MADISON, Wis. — Long before kickoff on a sun-splashed Saturday afternoon in the Midwest, offensive lineman Tyler Booker bellowed and barreled his way through Alabama’s stretching lines. The starting left guard, who had been forced to play left tackle in last week’s sloppy win over South Florida, a game in which the offensive line was penalized time and time again, sought to energize his teammates ahead of a marquee non-conference matchup with Wisconsin, the stadium already buzzing with excitement. So Booker yelled and screamed and then yelled and screamed some more.
Roughly an hour later, after Alabama took an early lead on a beautiful 31-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jalen Milroe to freshman phenom Ryan Williams, a five-star wide receiver, it was Booker who hoisted his signal-caller in the air for the celebration. Booker lifted Milroe high above the turf and allowed his quarterback to bask in the kind of quick-strike touchdown that unzipped the opposition all game during an eventual 42-10 win for Alabama before a crowd of 76,323.
Alabama’s Jalen Milroe connects with Ryan Williams for a 31-yard touchdown vs. Wisconsin
Led by Booker and Milroe, the Crimson Tide chewed up 407 total yards and converted 8 of 14 times on third down to pull away from the Badgers with unparalleled speed and athleticism. They transformed two Wisconsin turnovers into 14 points and never trailed over the final 45 minutes of a comfortable, controlled and comprehensive win.
Here are some quick takeaways from Camp Randall Stadium:
Early difference
Students were still filing into the stadium after a morning filled with tailgating, drinking and the rehydration required from a long night of celebrations on State Street and in Capitol Square when everything about Saturday’s game seemed to change. Wisconsin’s opening drive had moved the chains for one first down and then another before starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, a high-profile transfer from Miami, was unable to climb off the turf following what seemed like an innocuous 5-yard scramble. The crowd fell silent as Van Dyke rolled onto his back and immediately clutched his right knee. He needed assistance from two members of the athletic training staff just to reach the medical tent along Wisconsin’s sideline, and from there, Van Dyke was carted to the locker room with his head bowed and a pained look on his face.
By the time Van Dyke rejoined his teammates on the sideline for the second half — at which point he was on crutches and the bandages around his right leg were caged by an immobilizer — the Badgers had fallen behind, 21-3, with any hope for a comeback all but drained given the quality of opponent on the visiting sideline. A turnover on downs during Wisconsin’s second drive and a lost fumble on its fourth further deflated the crowd. Van Dyke was ruled out for the remainder of the game, but no specifics were given about the nature of his injury ahead of Wisconsin’s postgame media availability.
Without Van Dyke, who absorbed a flurry of conciliatory handshakes and hugs from teammates, the Badgers turned to backup Braedyn Locke, a redshirt sophomore in his second season with the program. Locke misfired on seven of his first 11 passes as intermittent struggles with accuracy and velocity produced chemistry issues with his wide receivers. He converted a pair of gutsy fourth downs in the third quarter, one of which produced a short touchdown pass to wideout Will Pauling, but the scoring deficit was far too large to overcome. Locke finished 13-of-26 for 125 yards and a touchdown.
Play of the game
Trailing 14-3 and in desperate need of a sustained drive with 4:02 remaining in the second quarter, Wisconsin finally pieced together an impressive possession that blended effective runs, timely passes and a critical pass interference penalty on the Crimson Tide. The Badgers covered 57 yards on 10 plays after failing to exceed 40 yards on any of their previous five possessions, including three straight series that traversed 23 yards or fewer, before momentum ground to a halt just outside the red zone. An ensuing field goal attempt from kicker Nathanial Vakos started right and skewed even wider right, much to the dismay of Wisconsin’s student section behind the end zone, a group desperate for something — anything — to go the Badgers’ way.
Vakos’ miss gave Alabama 36 seconds with which to drain the clock or chase the kill, and head coach Kalen DeBoer chose aggression. The first play from scrimmage gained 47 yards on a heave deep down the right sideline from Milroe to Williams, who benefitted from Wisconsin’s blown defensive assignment. And Milroe put the game out of reach one snap later by rifling a pass to wideout Germie Bernard on a crossing pattern that stretched from one side of the field to the other. Two plays, 73 yards, 17 seconds off the clock.
And a 21-3 lead for the Crimson Tide.
Alabama’s Jalen Milroe finds Germie Bernard for a 26-yard touchdown vs. Wisconsin
Key stat
The outcome of Saturday’s game was already secured when DeBoer called timeout with 12:13 remaining in the fourth quarter, his offense enduring a rare moment of confusion before a second-and-14 snap. DeBoer clapped his hands and shouted encouragement in Milroe’s general direction as droves of Wisconsin students trudged toward the exits, their beloved “Jump Around” tradition having kept them in the stands a bit longer than the game probably deserved — for they and everyone else at Camp Randall Stadium saw the chasm in explosiveness between the two teams.
At the moment when DeBoer called timeout, Alabama, which led 35-10, was averaging an astounding 8 yards per play against a unit that entered the weekend ranked 33rd nationally in total defense. The Badgers, meanwhile, were stuck in the mud at just 4.3 yards per play, their two longest passes measuring 25 yards and 16 yards, respectively; their rushing attack straining to approach 4 yards per carry. One team could score quickly and from anywhere on the field. The other could hardly muster scores at all.
And in prototypical Milroe fashion, the destruction of Wisconsin’s defense was equally potent by land or by arm. He gouged the Badgers for 75 rushing yards on 14 combined carries and scrambles, and raced his way into the end zone twice. He completed 12 of 17 passes for 196 yards and three scores — all of which were at least 26 yards in length — before DeBoer removed Milroe with more than half of the fourth quarter remaining. By then, four Alabama skill players were averaging more than 5 yards per carry and five different receivers made catches gaining at least 10 yards.
What’s next for Alabama?
A bounce-back performance for the Crimson Tide came at a perfect time following last week’s fumble-ridden, penalty-filled win over South Florida, a team that pushed Alabama for three quarters before the dam ultimately broke. The return of left tackle Kadyn Proctor from a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the first two games meant offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan could finally operate with his preferred quintet of linemen: Proctor (LT), Tyler Booker (LG), Parker Brailsford (C), Jaeden Roberts (RG) and Elijah Prichett (RT). Together, they paved the way for an efficient rushing attack in which Milroe finished as the leading rusher and the Crimson Tide averaged 5.3 yards per carry as a team. It provided more than enough ballast for an Alabama passing attack that, at least to this point in the season, is more reliant on field-tilting gains from speedsters Williams and Bernard than the steady chunks from short or intermediate gains. Milroe’s average completion in the first half measured more than 14 yards as the Crimson Tide built what proved to be an insurmountable 18-point lead. Alabama now rolls into its bye week with the momentum from a résumé-defining non-conference win ahead of a massive SEC battle with No. 1 Georgia on Sept. 28 in Tuscaloosa.
What’s next for Wisconsin?
The trajectory of Wisconsin’s season could hinge on the forthcoming medical tests for Van Dyke, who was ruled out at halftime against the Crimson Tide. Luke Fickell and his coaching staff believed that Van Dyke, who turned 23 in March, could provide the kind of veteran leadership and production the Badgers so desperately needed from the quarterback position. The redshirt senior started 28 games across four seasons at Miami before entering the transfer portal last November. If Van Dyke’s injury proves serious or season-ending, the keys to offensive coordinator Phil Longo’s unit will belong to Locke, who doesn’t turn 21 until December and only has three career starts to his name, though all of them came last season. The good news for Locke and the Badgers’ offense is that the schedule affords them a bye week before returning to action on Sept. 28 in a high-profile matchup at No. 11 USC. Three subsequent games against lesser Big Ten programs, Purdue (home), Rutgers (away) and Northwestern (away), should offer a nice reprieve before the toughest part of Wisconsin’s conference slate arrives as the calendar turns from October to November, at which point a brutal four-game stretch against Penn State, Iowa, Oregon and Nebraska could be problematic.
Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13.
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