When Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell met with reporters to preview his team’s matchup against Iowa , he tried to set the tone with his opening remarks by acknowledging that it would be a tough, hard-fought, physical football game. Before fielding questions, he finished that statement by noting the game would “probably come down to the fourth quarter.” Advertisement It turns out Fickell was being far too optimistic.
By the time the fourth quarter arrived, Iowa already led by 25 points in an eventual 42-10 victory against Wisconsin on Saturday night at Kinnick Stadium. The Badgers were hammered in embarrassing fashion during a game that continued to reveal just how far away they are from being a legitimate Big Ten competitor. Iowa won by its largest margin against Wisconsin since 1968.
Iowa now has won three consecutive games in the battle for the Heartland Trophy. It marks the first time the Hawkeyes have won at least three straight games in the series since they won four in a row from 2002-05. Here are three initial takeaways from the Badgers’ performance.
GO DEEPER Who Wisconsin could turn to at QB in 2025: Tyler Van Dyke return? Explore transfer portal? 1. There’s no reason to sugarcoat it: Wisconsin’s offense against Iowa was atrocious. The Badgers needed to establish the rushing attack because this was not the type of game to put on quarterback Braedyn Locke ’s shoulders.
Instead, Wisconsin repeatedly found itself in third-and-long situations early and register.
