Not surprisingly, one of the worst games of Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema's seven-year tenure ended badly for the Badgers. Oregon State held on to beat Wisconsin, 10-7, on Saturday afternoon at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Ore.
Wisconsin had its streak of 33 consecutive regular-season nonconference victories snapped, which dated to the 2005 season — before Bielema took over for Barry Alvarez as head coach.
Here are five things we learned from Saturday's game:
1. Wisconsin's offense has some serious issues.
This might be one of the most obvious statements in history, but it doesn't make it any less true. Wisconsin stunk on offense against Oregon State and nearly was held scoreless for the first time in 15 years.
Quarterback Danny O'Brien didn't seem to find his rhythm until the Badgers' final drive of the game. He finished 20 for 38 for 172 yards with a touchdown, an interception and a lost fumble in the red zone.
O'Brien doesn't deserve all the criticism, but in football, quarterbacks receive much of the credit and much of the blame. Two years ago, he was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year at Maryland. Wisconsin fans certainly hope they see that O'Brien in the near future.
Last season, Wisconsin led the country in third-down conversion rate at 55 percent. On Saturday, the Badgers failed on their first 12 tries and finished the game 2 of 14 on third-down attempts (14.2 percent). The Badgers' 207 total yards marked their lowest output in five seasons.
Don't expect the Badgers to find themselves with a cakewalk at home next week against Utah State, either. Utah State might not be a known program nationally, but the Aggies beat Utah of the Pac-12 on Friday night in overtime, 27-20.
2. Montee Ball's Heisman Trophy candidacy may be over.
Expectations were so ridiculously high for Ball that it was probably impossible for him to live up to those predictions. Ball averaged 137.3 yards rushing per game last season, and that's a lofty standard to maintain, particularly when opposing defenses are stacking the box to stop him this season.
On Saturday, Ball carried 15 times for 61 yards and did not score a touchdown. That performance ended a streak of 21 consecutive games with a touchdown. It also means Ball remains 17 touchdowns short of the all-time FBS career record for touchdowns.
In two games, Ball has now rushed 47 times for 181 yards (3.9 yards per carry) with one touchdown. His output on Saturday definitely hurt his Heisman chances, but a loss to Oregon State probably hurts just as much. Heisman voters generally pay more attention to teams ranked near the top of the polls, and Wisconsin will make a freefall from No. 13.
Certainly, it isn't all over for Ball. A couple 200-yard, three-touchdown games will put him right into the conversation again. And keep in mind that Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III won the Heisman last year when his team had three losses.
3. The defense is capable of keeping Wisconsin in games.
Last season, the defense was blamed for Wisconsin's shortcomings in crucial games, and rightfully so. The Badgers surrendered last-minute Hail Mary touchdown passes in losses to Michigan State and Ohio State during the regular-season. Then, Wisconsin allowed 45 points to Oregon in the Rose Bowl, showing that it once again — to paraphrase New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott — couldn't stop a nosebleed.
But while the offense struggled on Saturday, Wisconsin's defense came up big on several occasions. Oregon State ran 77 plays and had the ball for more than 11 minutes longer than Wisconsin.
You can complain about Oregon State passing for 276 yards, but the Beavers also threw the ball 48 times. Only one of those passes resulted in a touchdown. Cornerback Marcus Cromartie was beaten for a 20-yard touchdown pass that proved to be the game-winning score. Still, it was a solid defensive effort for the most part — which is more than anyone can say about the Badgers' offense.
Oregon State rushed 30 times for 78 yards. In two games, opponents now have rushed 50 times for 119 yards (2.4 yards per carry) against Wisconsin.
There was some concern about the defense last week after it allowed Northern Iowa to cut a 26-7 deficit to 26-21. At least we know they can keep a team at bay for an entire game, even if it didn't result in a victory for the Badgers.
4. Melvin Gordon is lost in the running back shuffle.
Bielema insisted earlier this week that Gordon would make an appearance early in Wisconsin's game against Oregon State. A week ago, Gordon never carried the ball and appeared on two kickoffs that resulted in touchbacks.
Once again this week, Gordon never entered the game at running back. He did make an ill-advised decision when he returned a kickoff instead of staying in the end zone. Gordon was tackled at the 16-yard-line, when Wisconsin would have taken over at the 25 on a touchback.
During spring ball and fall camp, Gordon appeared to be a man capable of making an impact in the backfield. He rushed for 159 yards on 30 carries with a touchdown in the spring game.
Maybe the coaches figure there's just no room for him in the backfield. There are only so many carries to go around, and most of them are going to Ball. On Saturday, Ball carried 15 times and backup James White three times, but neither of them were particularly impressive.
With the run game struggling, why not stick Gordon in there and see what he can do, even if it's only for a few plays? It could be worth a shot if the offense continues to flounder.
5. Replay review continues to haunt Wisconsin.
We'll never know what would have happened if Wisconsin recovered an onside kick with 1:31 remaining in the game. Replay review overturned a call that would've given the Badgers an opportunity to tie or win the game.
Wisconsin kicker Kyle French appeared to execute the perfect onside kick with a squib up the middle that went the required 10 yards. Oregon State's Tyrequek Zimmerman then appeared to kick the ball backward off French's hand. But replay officials ruled that French was the first to touch the ball — before it traveled 10 yards.
As a result, Oregon State took control of the ball and took a knee to salt the game away.
This isn't the first time in recent memory that a call has gone against Wisconsin in the replay booth. The Badgers lost two games last season when late replay reviews ruled against them.
The first was a Hail Mary touchdown pass against Michigan State. The second was the final play of the Rose Bowl against Oregon, when replay officials ruled that no time remained on the clock after quarterback Russell Wilson tried to spike the ball.
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