Live coverage: Wisconsin trails Iowa, 21-10, in fourth quarter at Kinnick Stadium. The winner gets share of Big Ten West lead
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The Wisconsin Badgers (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten) seek their third straight win when they travel to Kinnick Stadium to face the Iowa Hawkeyes (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten) on Saturday.
Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m.
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Graham Mertz shakes off interception, tosses 51-yard touchdown to Keontez Lewis
How would Wisconsin respond to adversity on the road?
After falling behind, 14-3, on an interception return for a touchdown, the Badgers came back with a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that took 1:06 off the clock. Graham Mertz shook off two sacks on the possession before connecting with Lewis for a 51-yard touchdown on third and 18.
The Hawkeyes lost Lewis in coverage as the sophomore was wide open for the score, which came with 52 seconds left in the first half.
Score: Iowa 14, Wisconsin 10, second quarter
Pick 6 from Graham Mertz gives Iowa double-digit lead
First a special team’s mistake and now an interception return for a touchdown. Wisconsin hasn’t helped itself in the first half.
Iowa pushed its lead to 11 points with a 32-yard interception return for a touchdown by Cooper DeJean. On the play, quarterback Graham Mertz started looking for receivers to the left side of the formation. When none were open, he looked to his right in the flat for Skyler Bell.
The only problem was that DeJean was waiting and made relatively easy play for the game’s second touchdown.
Score: Iowa 14, Wisconsin 3, second quarter.
Blocked punt sets up 4-yard TD run for Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson
Wisconsin’s defense has done the job, holding Iowa to four punts to open the game. The unit, however, couldn’t overcome the plum field position the Hawkeyes received after blocking Andy Vujnovich’s punt early in the second quarter.
Jay Higgins made the block and Deontae Craig recovered the ball on the Wisconsin 17. Two plays later Iowa was in the second on a 4-yard by Kaleb Johnson with 10:24 left in the second quarter. That scoring play was preceded by a 13-yard game by Sam LaPorta off a pass from Spencer Petras, the longest pass play for Iowa so far today.
Score: Iowa 7, Wisconsin 3, second quarter
Purdue knocks off Illinois, the Wisconsin-Iowa winner gets a share of Big Ten West lead
Boiler up!
Purdue just wrapped a 31-24 victory at Illinois that moved the Boilermakers into a share of first-place in the division with Illinois. That result also gives the winner of the UW-Iowa affair a share of the division lead. Minnesota will also have a share of first should it beat Northwestern.
Nate Van Zelst connects, UW strikes first
Wisconsin forced its 18th turnover of the season and then converted the takeaway into points.
The Badgers moved 37 yards in 10 plays, taking 5:01 off the clock before, redshirt freshman Nate Van Zelst’s drilled a 32-yard field goal with 4:14 left in the first quarter. The big play of the drive was a 19-yard pass from Graham Mertz to Chimere Dike on third and 7 from the Iowa 48. The Badgers also converted a third and 1 play for a first down to give the team a first down inside the red zone.
Score: Wisconsin 3, Iowa 0, first quarter.
Vito Calvaruso, Gio Paez, Isaiah Mullens added to status report
Three players were added to the status report for the game that were not listed Monday.
The defensive line will rely on its young players for depth with nose tackle Gio Paez and end Isaiah Mullens sidelined due to leg injuries. This will mark the third straight game Paez has missed; Mullens will miss his fifth straight contest.
Junior kicker Vito Calvaruso was also added to the report. He’ll miss his eighth straight game.
Here is the complete report.
Out for today: K Vito Calvaruso — Leg (right); RB Chez Mellusi — Arm (right); DE Isaiah Mullens — Leg (right); NT Gio Paez — Leg (left); OLB Aaron Witt — Leg (right).
Out for season: CB Al Ashford — Leg (left); S Travian Blaylock — Leg (right); TE Clay Cundiff — Leg (left); DE Mike Jarvis — Leg (left); TE Cam Large — Leg (right); ILB Luna Larson — Leg (right); DE Isaac Townsend — Leg (left)
Iowa scouting report:Hawkeyes have a stout defense and the offense appears to be improving
More Badgers coverage:Walk-on Nate Van Zelst has quietly provided Wisconsin with a consistent field-goal kicker
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Live coverage: Wisconsin trails Iowa, 14-10, in third quarter at Kinnick Stadium. The winner gets share of Big Ten West lead