Led by backup quarterback Ty Dieffenbach, UCLA controlled Saturday’s game at the Rose Bowl for 60 minutes, sending Wisconsin home with a deflating 17-7 loss. The Badgers, with the loss, dropped to 4-2 and 2-1 in Big Ten play.
Wisconsin’s first drive didn’t amount to anything. Jeff Grimes immediately got Jaylon Domingeaux on the board with his first reception as a Badger, but after just one first down, it was Sean West time.
UCLA took its first drive all the way down inside Wisconsin’s 10-yard line. Dieffenbach went 6-for-8 on the drive, completing passes to five different receivers. As it's done often this season though, the defense was able to hold the Bruins to three.
In need of a response, Colton Joseph broke free on a run, crossing midfield for the first time, but was whistled for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on his celebration, negating the big gain. After a few more penalties, Joseph found Domingeaux for a 23-yard gain on third-and-25.
Luke Fickell, however, decided to punt and play field position. The decision proved to be the wrong one when Dieffenbach found Semaj Morgan for a 31-yard gain, jumpstarting a 91-yard drive that ended with a Wayne Knight touchdown.
After finally forcing a three-and-out, the offense showed some promise, but after reaching the red zone, Joseph was sacked and Gavin Lahm missed a 46-yard field goal. Lahm’s first miss of the season couldn’t have come at a worse time as Wisconsin headed into the half down 10-0.
Out of the break, Mason Posa generated the first big play of the day for the defense. Dieffenbach made a backwards pass to Knight, who attempted to throw but was pressured by Posa, leading to Marvin Burks’ second interception of the game
On the drive that followed, the Badgers finally broke the seal offensively, with Joseph scoring on a quarterback draw from three yards out, cutting the lead to 10-7.
UCLA, on the ensuing drive, once again sustained a drive into Wisconsin territory, but it came to a screeching halt when Matt Jung perfectly timed up a hit on Knight attempting to make a catch over the middle on fourth-and-4, forcing Dieffenbach’s pass to fall incomplete.
Unable to capitalize on the defensive stand, Fickell was forced to play field position once again. Even after two penalties backed the Bruins up inside their own 5-yard line, Dieffenbach connected with Landon Ellis for a 28-yard gain, digging the UCLA offense out of a hole.
Later in the drive, on a big play over the middle, Matt Jung was a step late in coverage and was called for targeting. Shockingly, the targeting call was one of the least controversial calls of the evening. It was a sloppy game overall, with flags flying on what felt like every single play.
Just two plays later, the Bruins were back in the end zone, extending their lead to 17-7.
Wisconsin simply couldn’t come up with an answer offensively all night. When it needed it most, the offense came up short again, this time literally, as Darrion Dupree was a half-yard short of a first down on a fourth down near midfield.
As was the theme of the evening, officials missed an obvious facemask call, but still overturned the initial ruling of a first down.
Needing two scores in less than seven minutes, the offense went three-and-out before Fickell chose to punt with just under five minutes to play, all but waiving the white flag.
UCLA would close the game by nearly scoring again, but eventually running out the clock, securing the 17-7 victory.
With USC paying a visit to Madison next Saturday, Fickell will need his team to turn the page quickly on what was an overall ugly performance in Pasadena.
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