scoreboard. However, their offense proved no help, once again unable to produce much of anything.
The second half told a similar tale. There were glimmers of hope, such as tight end Lance Mason’s 24-yard reception. However, this was followed by a seven yard sack, and Wisconsin’s few promising plays never developed into long drives.
“Not finding a way to put points on the board will never give us a chance,” Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell said after the game.
Wisconsin's offense crumbled in the third quarter with a meager two rushing yards and five passing yards, totaling 2:21 minutes of possession.
The team’s defense started the 3rd quarter fairly strong, limiting the Buckeyes to a field goal for most of the quarter.
But with 1:15 to go, Sayin found tight end Will Kackmarek on a short touchdown reception. The uninspiring third quarter ended 27-0.
In the fourth quarter, Danny O’Neil replaced Simmons at quarterback, but nothing changed offensively.
With 5:31 left in the game, Sayin threw his fourth touchdown pass, this time 13 yards to receiver Brandon Inniss.
The contest ended in a deflating 34-0 loss.
Despite the outcome, Fickell expressed his trust in his team, saying the locker room is still hopeful.
“Hope is one of those things that you have to find within. It’s not easy for the people outside to find it and see it, but I’ll tell you this: with the guys in the locker room, it’s different,” Fickell said”
The 2-5 Badgers will travel to No. 8 Oregon next Saturday at 6 p.m. in search of their first conference win and an end to their five game skid.
