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Week 15: Back-to-back fumbles give Steelers momentum early vs Eagles

T.J. Watt and Mark Robinson created momentum-changing turnovers for the Pittsburgh Steelers early in their Week 15 clash with the Eagles.

Here is a special thank you to Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt and ILB Mark Robinson, who both contributed to momentum-changing plays early in the Week 15 contest between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Philadelphia Eagles.

With five minutes remaining in the first quarter, Eagles QB Jalen Hurts attempted to scramble and keep the play alive. Watt, who was already leading the league with five forced fumbles, added another to his fantastic 2024 campaign. Hurts almost had a rushing lane available, but Watt immediately punched the ball out as the QB made it past the line of scrimmage.

TJ Watt forces a fumble! 😤

📺 Watch Steelers vs. Eagles on NFL Game Pass on DAZN | via @NFL pic.twitter.com/dUIn8p9ZKE

— NFL on DAZN (@NFLonDAZN) December 15, 2024

With a little over four minutes left in the first quarter, the Pittsburgh Steelers punted after failing to capitalize on Watt’s forced fumble. However, as the Eagles’ returner, rookie CB Cooper Dejean, received the football, Robinson bolted down the field and delivered a huge hit, knocking the ball loose in the process.

After a personal foul penalty stalled the Pittsburgh Steelers red zone aspirations, the team would call on Chris Boswell to put their first points of the day on the board. The Steelers currently trail the Eagles 10-3 as the second quarter begins.

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RECAP: Wisconsin basketball falls short against Michigan, drops first game of 2024-25 season

Wisconsin basketball fell to the Michigan Wolverines 67-64 on Tuesday night, dropping its first game of the 2024-25 season.

The story of the game can be told by a pair of stat lines:

Michigan center Vladislav Goldin finished the contest with 24 points, four rebounds and three blocks on 9-of-16 shooting, while forward Danny Wolf closed with 20 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and five blocks on 7-of-11 shooting.

Michigan’s two big men dominated the contest from start to finish. In a game where neither team found its shooting stroke from deep (Michigan 24% from three, Wisconsin 22%), the interior play of those two players ignited the Wolverines’ victory.

The game was tightly contested in every category. Michigan shot 39% to Wisconsin’s 34.4%, grabbed 43 rebounds to Wisconsin’s 41 and scored 34 points in the paint to Wisconsin’s 28.

The back-and-forth battle was decided by a key exchange late in the second half: Wisconsin led 64-61 with 2:23 remaining. A Goldin dunk cut the deficit to one point, before another layup gave Michigan a one-point lead with 1:34 remaining. Max Klesmit got several clean looks from three-point range to put the Badgers back in front. He missed the first, which allowed the Wolverines to extend the lead to 67-64. He then missed the second as time expired.

Wisconsin falls to 8-1 and 0-1 in Big Ten play with the loss. Michigan, meanwhile, is 7-1 to start Dusty May’s first season in charge. The triumph also pushed the Wolverines to 1-0 in Big Ten play.

The Badgers are back in action on Saturday on the road at rival No. 5 Marquette.

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RECAP: Wisconsin falls to Minnesota 24-7, clinches first losing season in 23 years

This story was updated to add new information.

The worst Wisconsin football season in 23 years came to a crashing end on Friday afternoon.

The Badgers fell to the rival Minnesota Golden Gophers 24-7. The loss dropped the team to 5-7 to officially close its season. That result clinches the program’s first losing campaign since 2001.

The loss followed a similar script to many of the Badgers’ recent defeats. The team struggled to move forward on offense, totaling just 48 yards on its first eight drives of the contest. Minnesota dominated in every facet. It out-gained Wisconsin 374-166, held the ball for 33:51 and maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half.

Wisconsin QB Braedyn Locke went 15-of-23 passing for 130 yards and a touchdown in the loss. He and the Badgers’ offense showed a glimpse of life in the third quarter, one time threatening to narrow the deficit to one score. But their momentum was quickly extinguished by a strong Minnesota defensive unit, and by yet another Nathanial Vakos missed field goal.

