Wisconsin defense holds in OT to give Nebraska its first loss

Wisconsin’s Dare Ogunbowale rushed for 120 yards and a TD in Saturday night’s overtime win over Nebraska. (Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images)

Wisconsin has relied on its defense all season, and that unit came through in a big way Saturday night to give the 11th-ranked Badgers a 23-17 overtime victory over No. 7 Nebraska.

Playing in front of a raucous home crowd in Madison, Wisconsin, the Badgers led for the majority of the evening and took a 17-7 lead into the fourth quarter, but Nebraska rallied back to force overtime. Wisconsin opened the extra frame with a Dare Ogunbowale touchdown run, but kicker Andrew Endicott shanked the extra point wide left.

All Nebraska needed to win the game was a touchdown and an extra point, but the Badgers defense was there to pick up Endicott, who also missed a potential go-ahead field goal late in regulation.

Nebraska’s Terrell Newby was stuffed on first- and second-down runs, forcing the Huskers to go to the air. Senior Tommy Armstrong struggled most of the night, completing just 12-of-31 passes and tossing two interceptions. Those issues continued in OT as his third down pass to Jordan Westerkamp sailed high and a fourth-down try toward the end zone was broken up by D’Cota Dixon to seal a win for the Badgers.

The game was a classic Big Ten slugfest from the start: A lot of defense without much offense.

Six of the game’s first eight drives ended in punts, but Wisconsin was able to take an early lead thanks to a nice punt return by Corey Clement and a 21-yard touchdown burst by Bradrick Shaw.

Nebraska tied things 7-7 on a one-yard Devine Ozigbo touchdown run early in the second, but after Armstrong’s second interception of the half, Wisconsin went into the break with a lead when Endicott drilled a 44-yarder.

Wisconsin’s best drive of the night came on its first of the second half. With Nebraska’s defense putting the clamps on the dangerous Clement for much of the night, Ogunbowale, who had a game-high 120 yards on just 11 carries, was able to pick up yardage in big chunks to bring the Badgers into the red zone. The lead was extended to 17-7 when Alex Hornibrook faked to Clement on a third-and-two play and found wideout Robert Wheelwright for a nine-yard score.

At this point, Wisconsin was in control, but the Huskers didn’t go down without a fight. After the teams traded punts, the Huskers put together a lengthy drive of their own, going 75 yards in 14 plays to cut the lead to 17-14. A two-yard Armstrong keeper put the cap on the drive, which took nearly six minutes off the clock.

Three plays into Wisconsin’s ensuing drive, Hornibrook was intercepted by Nate Gerry, who returned it into UW territory. Nebraska looked primed to take the lead, but the Badgers forced a quick three-and-out.

The next Wisconsin drive was deja vu. Except this time it was Bart Houston who threw the ill-advised intercepted for the Badgers. This time, the Huskers capitalized and tied the game with a 35-yard Drew Brown field goal, forcing overtime.

Wisconsin looked like it had no interest in going back to the air when overtime began, but it wouldn’t matter. Clement quickly picked up a first down, and Ogunbowale scored the game-winner from 11 yards out on the drive’s fourth play.

From there, even with Endicott’s botched extra point, the Badgers defense took care of business to finish off the big win.

After dropping back-to-back games to Michigan and Ohio State, the Badgers have rebounded in a big way with wins over Iowa and now Nebraska and are now 6-2 (3-2 Big Ten) on the season. More significantly, the loss the first of the season for the Huskers. Nebraska, at 7-1 (4-1 Big Ten), still is in sole possession of first place in the Big Ten West, but now has Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Northwestern all a game back with 3-2 conference records each.

With Nebraska headed into Columbus to face Ohio State next weekend, the Big Ten West is wide open.