Wisconsin Knocks Off No. 9 Iowa to Hand Hawkeyes 2nd Straight Loss

The unranked Wisconsin Badgers upset the No. 9 Iowa Hawkeyes 27-7 on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium to move to 5-3 on the season.

Saturday's loss dropped Iowa to 6-2 on the year. It was the Hawkeyes' second straight loss to an unranked opponent after a 24-7 defeat to Purdue last weekend.

Iowa made it seem like it had a real shot at the College Football Playoff following a surprising 23-20 victory over then-No. 4 Penn State on Oct. 9. However, the team's playoff hopes are effectively crushed following this weekend's loss to Wisconsin.

Badgers quarterback Graham Mertz had a solid outing, completing 11 of 22 passes for 104 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for two scores. Running back Braelon Allen and wide receiver Danny Davis III also had impressive performances.

Allen finished with 20 carries for 104 yards, and Davis finished with five catches for 59 yards. 

However, the best player on the field Saturday was Wisconsin linebacker Leo Chenal, who finished with 0.5 sacks, nine tackles and one tackle for a loss. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky made it a point to mention Chenal's performance during the broadcast:

Wisconsin outside linebacker Nick Herbig also had a big day, recording 2.5 sacks, six tackles, two tackles for a loss and one forced fumble.

The Iowa offense had an unimpressive afternoon. Quarterback Spencer Petras completed just nine of 19 passes for 93 yards and no touchdowns, though he did rush for a score. Running back Tyler Goodson finished with 13 carries for 27 yards, while wide receiver Sam LaPorta finished with three catches for 44 yards.

The Hawkeyes ended up replacing Petras with Alex Padilla in the fourth quarter, who completed three of six passes for 39 yards.

The Badgers hadn't beaten the Hawkeyes since November 2019. Iowa won last year's meeting 28-7 at home. However, Wisconsin holds a 49-44-2 record against Iowa.

The Badgers have now won their last four games and will take on Rutgers next weekend, while the Hawkeyes will be on the road against Northwestern.

The Wildcats have dominated the Hawkeyes in recent years, going 4-1 against the team since October 2016. So, Iowa won't necessarily have it easy.