The story of Minnesota’s all-around victory is accurately told by the scoreboard, and by the final stat sheet.

The loss means that Luke Fickell and the Badgers finish the season on a five-game losing skid after a 5-2 start. The final 5-7 record is, again, the program’s first losing season since 2001. Its 22-year bowl streak, which was the was third-longest in the nation behind only Georgia (28 years) and Oklahoma (26), will likely end barring a large collection of significant upsets during Saturday’s schedule.

Minnesota evens the all-time series at 63-63-8 with the victory. It closes a successful regular season for P.J. Fleck’s team against one of the nation’s toughest schedules.

The win is an important one for Minnesota as it jockeys for position in the Big Ten. Meanwhile, it is a historic one for the Wisconsin football program. It now turns focus to 2025 in an unprecedented position.

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RECAP: Wisconsin crushed in Iowa City, lose to Hawkeyes 42-10

The Iowa Hawkeyes delivered a dominant 42-10 win over the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday night at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.

The Badgers defense forced a punt on Iowa’s opening possession. They followed that with a 12-play, 59-yard drive that ended with a 38-yard Nathanial Vakos field goal. That 3-0 advantage was the only lead Wisconsin would hold in the contest.

Iowa went on to miss a 56-yard field goal on its next drive, continuing to hand momentum to Wisconsin. But that momentum quickly turned when Badgers quarterback Braedyn Locke threw the first of two interceptions.

Quarterback Brendan Sullivan and running back Kaleb Johnson finished off back-to-back drives with rushing touchdowns as Iowa took a 14-3 lead into halftime.

The Hawkeyes kept the momentum going following the break, scoring touchdowns on all four of their possessions in the second half — two by RB Kaleb Johnson.

Braedyn Locke and C.J. Williams finally connected for a 14-yard score with 14:12 in the fourth quarter, Wisconsin’s first touchdown of the evening. That narrowed the margin to 28-10, which was the closest Wisconsin would get down the stretch.

Iowa out-gained Wisconsin 422-261 in total, churning out an eye-popping 329 rushing yards in the contest. Running back Kaleb Johnson turned 24 carries into 135 yards and three touchdowns, while fellow backs Kamari Moulton and Jaziun Patterson combined for 130 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Additionally, quarterback Brendan Sullivan completed seven of 10 passes for 93 yards and a touchdown while also adding 58 yards and a score on the ground.

For Wisconsin, quarterback Braedyn Locke completed 15 of 29 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown while throwing two interceptions in the loss. He has now thrown eight picks in six starts in 2024. Running back Tawee Walker was limited to just 52 yards on 16 carries while backfield mate Darrion Dupree had 52 yards on seven totes.

It was just the fourth time ever that Wisconsin allowed 40-plus points to Iowa — the first since 1975.

The Hawkeyes improved to 6-3 on the season and 4-2 in Big Ten play with the victory. Wisconsin, on the other hand, drops to 5-4 on the season and 3-3 in conference play.

The Badgers will be idle in Week 11 before they’ll host No. 1 Oregon at Camp Randall Stadium on Nov. 16.

RECAP: Wisconsin blanked in second half, falls to Penn State 28-13

Quick reaction to Wisconsin’s loss to Penn State

The No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions rode a 21-3 second-half margin to a 28-13 win over the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday night.

The halftime break served as a clear turning point in the game. Wisconsin led 10-7 thanks to a strong defensive effort and a timely touchdown drive in the first half’s closing moments. Penn State star QB Drew Allar also exited the end of the first half with an injury, one that he did not return from.

All signs were pointing toward a season-defining victory for the Badgers.

Then Penn State flat-out dominated after the halftime break. Backup quarterback Beau Pribula went 11 of 13 passing for 98 yards and a touchdown, plus added 28 yards on six carries. He led the Nittany Lions to several decisive touchdown drives. The offense barely missed a beat with him under center.

