No. 19 Alabama defeated Wisconsin Saturday, cruising to a 38-14 victory thanks to an efficient offensive performance complemented by stout defensive play.
“I thought we came ready to play,” head coach Kalen DeBoer said.
The matchup was the second part of a home-and-home series with the Badgers that saw the Crimson Tide go to Madison and crush Wisconsin 42-10 last season.
Both teams got off to slow starts, with the Badgers getting sacked on 3rd and 19 on their opening drive and the Crimson Tide coming up unsuccessful on a 4th-down conversion attempt in its own territory.
Wisconsin was unable to convert on the excellent field position, as quarterback Danny O’Neil threw an interception directly to safety Bray Hubbard on the first play of the ensuing possession.
Alabama took advantage of the turnover by driving 61 yards for a touchdown via a 2-yard rush on 4th down by wide receiver Germie Bernard. This gave the Crimson Tide an early 7-0 lead with 2:24 left in the first quarter.
“A lot of different directions that could’ve gone,” DeBoer said. “Offense takes over, takes advantage of it and moved the ball down the field.”
After a pair of sacks by the Alabama defense, the offense responded with another touchdown from Bernard. This time, it was a 43-yard missile from quarterback Ty Simpson that found the Washington transfer for 6, giving the home team a 14-0 lead with 12:05 left in the half.
The Crimson Tide wasn’t done yet. After a well-placed Badgers punt pinned Alabama back to its own two yard line, Simpson led an impressive 98-yard drive that ended in a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Isaiah Horton for a score, jolting Alabama to a 21-0 lead with just 45 seconds left in the first half.
The energy inside Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium was abnormally high for an 11 a.m. kickoff at the half, with both of Alabama’s units putting on stout performances. Simpson finished the frame 13/14 with 192 yards and two touchdown passes, while the defense forced one turnover and allowed just 59 yards of total offense.
“I want to shout out our fans,” DeBoer said. “11 o’clock kick in the morning, just getting here earlier and all of that. I know people traveled to get here, and I appreciate the energy that they brought.”
The Crimson Tide went scorched earth to open the second half, with the very first play being a double reverse screen pass to wide receiver Ryan Williams, which he took 75-yards to the house behind a convoy of Alabama offensive linemen.
Things looked bleak for the Badgers down 28-0, but wide receiver Vinny Anthony breathed life back into his team with a 95-yard kick return for a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff, suddenly making the score 28-7 after a funky first 28 seconds of play.
The Alabama offense remained unfazed, as it drove 87 yards down the field with flashy plays by Simpson, culminating with a 41-yard touchdown pass to Williams to make the score 35-7 with 11:02 on the clock.
“It was good to see him and Ty connect,” DeBoer said.
Wisconsin looked to respond as the Badgers drove deep into Alabama territory, but Hubbard stepped in front of another O’Neil pass for his second interception of the contest, ultimately leading to a Crimson Tide field goal to make the score 38-7 with 13:56 left in the game.
A Wisconsin touchdown late in the quarter made the final score 38-14, an easy win in favor of Alabama, which saw an offensive explosion and defensive dominance.
However, DeBoer criticized the team’s closing ability in the 4th quarter, noting that he would’ve preferred if his team ran “them off the field”.
Williams praised his team’s offense after the game.
“We’re just getting started,” he said. “We’re a very explosive offense. The proof is in the pudding.”
Simpson lit up the stat sheet. He completed 24/29 passes for 382 yards and tossed four touchdown passes. He was also the team’s leading rusher with 25 yards.
“He’s just been so disciplined,” DeBoer said. “He’s been playing really well the last two weeks.”
Williams had an emphatic return to the lineup, racking up 165 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Bernard added 62 yards with one rushing and one receiving touchdown.
The defense played on its head all afternoon, collecting four sacks and reeling in a pair of picks thanks to Hubbard.
Alabama now enters its first bye week of the season, with play resuming Sept. 27 for a road trip to Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT, and the game can be streamed on ABC.
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