The Wisconsin Badgers beat No. 16 USC 24-7 on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium, holding the Trojans to negative rushing yardage while scoring touchdowns in three straight quarters. Running back Bryan Jackson II and backup Ryan Schwendeman each punched in short rushing touchdowns as Wisconsin improved to 5-2. USC fell to 6-2 despite out-gaining the Badgers through the air.
Wisconsin turned the game in the second half when quarterback Colton Joseph found Chris Brooks Jr. for a 16-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter, pushing the lead to 17-7. USC quarterback Jayden Maiava finished 31 of 50 for 258 yards with a touchdown but threw two interceptions, and the Trojans managed just minus-17 yards rushing on 25 carries.
Takeaways From Wisconsin’s Win Over USC
The Badgers’ rushing attack wore down USC
Wisconsin ran the ball 43 times for 142 yards and controlled the clock for 32 minutes, 36 seconds. Abu Sama III led the way with 71 yards on 17 carries, and the Badgers used that workload to set up short-yardage touchdowns from Jackson II and Schwendeman in the second and fourth quarters.
USC’s run game never got started
The Trojans finished with minus-17 rushing yards on 25 attempts, a number dragged down by five Maiava scrambles that lost 57 yards. Shahn Alston led USC’s backs with just 28 yards on seven carries, forcing the offense to lean almost entirely on Maiava’s arm.
Wisconsin’s defense forced the turnovers that mattered
Cairo Skanes and Bryce West each intercepted Maiava, with West also recording a sacks-and-pressure day that included a tackle for loss. Wisconsin finished with zero turnovers of its own while forcing two from USC, a gap that showed up directly on the scoreboard.
Player Of The Game: Colton Joseph
Wisconsin quarterback Colton Joseph completed 12 of 14 passes for 58 yards and a touchdown and added 32 rushing yards on 15 carries. Joseph did not turn the ball over and connected with Chris Brooks Jr. for the go-ahead score that put Wisconsin in front for good.
Wisconsin Vs. USC By The Numbers
USC actually out-gained Wisconsin through the air, 258 yards to 58, and finished with more total yards, 241 to 200, and more first downs, 22 to 16. But the Trojans lost the turnover battle 2-0 and the rushing battle by a 159-yard swing, minus-17 to 142. Wisconsin controlled time of possession 32:36 to 27:24. The Badgers were 1 for 2 on fourth down while USC went 1 for 3; Wisconsin’s 6-for-12 third-down rate matched USC’s 7-for-15 on a volume basis, but Wisconsin’s efficiency was stronger.
What’s Next
Wisconsin is 5-2. USC is 6-2.
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