Wisconsin, meanwhile, held strong until another Braedyn Locke turnover shifted momentum — this one a pick-six to Penn State star linebacker Jaylen Reed. That pushed the Nittany Lions in front 14-10. The game only tilted further in their direction as it continued.

The drives following Locke’s pick-six:

Wisconsin: Eight plays, 51 yards — Field goal (14-13)
Penn State: 13 plays, 81 yards — Touchdown (21-13)
Wisconsin: Three plays, three yards — Punt
Penn State: Nine plays, 78 yards — Touchdown (28-13)

Penn State out-gained Wisconsin 419-298 in total. That balanced attack included 173 yards on the ground and 246 through the air. The running back duo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen combined for 135 rushing yards, 59 receiving yards and two total touchdowns, driving Penn State’s balanced success.

The Nittany Lions improve to 7-0 on the season and 4-0 in Big Ten play with the win. Wisconsin, meanwhile, drops to 5-3 on the season and 3-2 in Big Ten play.

The Badgers are back in action next weekend on the road at rival Iowa.

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RECAP: Wisconsin dominates Rutgers 42-7 in statement win of 2024 season

Quick reaction to Wisconsin’s dominant win over Rutgers:

Wisconsin improved to 4-2 on the 2024 season and 2-1 in Big Ten play with a dominant 42-7 win over Rutgers on Saturday.

The win is a further statement from Luke Fickell’s team. It struggled to a 2-2 record through the first four games of the season. It has now opened a two-game winning streak with victories over Purdue and Rutgers by a combined margin of 94-13.

The story of the game was, yet again, a suddenly dominant offensive unit. Phil Longo’s group totaled 549 yards (240 passing, 309 rushing). Veteran running back Tawee Walker led the way with 24 carries, 198 yards, 8.3 yards per carry and three rushing touchdowns — that output thanks in part to another dominant afternoon from the Badgers’ offensive line.

QB Braedyn Locke also added another 20 for 28 passing for 240 yards and one touchdown to his season total. 81 of those yards came to WR Vinny Anthony who continues to emerge as a big-time playmaker for Longo’s unit.

Mike Tressel’s defense also played a big role in the blowout victory. The unit held Rutgers star RB Kyle Monangai to only 72 total yards and 3.8 yards per carry. They forced Rutgers QB Athan Kaliakmanis to throw the football, which he did not do effectively.

Overall, Wisconsin appears to have turned a corner. The Badgers have made clear strides on both sides of the football after some sub-par play to begin the season. That improvement has helped the team’s rest-of-season outlook with games still remaining against Northwestern, vs. No. 4 Penn State, at Iowa, vs. No. 3 Oregon, at Nebraska and vs. Minnesota.

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RECAP: Wisconsin disappears after halftime in 38-21 loss to No. 13 USC

Quick thoughts on Wisconsin’s loss to USC?

Wisconsin’s nightmare start to the 2024 season continued on Saturday in Los Angeles, California.

The Badgers fell 38-21 to the No. 13 USC Trojans. The team led 21-10 at halftime. Then, just as they did against No. 4 Alabama two weeks ago, the Badgers disappeared out of the halftime break.

The final numbers tell an accurate story of what occurred. USC gained 29 first downs to Wisconsin’s 13 and 471 total yards to Wisconsin’s 286. The Trojans held the ball for more than 40 minutes of total game time.

USC mistakes handed Wisconsin a sizable first-half lead. But in hindsight, the Badgers were never the better team on the field.

The game truly shifted as USC scored 28 unanswered points out of the halftime break — 14 in the third quarter and 14 in the fourth quarter. Wisconsin had no response on offense, defense, or special teams. Instead, one USC touchdown immediately turned the momentum. Wisconsin began to hand the football away and relinquished to control of the game, a complete reversal from what occurred in the first half.

The loss is yet another tough reality check for the Luke Fickell era at Wisconsin. It appeared to be the fourth time in as many games this season that the Badgers were thoroughly out-coached. Looking forward, it’s hard to see a path to bowl eligibility.

