Wisconsin held on to defeat South Dakota 27-13 on Saturday afternoon.
The Badgers did not dominate in the way that many expected. Instead, the matchup marked the second consecutive week the Badgers struggled to pull away from a far inferior opponent.
Related: Takeaways from Wisconsin’s uninspiring Week 2 win over South Dakota
QB Tyler Van Dyke led the way for the Badgers offense with 17/27 passing, 214 yards and one touchdown. His impressive first half set a strong tone for the game, pushing Wisconsin to a 17-3 halftime lead.
The second half saw momentum quickly return to the Coyotes. The FCS contender had a chance to tie the game midway through the third quarter after Wisconsin WR Vinny Anthony muffed a punt inside the Badgers 10 yard-line. That was the closest the game got, as South Dakota settled for a field goal to make it 17-13 at the time. Wisconsin pushed the margin back up to seven, then later to an insurmountable 14 points.
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Wisconsin’s stars of the game include RB Cade Yacamelli (86 total yards on 10 touches in relief of starter Tawee Walker), DL Elijah Hills (two tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss) and C.J. Williams (two receptions, 53 yards, one touchdown).
There were some tangible improvements after Week 1, especially on offense. But questions still remain after another mostly pedestrian performance. The team will need to find its form immediately when No. 4 Alabama visits Madison next weekend.
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