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Rapid Reaction: Turnovers prove costly as Wisconsin comes up short in Rose Bowl
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Final score: #6 Oregon 28 #8 Wisconsin 27
Brief recap: A back-and-forth game between two evenly matched opponents was the story of the Rose Bowl Game between Wisconsin and Oregon. There were six lead changes throughout the game, and the Ducks were the ones on top when the clock struck zero. Oregon started the game with a 12-play, 75-yard drive to open with a 7-0 lead. Wisconsin didn’t take long to respond, with Aron Cruickshank returning the ensuing kickoff 95 yards to the end zone to tie the game. The Badgers were able to take a 17-14 lead into halftime, thanks to an 11-yard touchdown pass from Jack Coan to Quintez Cephus. A botched punt in the second half returned for a touchdown by Brady Breeze to put the Ducks back in front. Wisconsin would take one more lead at 24-21 on an 11-play, 65-yard drive, but another fumble proved costly. With less than eight minutes the game, the Badger offense turned the football over and Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert raced 30 yards to the end zone on the first play of the drive to take a 28-27 lead. Despite having chances to regain the lead, the Badgers came up short.
Key moment: Wisconsin’s fumble with less than eight minutes and a 27-21 lead was crushing. Not only did the Badgers have a chance to make it a two-score game and essentially wrap up the victory, Herbert scored his third rushing touchdown of the game to push the Ducks past the Badgers.
Key stat: Four turnovers — three fumbles and an interception — were too much to overcome. In one-possession games, turnovers are usually a huge factor, and Wisconsin couldn’t overcome the mistakes. The nine penalties for 79 yards didn’t help much, either.
Key player: Breeze was outstanding for the Ducks defensively, and a nightmare for Wisconsin’s offense. Breeze finished the night with 11 tackles, he forced a fumble and recovered a fumble and returned it for a touchdown. He also helped contain Jonathan Taylor to 94 yards on 21 carries.
What it means: Wisconsin finishes the year with 10 wins and reclaimed its B1G West crown. It was a disappointing way to close out the season, but it was a great bounce-back year following an 8-5 campaign a year ago. The big question for Wisconsin heading into 2020 is how the Badgers perform without Jonathan Taylor in the backfield next year (assuming he goes to the NFL). And will there be any changes at quarterback next year? Wisconsin has some questions to answer, but they never really rebuild in Madison, only reload.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB