Hoosiers defeated by Badgers, out of running for Rose Bowl

IU hasn't defeated Wisconsin on the football field since 2002.

This year, the result was no different, with the Badgers (7-3, 4-2) beating the Hoosiers (4-6, 2-4) 62-14 at Memorial Stadium.

The last time IU allowed more than 60 points was against Wisconsin two seasons ago in Madison, Wis.

The Badgers scored on 10 of their 14 drives in the game.

On the other hand, the Hoosiers were only able to score twice on their 14 drives.

“We didn’t play good D, we didn’t play good O, we just kind of got spanked,” IU Coach Kevin Wilson said. “We didn’t like the result of today. Credit to Wisconsin, they played great.”

Wilson started sophomore quarterback Cameron Coffman for his eighth consecutive game.

The offense wasn’t able to muster any points in its three drives of the first quarter.

Coffman and the Hoosiers were only able to earn two first downs out of those three drives.

“They were a good defense, but we should be able to move the ball against anybody,” Coffman said. “We just couldn’t get in a rhythm and really started off slow and couldn’t get going.”

Wilson then replaced Coffman in the second quarter with freshman quarterback Nate Sudfeld.

Sudfeld wasn’t successful with either of his first two drives in the quarter.

First, Sudfeld and the offense went three-and-out and only gained five yards in the drive.

On the very next possession, Sudfeld fumbled the ball and Wisconsin junior linebacker Chris Borland recovered on the IU 30-yard line.

Wilson switched back to Coffman the next possession and stuck with him the rest of the game.

Coffman and the Hoosiers earned two first downs before freshman punter Erich Toth had to kick the ball back to Wisconsin.

The Hoosiers, though, weren’t able to get much momentum going until the last few minutes of the first half, where junior tight end Ted Bolser caught a six-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback Cameron Coffman for IU’s first points of the game. IU went into halftime down 24-7.

The Hoosiers didn’t start out the second half on a good note.

Their first two drives both ended in three-and-outs with a combined seven yards on six plays.

The Hoosiers were then able to put together a scoring drive on their next possession.  
Coffman and the offense marched 87 yards down the field and ended the drive with a touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Kofi Hughes from seven yards out.

On IU’s final three drives of the game, the offense was only able to accumulate 55 yards on 15 plays and no points.

The first two of those drives ended in Coffman picks.

One interception went to senior defensive back Devin Smith, and the other was picked off by junior linebacker Conor O’Neill.

Coffman completed 25 passes on 46 attempts and threw 233 yards and two touchdowns.  

Wisconsin had success not only on defense by stopping the Hoosiers to 294 total offensive yards, but also running its offense. Wisconsin came into Bloomington and rushed for the most yards the team ever has in a game, dropping 564 on the Hoosiers.

“They were a pretty good, pretty effective team, all the credit to them,” senior defensive tackle Larry Black Jr. said. “They came out an played their A-game, and that’s a good team.”

Out of Wisconsin’s 71 total offensive plays, 64 of them were running plays. The team’s two leading rushers, Montee Ball and James White, combined for 359 rushing yards off of 41 carries and five of the Badgers’ eight touchdowns.

“Give credit to Wisconsin just running it well,” Wilson said. “We made some strides, but we weren’t very good today. Those are two really, really good backs.”

Black Jr. said he wants to move on to the next game after a tough loss.

“It’s just tough, but you know I’m starting to get it out of my head and start turning into Penn State,” Black said.