Badger Football: 3 Reasons Wisconsin Lost to Iowa

In a potential must-win game, Wisconsin fell to Iowa 42-10. Not a lot went right for the Badgers on a night where it felt like the whole season was slipping away. Luke Fickell and company will have a lot of areas to address over the bye, but there are three major reasons this ship has been sinking.

1. Sub-Par Quarterback Play

Quarterback Braedyn Locke has thrown at least one interception in six straight games and his ball security issues are the talk of the town. The offensive play-calling and wide receiver drops haven't helped his cause, but there's no doubt the Badgers have not gotten quality play from the position. Fans are calling for a spark and a new direction, but with No. 1 Oregon up next on the schedule, there probably isn't going to be a swap to the freshman Mabrey Mettauer.

2. A Lack of Identity

Wisconsin had always been a ground-and-pound team that relied on a strong offensive line and a tough defense. This season though, it feels like the Badgers don't have many qualities to hang their hats on. It's just hard to pinpoint a few, or even one, thing they do really well. Losing is one thing, but losing without any sort of direction forward is just infuriating. Fickell needs to figure out what this team is about, or it may cost him.

3. Another Defensive Collapse

For the third time this season, Wisconsin gave up 38 or more points in a game. The loss to Iowa was their biggest defeat against the Hawkeyes since 1968, and just another game where the play-calling and system has been called into question. The Badgers ran nickel a decent amount during the game, which is an odd choice for an opponent that obviously had no intentions of passing. The lack of pressure and ability to stop the run has doomed this defense all season.