The Wisconsin Badgers are picking up steam, upsetting No. 13 Penn State at Happy Valley for their third consecutive win and first conference win, bringing them to a 3-1 record.
Overcoming a 17-point deficit, the Badgers pulled off the victory and won 24-20, with a last-minute 72-yard touchdown pass from Colton Joseph to Jacob Harris to complete the comeback.
The defense was the true standout of the game, allowing only a field goal in the second half and holding Penn State to 233 total yards. The Nittany Lions were forced to punt seven times, and the Badger defense made a huge stop on a fourth down in the final seconds of the game to secure the win.
Saturday’s away-victory marks Wisconsin’s first top 25 win on the road since 2021, and they should feel confident going into this weekend’s matchup against unranked Michigan State.
The Badgers play at Camp Randall for their homecoming, and the red-out home crowd should give Wisconsin even more momentum going into the game.
Although the Badgers go into the weekend as favorites against a Michigan State team on a two-game losing streak, there are still many weaknesses that need to be improved.
Wisconsin is set to play three top 25 ranked teams after Michigan State, and key changes need to be made for the rest of the season.
Joseph needs to find his footing
Colton Joseph has started all four games for the Badgers, and has shown us two sides — one being the confident-clutch quarterback that can deliver in the final minutes of a game — and the other being a panicked turnover machine.
Joseph threw for two touchdowns in the last 3:31 of the game to beat Penn State. However, he also threw three interceptions — one being a 51 yard pick-six — adding up to five total this season in comparison to his seven touchdown passes.
These turnovers are part of the reason that the Badgers had to overcome such a large deficit, and against other tough Big Ten competition, Wisconsin cannot afford giveaways like these.
“Unfortunately it might just be a little bit of a roller coaster ride,” Head Coach Luke Fickell said in reference to Joseph. “That’s what people see, and yes they see some of the mistakes, we all do. But I think they see the genuine care and love and grind to get better.”
“We believe in him,” Fickell said, adding the team's confidence and support during the final minutes of the Penn State game likely influenced the clutch performance witnessed from Joseph.
Michigan State has only forced two turnovers all season, with Kenny Soares Jr. having their sole interception and Charles Brantley recovering a fumble. The differing defense should take some of the pressure off Joseph and give him the chance to build much-needed confidence, especially coming off of his fourth quarter performance.
Consistency through all four quarters
The story of the Penn State game was the incredible second half turnaround, but the Badgers have not always performed better after the break.
Against No. 4 Notre Dame, the Badgers had a strong first half and went into the break down by three, seemingly with the momentum on their side. However, Wisconsin got outscored in the second half 28-3, making the final score a 13-41 loss.
You can even point to Wisconsin’s two upset wins against No. 24 Washington and No. 21 Illinois last season. In both games Wisconsin pulled off the win thanks to their defense, but failed to play 60 minutes of good offensive football.
Similarly to the first half against Penn State, the Badgers had no fight in them and made the game look like it was going to be an expected blowout. But, the Badgers have proved twice now that they can compete with top 25 teams — just not for all four quarters.
“To be honest with you, we didn’t play a lot of four quarters of great ball,” Fickell said in a press conference on Sept. 28. “I think, particularly offensively, we did not play very well in the first half. The second half I think we really kind of settled in.”
In order to find success against Michigan State and future ranked opponents, Wisconsin needs to find a way to play at a high level through all four quarters, both offensively and defensively.
On offense, it could start by running the ball better. Wisconsin averages only 134 rushing yards and 30 attempts per game, ranking in the bottom third of the Big Ten in both categories. On defense, Wisconsin will have to continue forcing turnovers like they did in their last two games.
Michigan State fared similarly to Wisconsin in their game against Notre Dame, trailing by a touchdown at half and eventually losing 27-10. While the score did not look pretty, with Cam Fancher running the ball in for their sole touchdown, it is clear that Michigan State has the potential to compete with good teams.
The Badgers need to keep up the intensity as they did in glimpses throughout the season in order to beat Michigan State.
Keeping spirits high
Wisconsin managed to make a loyal Penn State crowd boo their Head Coach Matt Campbell and turned Beaver Stadium against its home team. The homecoming crowd of one-hundred thousand was rattled by the spirit of the Badgers — especially their defense.
Wisconsin needs to bring this energy to Camp Randall and fire up the homecoming crowd. Home field advantage is important for a reason, and big plays can make a big difference in games like these.
Michigan State has had six turnovers through their first four games, and playing away against the red-out crowd should create even more opportunities for the Badgers. Having conceded three turnovers of their own against Penn State, Wisconsin is no stranger to hostile home crowds. Big plays early can get the crowd going.
In the home opener against Western Illinois, Abu Sama III scored a 72-yard touchdown on the second play of the game, starting the scoring in a 36-9 victory. Moments like these are what gets the crowd and players amped up, and the Badgers must carry their Penn State momentum into the opening drive.
This will prove to be especially important against Michigan State, as the Badgers lost 34-28 in double overtime during their last matchup four years ago. Wisconsin played at Spartan Stadium in 2022, where small factors such as crowd influence and momentum could have been the difference.
“There’s two games that we won late in the year last year that the crowd had an incredible impact on,” Fickell said. “Not just by making it a difficult place to play, being loud and things like that, but they also don’t realize the energy they provide to their own team.”
Wisconsin is set to kickoff at 11:30 a.m. to host Michigan State at Camp Randall for the annual homecoming game on Oct. 3.
