Wisconsin football insider: Why the win over Rutgers was one Badgers had to have

MADISON – A recap of Wisconsin’s 24-13 victory over Rutgers on Saturday afternoon at Camp Randall Stadium.

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Let’s be real, if Wisconsin wants to win the Big Ten West Division this was a game it could not lose. Ohio State is on the horizon and though the West doesn’t have any world-beaters, weird things sometimes happen when UW takes the field against Minnesota and Iowa. Getting the win today allows the Badgers to remain undefeated in the Big Ten with a win over an opponent it was supposed to beat.

Ricardo Hallman provides turning point with second quarter pick-6

Rutgers was on the verge of cutting into Wisconsin’s 10-0 lead when Ricardo Hallman read the Scarlet Knights’ second-and-goal play from the 6-yard-line. The redshirt sophomore appeared to be playing zone on the play, dropping off the outside receiver, who cut to the middle of the field, and latching on to Christian Dremel as quarterback Gavin Wimsatt threw to the far sideline. Hallman had plenty of time to jump in front of Dremel and intercept the pass. About 12 seconds later the Florida native completed the fourth-longest interception return in program history and the Badgers were on the brink of a 17-0 lead.

THUMBS UP

Jackson Acker is ready for big stage, Will Pauling has career day and Braelon Allen plays closer

* Yes, Jackson Acker is ready to share the load in the backfield. The redshirt sophomore carried the ball with authority, finishing with 65 yards in 13 carries and catching two passes for 14 yards in his first game as the team’s No. 2 tailback.

* Hallman’s interception was his fourth in the last three games. There is a reason why he is the only cornerback that hasn’t regularly been rotated at the position.

* Sophomore Will Pauling grabbed eight passes for 68 yards. He was targeted 11 times, which was almost twice as much as any of his teammates.

*Linebacker CJ Goetz finished with just three tackles, but one was a sack. He also had two QB pressures. The stats don’t show it, but he was a major presence for the defense.

* Running back Braelon Allen (101 yards in 21 carries) recorded his 18^th 100-yard game and played closer. He carried the ball five straight times on UW’s final possession, allowing the Badgers to run out the clock.

* Wisconsin was penalized just two times for 25 yards, both totals are season lows.

* That Jake Renfro missed another game could be considered bad news, but the fact that he didn’t appear on the availability report was good news. Of the players who have been injured this season, the former Cincinnati Bearcat is the one who could make the biggest impact upon his return. He could have played if UW needed him, Badgers coach Luke Fickell said. Renfro’s return to the field could eventually mean center Tanor Bortolini can return to playing guard.

THUMBS DOWN

Season-low production for the offense in total yards; fumble costs UW points in first half

* A win is a win, but the Badgers’ offense finished with 358 total yards, its lowest total of the season.

* Kickoff specialist Jack Van Dyke had a kickoff go out of bounds for the fourth time this season.

* Usually you want Braelon Allen on the field as much as possible, but there was an argument for giving him a longer break in the second quarter Acker was in the midst of his best stretch of the game, rushing four times for 33 yards and catching a pass for another 6. After his 14-yard gain set up a first-and-goal from the 9, Allen returned to the game and during a tough 5-yard run fumbled. UW would have likely added a touchdown or field goal to what was a 3-0 lead at that point. Instead Rutgers took over with 8 1/2 minutes left in the half.

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The Hawkeyes improved to 2-1 in the Big Ten and 5-1 overall Saturday with a 20-14 victory over Purdue. Iowa relied on running backs Kaleb Johnson (17 carries, 134 yards, one TD) and Leshon Williams (13-74) as quarterback Deacon Hill completed just 6 of 21 attempts for 101 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. The former UW reserve got his first start with Cade McNamara (knee) out for the remainder of the season.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Why Wisconsin football team needed to win game vs Rutgers