The Wisconsin defense played its best game of the season and the Badgers clinched a spot in the Big Ten Championship game by rolling over the Iowa Hawkeyes 38-14 in front of a crowd of 80,462 on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.
The Badgers secured a share of the Big Ten West Division championship for the second straight season and the third time in the last four years. Bucky earned its 5th berth in the Big Ten Championship game in the event’s 7-year history.
UW (10-0, 7-0 Big Ten) became the first team in program history to win its first 10 games. It also marked the first time since 2008 that the home team has won in this rivalry.
Iowa (6-4, 3-4) saw its two game win streak come to an end.
Wisconsin’s defense was on top of their game from start to finish, holding the Hawkeyes to 20 yards on 23 plays in the opening half. The Badgers led 17-7 at halftime.
When the Badgers scored for the last time with just over seven minutes to play, the Hawkeyes had just 46 yards on 43 plays. Iowa finished with 66 yards on 50 plays and went 0-for-13 on third downs.
Menomonie’s Nate Stanley entered the game with 22 touchdowns and only four interceptions. He finished 8 of 24 for 41 yards and one pick.
Iowa’s only points came on a pair of pick-six interceptions. The first was on Alex Hornibrook’s second pass attempt. Iowa’s Josh Jackson took back an interception 43 yards for a touchdown.
Hornibrook ended the game with three interceptions. Jackson returned a tipped ball 52-yards for a score to pull the Hawkeyes within 17-14. Hornibrook finished the day 11 of 18 for 135 yards, two touchdowns and three picks.
Jonathan Taylor also lost a fumble but finished with 157 yards on 27 carries.
Iowa’s 66 yards of total offense matches the fewest accumulated by a Big Ten team this season. Ohio State also held Maryland to 66 yards on Oct. 7.
Redshirt freshman WR Kendric Pryor and LB Leon Jacobs became the 16th and 17th players to score touchdowns for Wisconsin this season.
The Badgers have won 11 straight games, dating back to their victory in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2, the second-longest active win streak of any FBS team behind only Miami (14). The Badgers Big Ten win streak also stands at 13 and the Heartland Trophy stays put in Madison for another year.
The Badgers next take on Michigan, this coming Saturday at Camp Randall. The start time hasn’t yet been established for the contest.