Wisconsin legend Barry Alvarez expressed surprise at the margin of Wisconsin’s Week 3 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Alvarez shared his extended thoughts on the game during a weekly radio appearance with ESPN Madison. He specifically said that he was ‘surprised that (the Badgers) didn’t compete better’ against the Crimson Tide. This sentiment is a notable follow-up after Alvarez said pregame that he believed Wisconsin had a good chance to keep up with a less-than-dominant Alabama program, and could even be favored.
“You heard last week, I really thought we would go there and really be competitive with them,” Alvarez began. “I thought we could match up. I thought we could be as physical as them. I thought our skill people would match up. It’s a tough place to play. But we’ve been through that before. We’ve played good teams, we’ve played well on the road. This is an experienced program. So, I was surprised that we didn’t compete better against them in the game.”
Despite the final score, Wisconsin did match up well with Alabama in several areas. One of which was the rushing battle, which the Badgers surprisingly won 92 yards to 72. However, the Crimson Tide significantly tilted the scales in other key facets.
Alvarez mentioned one of those mismatches: Alabama’s skill positions. More specifically, that was the play of star wideouts Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard. The two combined for nine receptions, 227 yards and three touchdowns against the Badger secondary, helping quarterback Ty Simpson complete 24 of his 29 pass attempts for 382 yards and four scores. Wisconsin could not match up with the duo defensively, then couldn’t match the Crimson Tide’s scoring production after the football changed hands.
Wisconsin is 2-1 after the blowout loss. It is now set to enter its Big Ten schedule, starting with a home matchup with Maryland. While the team has plenty of time to correct its current trajectory and return to bowl eligibility, Saturday’s loss to Alabama undoubtedly clouded its season-long outlook.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin great Barry Alvarez ‘surprised UW didn’t compete better’ against Alabama
Reporting by Ben Kenney, Badgers Wire / Badgers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
