3 quick takeaways from the Badgers’ 42-10 loss to Alabama

The Wisconsin Badgers suffered a brutal 42-10 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide, one of their heaviest defeats in recent history, and fell to 2-1 on the season.

There was bad news early in the loss for Wisconsin, as quarterback Tyler Van Dyke left with an injury and did not return, leaving the Badgers to play with Braedyn Locke for most of the game.

The Badgers had turnovers and a number of missed opportunities, which Alabama used to their advantage and led to the loss.

On defense, Wisconsin again struggled with the running game, which was made even more difficult by the running threat of star quarterback Jalen Milroe. Alabama was able to gain a total of 190 yards on the ground with great efficiency (5.9 yards per run).

Here are three quick takeaways from Wisconsin’s 42-10 loss to Alabama.

Tyler Van Dyke injured

While the Badgers suffered a bad loss at home on Saturday, the biggest concern is the health of starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke.

Van Dyke went down early in the first quarter on Wisconsin’s first drive of the game after a quarterback keeper, apparently suffering a really bad knee injury. He went to the injury tent and was carried off the field shortly after with a dejected look on his face.

Van Dyke returned to the sidelines in the second half with crutches and a cast on his right leg, and at first glance he could be out for the rest of the season.

Regardless, this injury changed the entire course of the game. Wisconsin relied on a passing game to start the game and actually moved the ball on this attack, advancing into Alabama territory all the way to the opponent’s 35-yard line.

But when Van Dyke went down, the offense stalled and Wisconsin finished with a three-point deficit. The Badgers scored just seven more points the rest of the period, with the offense disappointing under reserve Braedyn Locke, who was unexpectedly thrown into the game for the second time in his career.

Wisconsin relied heavily on its running game after that, which produced mixed results thanks to some solid blocks (more on that below). However, the Badgers committed two costly fumbles in their own territory and also failed to convert a 4th & 1 play.

Things seemed to be looking up for the Badgers with Van Dyke entering Week 3. Now their prospects for the season are in question and I’m not sure what’s next for them.

Big mistakes

Wisconsin made some costly mistakes in Week 2 that ultimately ruined the game for the Crimson Tide.

Yes, Alabama had 42 total points, dismantling the Badgers’ defense several times, but a series of mistakes by Wisconsin led directly to points for Alabama.

Wisconsin’s turnover on their second drive led to Alabama’s first touchdown. Then their first fumble led to the Crimson Tide’s next touchdown. A missed field goal late in the second half gave Alabama the ball with 43 seconds left, and they eventually scored a touchdown on a two-play, 73-yard touchdown drive to take a 21-3 lead.

In the second half, Wisconsin’s second fumble led to another touchdown for Alabama, while a good punt return by Ryan Williams gave the Crimson Tide excellent field position at the Badgers’ 37-yard line two drives later, where Alabama scored its sixth and final touchdown.

It was a strong performance by the Crimson Tide, but Wisconsin missed a lot of opportunities in this game that proved costly from start to finish.

Offensive line

Perhaps the only positive thing about the game was Wisconsin’s offensive line, which held up well against Alabama’s good defense.

The Badgers needed to perform well in the trenches to be competitive in this game, and their offensive line was up to the task in Week 3.

There were some big gaps that led to some explosive plays on the ground, while there were other opportunities that the running backs missed at times.

The pass defense was also pretty strong, which impressed me considering Alabama ran a number of different packages and challenged Wisconsin to throw the football vertically. There were a number of plays where Braedyn Locke was adequately protected but held the ball too long and couldn’t find one of his receivers, resulting in a negative play in the backfield.

It’s unfortunate that the game ended the way it did because it overshadows the offensive effort, but it’s also important to give credit to the team’s best unit on Saturday.