QUICK RECAP: Badgers escape with win, 24-22, and the Heartland Trophy

The No. 13 Wisconsin Badgers (7-2 overall, 4-2 B1G) held on to defeat the No. 18 Iowa Hawkeyes (6-3 overall, 3-3 B1G), 24-22, despite a slow start and penalty issues.

Wisconsin was penalized frequently in the first quarter, having five calls go against them (four on offense), which delayed two drives and led to a Collin Larsh missed field goal.

Wisconsin’s only defensive penalty came following a Jack Coan fumble which left Iowa with a short field. The penalty was defensive holding, which moved Iowa half the distance to the goal. However, the Wisconsin defense held Iowa to only a Keith Duncan field goal.

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Iowa’s first penalty of the game, came on a Coan pass attempt to Quintez Cephus, along the sideline and led to Wisconsin’s first score of the game.

Cephus was knocked down as the pass was heading into the end zone. A couple plays later, Danny Davis III took a jet sweep into the end zone from 17 yards out, his first score of the season.

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Following another Duncan field goal, this time from 40 yards out, Wisconsin went on a 13-play, 76-yard driving, covering just over six minutes which was capped off by Davis’ second score of the game.

This time, Coan found Davis on a 4-yard completion on a play-action pass, following a fake handoff to Taylor, which the Iowa defense fell for.

Entering the top-25 matchup, Davis had zero touchdowns on the season.

Coan later found Cephus for a 27-yard completion, capping off a 4-play, 86-yard drive. Coan and Cephus also connected on a 52-yard completion on the drive as well, giving Cephus two receptions for 77 yards on the drive alone.

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Iowa answered the Cephus touchdown, with a 9-play, 75-yard drive, which ended with a 3-yard touchdown pass from Nate Stanley to Nico Ragaini. This was the second time in the game that Iowa had a goal-to-go situation. Previously they were unable to capitalize and ended their drive with a field goal.

Following the Ragaini score, Coan committed his second turnover of the game, this time with an interception, which was secured by Iowa defensive back Matt Hankins at the Wisconsin 47-yard-line.

However, Iowa was unable to take full advantage of the turnover and was only able to put three points on the board, with a 39-yard field goal by Duncan.

With a chance to push its lead to two scores, Wisconsin drove down the field but on third-and-seven Coan scrambled, picking up just two yards, leading to a 29-yard Collin Larsh field goal, putting Wisconsin up by eight with 3:29 remaining.

Iowa wasted no time striking back, as Stanley completed a 75-yard touchdown pass to Tyrone Tracy Jr, bringing them within two of the Badgers at 24-22.

However, Stanley was held-up shy of the goal line by the Wisconsin defense, with the Badgers clinging to a 2-point lead, with just over three minutes remaining.

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As Wisconsin took over in an attempt to close out the game, Jonathan Taylor had arguably his biggest run of the game, a 42-yard scamper, taking the Badgers deep into Iowa territory.

Taylor, who did not score in the game, still had a huge impact on all of Wisconsin’s drives rushing 31 times for 250 yards.

However it was another back that secured the game for Wisconsin, in fullback Mason Stokke who took a fullback dive three yards on third-and-one after Iowa took its final timeout. After Stokke’s rush, Wisconsin went into the victory formation to end the game.