Next up for Fickell and the Badgers is a home matchup with Purdue next Saturday. Things need to change for the program, and quickly.

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RECAP: Mistakes define Wisconsin’s blowout loss to No. 4 Alabama

Quick thoughts on Wisconsin’s loss to Alabama

Wisconsin suffered its first blemish of the 2024 season with a 42-10 blowout loss to No. 4 Alabama on Saturday.

While the final score was lopsided, the Badgers actually hung tough for almost the entire first half.

The team narrowly missed a big-play touchdown to cut the Crimson Tide lead to 14-10 with 30 seconds left before halftime. That pass from Braedyn Locke to Will Pauling narrowly fell incomplete in the back of the end zone, which led the Badgers to instead attempt a mid-range field goal attempt to cut the deficit to 14-6.

That’s where the game turned for good.

Wisconsin kicker Nathanial Vakos missed the field goal. Alabama quickly responded with a 2-play, 73-yard touchdown drive to extend its lead to 21-3. That three-play sequence defined the game.

The Badgers played well at times on both sides of the football. But mistakes were sprinkled in, mistakes which Alabama turned into all 21 of its first-half points. That created a deficit that Wisconsin was unable to overcome.

The Badgers even made a push early in the second half thanks to a long touchdown drive led by Locke. Luke Fickell’s team followed that touchdown with a defensive stop, giving them the ball down 28-10 with plenty of time remaining. Sophomore RB Cade Yacamelli fumbled on the first play of the ensuing drive. Alabama had no trouble turning that mistake into another seven points.

That theme defined the afternoon for the Badgers. Any mistake led to Alabama points. That is not the way to pull an upset against one of the most talented teams in the sport.

Final: Alabama 42, Wisconsin 10

— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) September 14, 2024

Wisconsin finished the game with 285 total yards (144 rushing, 141 passing) to Alabama’s 407 (181 rushing, 226 passing). The story is told by the turnover category. The Badgers gave the ball away four times — two fumbles, a missed field goal and a failed fourth down. It did not force any Alabama giveaways.

Wisconsin drops to 2-1 on the young season with the loss. It now moves into a bye week before beginning Big Ten play with a road trip to USC on Sept. 28.

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RECAP: Wisconsin edges South Dakota 27-13, improves to 2-0

First reaction to Wisconsin’s win over South Dakota?

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.

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.

https://twitter.com/CFBONFOX/status/1832545762565071337

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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WATCH: Wisconsin hockey great in contention at American Century Championship

Wisconsin hockey great Joe Pavelski enters the final round of the 2024 American Century Championship in second place, trailing former professional tennis player Mardy Fish.

The golf tournament is held on the south course at the Edgewood Tahoe Resort in Lake Tahoe. It includes a star-studded field of current and former athletes, musical artists, actors and more.

Pavelsi enters Sunday’s final round with 50 points in the modified Stableford scoring format. Instead of scoring in relation to par, this format rewards 10 points for an albatross, eight points for a hole-in-one, six points for an eagle, three for a birdie, one for a par, zero for a bogey and -2 for a double bogey or worse.

He trails Fish’s 57 points and leads NFL wide receiver Adam Thielen (45 points), former MLB pitchers Derek Lowe (42) and Mark Mulder (42), LPGA legend Annika Sorenstam (41) and NBA legend Ray Allen (38).

Joe Pavelski is LOCKED IN ⛳️🏒

He enters the Final Round of the American Century Championship in second place. He finished third last year.#Badgers | 🎥: @NBCSports pic.twitter.com/vGuuJs7IZx

— Andrew Bandstra (@andrewbandstra) July 13, 2024

Pavelski is currently a free agent after playing the last six years with the Dallas Stars. He has played in the NHL since 2006 after spending two seasons at Wisconsin. The veteran, who leads the NHL in all-time playoff goals by an American-born player, did recently announce that he does not intend to play this upcoming season — though did not use the word ‘retire.’

He will look to chase down Fish when the leaders tee off on Sunday.

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