MADISON – If you like Wisconsin, you had to love the Badgers' response Saturday, Oct. 24.
UW, which suffered a disappointing and frustrating loss at UCLA last week, returned to Camp Randall Stadium and recaptured its mojo in a major way.
The Badgers knocked off No. 15 USC, 24-7, in front of a season-high announced crowd of 71,750.
The victory coupled with Wisconsin’s win at Penn State Sept. 26 gives the Badgers (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) victories over two ranked opponents in the same season for the first time since 2019.
The win was also UW’s third straight at home over a ranked opponent and extended the team’s home winning streak to six games.
Big Ten standings | UW schedule
Wisconsin rode the shoulders of its defense and its ground game to victory.
On the ground, the Badgers grinded for 142 yards in 43 carries (3.3 avg.). Senior Abu Sama finished with 17 carries for 71 yards, while former USC Trojan Bryan Jackson, a junior, finished with 38 yards in seven attempts.
The defense, meanwhile, held USC (6-1, 3-1) to a season-low 241 yards. The Trojans’ previous season low was 360 yards against Washington Oct. 3.
Here are six takeaways from the game.
Badgers defense sacks USC's Jayden Maiava five times
Sophomore linebacker Cooper Catalano led the Badgers with nine tackles that included one tackle for a loss and one QB hurry. Fifth-year safety Matt Jung added eight tackles and broke up two passes.
Mason Posa came up big, too. The sophomore made 2½ tackles for a loss and 1½ sacks.
The star of the night, however, was fifth-year outside linebacker Sebastian Cheeks, who recorded five tackles that included four solo stops. The number that jumped out, however, was his 2 ½ sacks.
The performance offered a much-deserved reward for a player who has been at the forefront of the Badgers' ability to pressure the passer even though he had just 2 ½ sacks entering play to show for it.
More changes to the offensive line
This marked the third straight game the Badgers had made a change to its offensive line.
Junior Stylz Blackmon started at center for the second straight game even though Austin Kawecki, the starter for the first five games, wasn't on the availability report. The big change, however, was Barrett Nelson, a fifth-year senior who started at right guard ahead of junior PJ Wilkins. The Stoughton product spent much of the past two seasons injured before returning to the field this season.
Wisconsin wins middle quarter of the game
The Badgers won the opening kickoff and deferred their choice until the second half. They made the most of that decision with their work going into the half and coming out of the break.
Those two possessions netted 23 plays, 150 yards and 13 minutes 32 seconds off the clock. Most important, the Badgers scored 14 points on the drives to take a 17-7 lead.
The drives included five third down conversions, four coming on the 75-yard TD drive that ended with Jackson's 5-yard run with 1:54 left in the first half.
Wisconsin commitment to the run pays off
Badger running backs combined for 12 carries in the UCLA loss. They had 13 in the first half with Sama getting 12 of those attempts.
As a result, Sama was able to get into a rhythm that produced 5 yards per carry, no negative yardage players and a 17-yard run during the team’s touchdown drive that was its longest play of the possession.
UW backs combined for 24 carries and 109 yards, helping the team overcome a night when quarterback Colton Joseph completed 12 of 14 passes for 58 yards.
Badgers close door on Trojans to end the half
Wisconsin took a 10-7 lead with 1:54 to play in the first half thanks to a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that ended with a 5-yard run by Jackson.
USC had plenty of time left to make something happen, but the Badgers shut down the possession by creating two negative-yardage plays during the five-play possession. Catalano set the tone by dropping Trojans running back King Miller for a 2-yard loss. Three plays later Hammond Russell, with some help from Tyreese Fearbry, sacked Maiava for an 11-yard loss that cause the Trojans to raise the white flag for the rest of the half.
The Badgers, by the way, controlled the second quarter, holding a 70-39 edge in total yards and averaging 5.4 yards per play compared to 2.6 for USC.
Did the Badgers get enough from its turnovers?
Wisconsin had two turnovers in the first quarter.
Nickel corner Bryce West intercepted a pass deflected by Javan Robinson and returned it 23 yards to the USC 17 with 8:12 left in the first quarter. The next possession, safety Cairo Skanes picked off Jayden Maiava and returned it 27 yards to the Trojans 35 at the 3:54 mark of the quarter.
What did the Badgers do with those momentum swings? Eight plays for 4 yards and three points.
Gavin Lahm’s 33-yard field goal off West’s interception gave the Badgers a 3-0 edge at the 7:24 mark of the opening quarter.
However, the fifth-year senior pushed a 51-yard attempt with 1:45 to go in the quarter wide right, leaving UW with three points to show for a couple of impressive takeaways by the defense.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin 24, No. 15 USC 7 | Instant takeaways from second ranked win of season