Wisconsin upsets No. 5 LSU at Lambeau Field

Wisconsin’s Corey Clement runs during the first half of an NCAA college football game against LSU Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

The first college football game in more than 30 years at Lambeau Field sure went well for the state of Wisconsin.

The Badgers put forth a huge effort on defense and did just enough on offense to pull off a huge upset of No. 5 LSU, 16-14. The Badgers shut out the Tigers’ offense in the first half, allowed only 257 yards overall, and largely kept star back Leonard Fournette in check (23 carries for 138 yards).

And when LSU, a team some picked to win the national title, was driving with a chance to go in front in the final minute, the Badgers came up with the big play — an interception from D’Cota Dixon — to seal a huge win. The game-winning pick was momentarily overshadowed by an ugly late hit on Dixon from LSU’s Josh Boutte, who was ejected for the play, but Wisconsin ran out the rest of the clock without any drama.

	Dr. Saturday @YahooDrSaturday
Just a brutal cheap shot here. pic.twitter.com/HVIUzsvGBL 3:58 PM - 3 Sep 2016 Twitter

Things weren’t pretty Saturday for the Badgers on offense, but after coughing up a 13-0 lead in a little more than a minute of play late in the third, fifth-year senior Bart Houston, making his first career start, led his team down the field for the winning field goal from Rafael Gaglianone. The 47-yarder was the third of the day for Gaglianone, and gave coach Paul Chryst the biggest win of his tenure at his alma mater.

At times it seemed like the Badgers were going to squander away their upset bid. They had chances to punch the ball into the end zone three times in the first half, but Houston was intercepted in the end zone once and UW also settled for two Gaglianone field goals.

Those two field goals gave Wisconsin a 6-0 lead going into halftime, and a five-yard score from running back Corey Clement extended that lead to 13-0 early in the third quarter. But then things began to go LSU’s way.

After the Badgers regained possession deep in their own territory with 6:30 to play in the third, Houston threw an ill-advised interception that was returned 21 yards for a touchdown by LSU’s Tre’Davious White. Three plays into Wisconsin’s next drive, wideout George Rushing was stripped and White pounced on the loose ball.

Two plays later, LSU QB Brandon Harris found Travin Dural for a 10-yard score, and all of a sudden the Tigers were ahead, 14-13.

The teams traded punts on the next four drives, setting up the game-winning drive from the Badgers midway through the fourth. Houston found his favorite target, tight end Troy Fumagalli (seven catches for 100 yards), for gains of 20 and 11 yards to move into LSU territory. Clement (86 yards on 21 carries) reeled off a few nice runs, too, to put the ball in the range of Gaglianone. His kick was true, putting the ball back into Harris’ hands.

Harris has been an inconsistent passer throughout his career. This game was no different. He had two nice completions on the drive — one to DeSean Smith for 19 yards and another to Dural for a critical first down. But the the bad Harris showed his face a few plays later when he forced one into coverage and right into the arms of Dixon to seal the win for the Badgers.

The loss is a huge blow for an LSU team that was hyped up all summer. Les Miles nearly lost his job after a disappointing 2015 season, and now he is sure to be right back on the hot seat like he never left it.

Wisconsin was thought to be a middle-of-the-road team in the Big Ten, so this loss could be a big hit to the Tigers’ College Football Playoff résumé if — and that’s a big if – they can play up to their potential for the rest of the season. The way things looked Saturday in Green Bay, the playoff is a long shot at best.