7 thoughts on Wisconsin football's loss to Alabama
It wasn't pretty in Tuscaloosa for the Badgers.
Alabama’s elite talent brightly shined on the field Saturday, but the University of Wisconsin football team also significantly hindered itself during its first loss of the 2025 season.
The Crimson Tide tallied 454 total yards thanks in large part to its former five-star quarterback, Ty Simpson, and the Badgers couldn’t play complementary football nor hit a consistent rhythm on offense. Luke Fickell’s team also committed untimely penalties and turnovers that contributed to their 38-14 road loss at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Here are seven thoughts from Wisconsin’s loss at Alabama.
Wisconsin’s run defense is legit …
Shall we start with one of the few positives from the game?
Sure why not.
The Badgers’ defense contained the Crimson Tide to 72 yards rushing on 3.3 yards per carry. Simpson led Alabama in this category (25 yards rushing on 4.2 yards per carry), and most came in scrambling situations.
Redshirt freshman running back Kevin Riley finished with 20 yards rushing on 2.9 yards per attempt.
Maryland, who Wisconsin hosts next Saturday, is averaging 116.7 yards rushing per game through three contests.
… but Ty Simpson picked apart Wisconsin’s pass defense
Simpson simply impressed Saturday, completing passes to eight players and finishing 24 of 29 for 382 yards and four touchdowns. Sophomore phenom receiver Ryan Williams returned to game action with five catches for 165 yards receiving and two touchdowns.
It would have been three touchdowns from Simpson to Williams if Williams didn’t drop a pass in the second half.
It wasn’t just those two Alabama standouts that beat Wisconsin’s secondary though as Germie Bernard (four receptions, 62 yards receiving, one touchdown) and Isaiah Horton (five, 48, one) each had their moments.
The Crimson Tide scored on six consecutive possessions from the end of the first quarter to the beginning of the fourth quarter. The Badgers didn’t get home in the backfield (just one sack) or force enough poor choices.