EUGENE, ORE. – Wisconsin ended one drought Saturday, Oct. 25, at Autzen Stadium. Another one continued.
The Badgers’ 21-7 loss to No. 6 Oregon extended their losing streak to six games and raised their Big Ten losing streak to 10 straight.
UW (2-6 overall, 0-5 Big Ten) heads into the bye week needing to sweep all of its final four games to avoid a second straight losing season.
Wisconsin, however, did score.
Quarterback Hunter Simmons’ 2-yard touchdown pass to tight end Lance Mason with 7 minutes 57 seconds to play snapped a streak of 11 straight quarters without a point for UW.
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Those points couldn’t camouflage another poor showing by the Badgers’ offense. Wisconsin finished with 196 yards. That is the Badgers’ second straight game with less than 200 yards of total offense.
The performance spoiled a promising showing for the Badgers defense, which held Oregon to seven points in the first half and 14 points through three quarters. The Ducks finished with 335 total yards, its second-lowest total of the season.
The game marked another injury-marred effort for UW. The team played without its top two running backs, Dilin Jones and Darrion Dupree, and lost its No. 3, Cade Yacamelli, during the game. Center Jake Renfro didn’t play. Neither did right guard Kerry Kodanko, who started the last two games. Linebacker Christian Alliegro, the team’s leading tackler, was also out.
And quarterback Billy Edwards missed his fourth straight game.
Here are four takeaways from the game.
Game was a struggle for Wisconsin quarterback Hunter Simmons
The Badgers passing game continues to struggle. This marked the third straight contest they finished with less than 100 yards.
Graduate QB Hunter Simmons completed 7 of 21 passes for 86 yards and one touchdown. He was just 1 for 12 for 12 yards through three quarters.
Has RB Gideon Ituka moved up the depth chart?
Ituka has spent this season playing fourth fiddle in the Badgers running back room, but with Dupree and Jones sidelined due to injury, the redshirt freshman split carries with Yacamelli and ended up carrying the Badgers’ run game.
He ran 15 times for 65 yards in the first half. His longest gain of the half was 10 yards, but eight of his carries went for 5 yards or more. Offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes trusted Ituka so much that he gave him the ball three times on third down.
The pressure increased on Ituka to deliver in the second half after Yacamelli was ruled out for the remainder of the game due to a upper body injury.
Ituka finished with 21 carries or 85 yards with a long of 18 yards.
Change at linebacker provides immediate dividends
With Alliegro sidelined due to the arm injury he suffered last week, freshmen Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano started at inside linebacker.
The two combined for 12 tackles in the first half. Each deflected a throw by Oregon QB Dante Moore, who left the game in the third quarter due to injury. Posa’s seven tackles led the team. Those plays included an early third down stop that forced a punt after Oregon recovered an onside kick to open the game and took possession at the UW 42.
For the game Posa finished with game-high 13 tackles, five solo. Catalano was third on the team with eight stops, three solo with a quarterback hurry.
Offensive line delivers solid showing
The offensive line shuffled again. Center Jake Renfro, who was out due to injury, was replaced by graduate Davis Heinzen. Right guard Kerry Kodanko, also out due to injury, was replaced by redshirt freshman Colin Cubberly.
A potential disastrous situation turned out OK.
The Badgers finished with 110 rushing yards. Given the state of Wisconsin’s passing game, the team needed to rely on its front to move the ball on the ground. UW is going to need to do better, but it was a solid day given what we’ve seen from the line this season.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 4 takeaways from Wisconsin football’s 21-7 loss to Oregon
Reporting by Mark Stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
