The Wisconsin Badgers team had plenty of chances to win against the top-ranked Oregon Ducks, but could not do so during the close loss.
The Badgers got off to a solid start in the first-half of football and looked to be in prime position to pack on points against the Ducks. Oregon starting quarterback and Heisman Trophy hopeful Dillon Gabriel dominated in the second-half of play for the Ducks offense. However, the Badgers were their own worst enemy in the second-half and ultimately lost due to a lack of any real offensive momentum.
The Wisconsin Badgers starting quarterback Braedyn Locke had one of his better performances of the year, but could not do quite enough to lift the Badgers over the Ducks. The quarterback was without some of his top receivers including CJ Williams and Will Pauling which seemingly put a dent in the passing game. Running back Tawee Walker was the leader of the offense for the Badgers and had arguably the best game out of anyone on the Wisconsin team.
It doesn’t feel like the #Badgers are playing an out-of-this-world game to be tied 13-13 with No. 1 Oregon.
But they’re going to need something special in this fourth quarter.
Dillon Gabriel already had a moment and now he’s got the ball back with 10:57 left.
— Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) November 17, 2024
What Wisconsin really struggled with was finding any sort of momentum in the second-half of play as it looked like a different team on the field. Wisconsin played with such energy and excitement in the first-half, but the team looked flat throughout the rest of the game. While the team looked flat, they did prove they can be quite the physical and aggressive team when properly motivated to do so on the field.
Locke would go onto throw a difficult interception that eventually put the nail in the coffin for the Wisconsin Badgers potential comeback hopes. Wisconsin was able to secure decent field position after stopping a fake field goal attempted by the Oregon Ducks However, it was all for nothing as the quarterback threw a difficult interception that was frankly now completely his fault.
Wisconsin Football Shows Heart, Potential During Difficult Loss
While the Wisconsin Badgers did not secure the win or have the perfect performance, it was quite the performance against a team many felt would blow out the Badgers.
The Wisconsin Badgers came out swinging and played against the Oregon Ducks with plenty of heart when a team would typically be defeated in the same position. The defense played incredibly physical in the face of adversity as the Wisconsin Badgers program continues to face questions regarding just how talented the team is. While the Iowa loss is still on the mind, Wisconsin looked like a much improved team against a significantly more talented team.
Wisconsin was not able to find any sort of rhythm or momentum on offense in the second-half, but still played quite the memorable game against a significantly better opponent.
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