Give the Wisconsin Badgers credit for not letting a brutal first quarter get in the way of all that they wanted to achieve in Week 2 vs. Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders lost in Week 1 to FCS Austin Peay at home, but they came ready to play during their road trip up to Madison. Nothing went right for the Badgers' offense in the first frame. It was not until right before halftime that things started going.
While final score may not reflect it, Wisconsin's 42-10 blowout of Middle Tennessee did not take flight until the second half. The Badgers outscored the Blue Raiders 28-0 in the final two quarters. One of the reasons for that is Wisconsin got back to running the football with conviction. On the day, the Badgers had 31 carries for 153 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 4.9 yards per carry as well.
Conversely, Middle Tennessee had a brutal day on the ground, as they only averaged 1.2 yards per gain on 28 carries. This combination of good rushing and great defense helped take a ton of pressure off transfer backup quarterback Danny O'Neil making his first start for the team. He completed 23-of-27 passes for 283 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. O'Neil had three carries for 11 yards.
This all goes back to Grimes taking control of the ballgame in a way that Fickell never was going to...
Jeff Grimes already proving his worth as Wisconsin offensive coordinator
For as bland and pedestrian as things looked in the first half, it was the exact opposite for Wisconsin in the second. This offense was playing with a ton of confidence with O'Neil running point. Yes, it was against a lesser opponent at home, but Wisconsin is 2-0 heading into its biggest game of the season so far at Alabama. If the Badgers can play like they did in the second half, they may pull off the upset.
It was not exactly a statement win for the Badgers, but we saw a team that came together when it mattered most. This season is still young, but narratives can be forged overnight. While it remains to be seen if this kind of performance is regularly possible in Big Ten play, the second half was a positive step in the right direction for the entire program. Wisconsin got back to playing fun, winning football.
To tie a bow on this, it felt like Grimes decided to put this team on his back with his play-calling. The misdirection out of the backfield on O'Neil's quick toss to Trech Kekahuna seemed to change the tenor of the whole game. It was one of those plays that Middle Tennessee was never going to have an answer for no matter how hard all the Blue Raiders tried. It felt like vintage Wisconsin, for a moment...
This was the play that got everyone out of their seats at Camp Randall to root hard for the Badgers!
TRECH KEKAHUNA 🙌
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 6, 2025
He takes it 61 yards to the house for @BadgerFootball 🦡 pic.twitter.com/niPFVVlyC2
Saturday afternoon in Madison was proof that football is and always will be a fourth-quarter game.