The Wisconsin Badgers nearly clinched an upset win over No. 1 Oregon on Saturday night. Unfortunately, the Ducks executed when it mattered most.
The Badgers, who had lost two straight games to Big Ten opponents, were on the precipice of their first signature win of the 2024 campaign.
The team led 13-6 at the start of the fourth quarter. Oregon faced a fourth-and-nine at the Badgers’ 41-yard line, where a defensive stop could become the game’s defining moment.
Instead, Oregon registered that defining moment.
Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel scrambled to the left, fired off his left foot and hit tight end Terrance Ferguson through heavy traffic. With the catch, the Ducks completed the first down and generated momentum for a touchdown drive.
Oregon TE Terrance Ferguson is CLUTCH!
4th and 9! pic.twitter.com/7TY1aykk6s— Thomas Martinez (@BoltsDraftTalk) November 17, 2024
From that point on, UW was outmatched. The Badgers failed to score for the remainder of the contest, and Oregon left with a 16-13 win.
A win for Luke Fickell’s program could have shifted the Badgers’ momentum for the rest of the 2024 season. Now, the team sits at 5-5 entering a road test against Nebraska next weekend.