Four takeaways from Wisconsin's 24-7 loss to Minnesota at Camp Randall

MADISON – Minnesota didn’t just reclaim Paul Bunyan’s Ax on Friday afternoon. It took it away from Wisconsin.

The Badgers desperately needed to win to secure their 23rd consecutive bowl berth, but the team’s desire to win did not translate into a convincing result.

UW lost 24-7 to the Gophers at Camp Randall Stadium. Not only does the loss likely end the Badgers’ bowl run, but it also means the Badgers will suffer their first losing season since 2001. Their 22-year streak was the longest among Power Four programs.

MORE: Box Score | UW Schedule | Big Ten standings

The Badgers (5-7, 3-6 Big Ten) also finished the season with a five-game losing streak, their longest since they lost six straight games in 1991, Barry Alvarez’s second season.

The recipe for defeat was similar to what UW fans have seen over the last month. The offense had a hard time, the defense couldn’t get off the field enough or lose the ball.

More:Wisconsin football’s offense looks terrible today against Minnesota, and social media is giving the Badgers credit

The Badgers finished the game with 166 total yards, their lowest total of the season.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Braedyn Locke completed 15 of 32 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. Redshirt freshman Trech Kekahuna had a team-high six catches for 64 yards for UW. Junior Vinny Anthony caught the team’s only touchdown and had four catches for 39 yards.

Repetition:The Badgers are dominated around the clock by the Gophers and lose their fifth straight game to end the season, box score, highlights

Wisconsin finished the season with fewer than 300 yards of offense in four of its last five games.

Minnesota (7-5, 5-4) finished the game with 374 yards of offense. Senior quarterback Max Brosmer completed 17 of 26 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore running back Darius Taylor ran for 143 yards on 32 carries.

Here are four takeaways from the game.

The run game is a no-show for Wisconsin in the battle for the axe

If you can’t run the ball, it’s hard to win in the Big Ten. In a physical rivalry game like Wisconsin vs. Minnesota, the odds are even slimmer.

In a must-win game, the Badgers totaled 36 yards and 24 carries, an average of 1.5 yards. That easily surpassed the worst game of the season, a 27-carry, 81-yard effort in a loss to Penn State on Oct. 26.

Senior Tawee Walker had 14 carries for a team-high 36 yards.

With their passing game up and down this season, the Badgers needed a running game to lean on and didn’t get it.

Wisconsin catches the break and makes the most of it

The game was a steep one for the Badgers, with only a few breaks. That changed midway through the third quarter when Locke Walker scored on third-and-15 from the Minnesota 45 with no lead.

However, linebacker Joey Gerlach was called for a late hit on Walker that extended the drive.

Three plays later, Wisconsin reached the end zone for the first time with a 15-yard pass from Locke to Anthony with 3:13 left in the third quarter.

The extra point cut the Gophers’ lead to 21-7. That drive and a missed field goal by Minnesota on its next possession gave UW a chance early in the fourth quarter.

But the Badgers couldn’t do any more damage. Nathanial Vakos missed a 37-yard field goal with about 12 minutes left, and UW’s next possession had three outs with about eight minutes left.

Failures on first down make the game difficult for the Badgers

The first half numbers were dismal for Wisconsin’s offense. It had seven possessions and gained just 43 yards. There were three first downs, including one via penalty, and three three and outs.

Wisconsin’s problems began on first down, where it gained just 15 yards in 10 plays. That’s an average of 1.5 meters. In other words, the Badgers regularly found themselves in second- and second-defense situations throughout the first half to set the stage for an overall difficult day for the offense.

Unsurprisingly, the team also struggled in the third half, converting two of eight chances. The average yardage needed for a first play was 8.2 yards.

The defense settled down and gave UW a chance

The Badgers faltered midway through the first half. The Gophers turned drives of 89 and 75 yards into touchdowns in the first and second quarters and had the ball with a chance for another score with 8:50 left in the half.

Wisconsin closed the half by holding the Gophers to one first down before forcing a punt and then two three-and-outs to end the half. Senior Elijah Hills had the big play of the stretch with a sack of Max Brosmer on third-and-8 from the Minnesota 45 to end the first drive.

The Badgers then took advantage of two Gophers penalties to force a three-and-out on their next drive before holding Minnesota to 5 yards on their next drive. That was the Gophers’ shortest drive in the crucial first half, and they weren’t able to extend their lead until the third quarter.

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