23

winner

Wisconsin
WIS

5-2, 3-1

3

Northwest
NU

3-4, 1-3

winner

23

3

Northwest
NU

3-4, 1-3

Points by quarters

team	1	2	3	4	F
WIS Wisconsin	0	14	7	2	23
NU Northwest	0	0	3	0	3

Match Review: Football | October 19, 2024

Badgers earn third straight Big Ten win

EVANSTON, Ill. – Wisconsin won its third straight Big Ten game, earning a 23-3 victory over Northwestern on Saturday at Lakefront in Evanston, Illinois.

The Badgers' (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) strong defense was consistent throughout the game and UW's rushing attack set the tone offensively.

Wisconsin caused chaos throughout the day, blocking a field goal, tallying a strip sack and recording a safety in the win.

Defensively, Wisconsin has allowed just one touchdown in its last three games. The last time UW had a stretch like this was 2015.

Run back Tawee Walker ran over 100 rushing yards for the third straight week, finishing with 126 yards on 23 carries.

quarterback Braedyn Locke completed 14 of 24 passes for 160 yards, threw for a touchdown and rushed for another.

Both teams battled back and forth in the first quarter, with a total of five punts between both teams and a missed field goal by the Wildcats.

Locke finally opened the scoring early in the second quarter with an 8-yard touchdown run at 14:31 of the second frame.

Special teams had a big impact on the Badgers in the first half Charlie Jarvis blocked a punt in the first quarter and Ben Barten blocked a 28-yard field goal attempt by Northwestern in the second quarter.

The Wildcats developed their own team game and failed on a 40-yard field goal attempt by Wisconsin Nathaniel Vakos Midway through the second quarter.

The defense provided offense for the Badgers just before halftime. After John Pius forced a fumble and Elijah Hills Cade Yacameli and the UW offense used a 3-yard touchdown run to extend Wisconsin's lead to 14-0 at halftime.

Wisconsin's defense, which came into the game having scored a total of 13 points in the previous two games, held Northwestern scoreless in the first half for the first time all season.

The Wildcats got on the scoreboard with a 26-yard field goal from Luke Akers to take a 14-3 lead with 6:46 to play in the third quarter.

In the final seconds of the third quarter, Locke found a tight end Tucker Ashcraft with a 3-yard touchdown pass to extend Wisconsin's lead back to 21-3.

UW's defense kept playing and extended the lead by recording a safety in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter. Sebastian Wangen And Curt Neal came together and combined for a sack in NU's own end zone.

Next: Wisconsin hosts No. 3 Penn State on Saturday, October 26th at Camp Randall Stadium for a 6:30 p.m. CT kickoff.