Wisconsin escaped Evanston, Illinois with a 23-3 victory over the Northwestern Wildcats on Saturday.
The Badgers improve to 5-2 on the season and 3-1 in Big Ten play with the win. Northwestern, meanwhile, drops to 3-4 with the loss.
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The game fit the script of many Wisconsin vs. Northwestern games over the years. The game had its ugly stretches, highlighted by a collection of blocked and missed field goals throughout the first half. There was a feeling that points were at a premium, at least until Wisconsin built its lead in the second half.
The game changed in the final moments before the halftime break. 50 seconds remained in the period when Northwestern had the football on its own 13-yard-line after a 10-yard first-down run by RB Joseph Himon II. Instead of running the ball into halftime trailing just 7-0, David Braun’s team decided to get aggressive. QB Jack Lausch dropped back to pass, was pressured by a collection of Wisconsin defenders, and coughed up the football. Badgers DT Elijah Hills recovered the fumble at the Wildcats 3-yard-line, setting up an easy score and a 14-0 halftime lead.
Northwestern did show signs of life early in the second half. It drove down to Wisconsin’s goal-line, though the Badgers held strong and kept the drive out of the end zone. That theme defined the afternoon — Wisconsin meeting every Northwestern punch with a clear response.
The Badgers went on to orchestrate a long touchdown drive to close the third quarter with a 21-3 lead. Northwestern’s offense didn’t have enough to battle back in the game.
Wisconsin’s performance was far from perfect. QB Braedyn Locke turned the ball over twice, K Nathanial Vakos had a field goal blocked and the Wisconsin defense missed several key opportunities to force Northwestern turnovers. But the Badgers finished with another decisive margin on the scoreboard. The team has completely turned around its season after a rocky 2-2 start.
Wisconsin now continues into a season-defining home matchup with No. 3 Penn State
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