In a 2,000-mile trip to southern California, the University of Wisconsin Badgers (2-1) fell to the No. 11 University of Southern California Trojans (2-1) in a dramatic contest, ending 38-21. It was Wisconsin’s Big Ten opener and marked their fourth consecutive loss against an AP Top 25 opponent, continuing a trend that has yet to end in the Luke Fickell era.

First half: A strong start for Wisconsin

Things started off promising for the Badgers as they quickly matched USC’s fast-paced offensive style. The Trojans wasted no time reaching Badger territory, doing so just 40 seconds into the game, aided by two penalties on UW. Despite the early hiccups, USC struck first, with Jakobi Lane hauling in a spectacular 32-yard touchdown catch from Miller Moss on a six-play drive.

Wisconsin responded swiftly on their first drive. Quarterback Braedyn Locke, starting in place of the injured Tyler Van Dyke, delivered a beautiful 63-yard pass to Vinny Anthony II for a touchdown — the longest offensive play of the season for the Badgers.

The special teams showed up in a big way, with a massive 74-yard punt that pinned USC at their own 1-yard line. Then, in the final minute of the first quarter, safety Preston Zachman intercepted Moss, giving Wisconsin another opportunity to capitalize. The Badgers did just that, recovering a botched punt, and, two plays later, running back Tawee Walker punched it in for an 18-yard touchdown. Wisconsin led 14-7 early in the second quarter. Later in the quarter, Walker ran the ball up the gun again for a 4-yard touchdown giving Wisconsin a 21-10 lead at halftime.

Momentum shifts in the second half 

Unfortunately, Wisconsin’s lead didn’t last. Despite forcing a fumble late in the second quarter, the Badgers couldn’t maintain momentum after the break. USC responded early in the third quarter when they recovered a fumbled punt, setting up a 6-yard touchdown pass from Moss to Lane to make it 21-17.

The Badgers offense, which had controlled the first half, struggled to find a rhythm in the second. On a critical fourth-and-1 play midway through the third quarter, Wisconsin failed to convert in the shotgun formation, allowing USC to yet again regain possession of the football. After a 32-yard pass from Moss to wide receiver Duce Robinson set Robinson up for an 8-yard touchdown on the very next play, the Trojans snatched the lead 23-21, with 1:28 left in the third quarter.

USC continued to attack, converting a fourth-and-1 on their next drive to set up a 7-yard touchdown run by Moss, extending their lead to 31-21 with just over eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

The final blow 

With just five minutes left in the game, the Trojans dashed Wisconsin’s hopes for a comeback when Locke threw a pick-six, putting USC up 38-21. The Badgers fought back, with Anthony’s 74-yard punt return offering a brief spark for a comeback. However, Wisconsin couldn’t convert on a critical fourth-and-10, sealing their fate in the loss.

Postgame reactions 

Head Coach Fickell summed up the game as “a tale of two halves,” in his postgame press conference.

“We couldn’t find a rhythm in the second half. You have to make plays, and we did not do that,” Fickell said. “We wanted this, we asked for this,” discussing Wisconsin’s new Big Ten schedule, which has presented challenging matchups so far against two ranked opponents.

With the loss, Wisconsin falls to 2-2 and will look for redemption next week on Saturday, Oct. 5 as they return home to face Purdue.