Wisconsin Badgers fall to Alabama, Van Dyke injured on opening drive

MADISON, Wis. - Jalen Milroe threw three touchdowns and ran for two more Saturday as No. 4 Alabama made a rare trip north and beat Wisconsin 42-10 in a game the Badgers lost quarterback Tyler Van Dyke to an injury on the game’s first series.

Milroe went 12 of 17 for 196 yards with touchdown passes of 31 yards to Ryan Williams, 26 yards to Germie Bernard and 37 yards to Josh Cuevas. He also rushed for 75 yards on 14 carries, scoring on runs of 3 and 10 yards.

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Alabama (3-0) was playing its first true road game against a team from north of the Mason-Dixon Line since a 27-11 victory at Penn State in 2011. This also marked the Crimson Tide’s first trip to Camp Randall Stadium since a 15-0 loss to Wisconsin in 1928.

Wisconsin (2-1) suffered its most lopsided home loss since a 48-7 defeat against Penn State in 2008.

Van Dyke was hurt when he was tackled on a scramble. He clutched his right knee at the end of the run and eventually was carted into the locker room. He watched the second half from Wisconsin’s sideline while walking with crutches.

That Badgers opening drive ended with Nathanial Vakos kicking a 53-yard field goal to put Wisconsin ahead 3-0, but Alabama scored the next 28 points and never looked back.

After finishing sixth in last year’s Heisman Trophy balloting, Milroe has accounted for 14 total touchdowns (eight passing, six rushing) through Alabama’s first three games. Williams, a 17-year-old freshman, already has four touchdown catches.

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Milroe benefited from the fact he was working behind an offensive line that was finally healthy, with left tackle Jadyn Proctor making his season debut after missing two games due to an injured left shoulder. That line performed much better Saturday after committing nine penalties a week earlier in a 42-16 victory over South Florida.

Wisconsin’s Braedyn Locke stepped in for Van Dyke and went 13 of 26 for 125 yards, including a 3-yard touchdown to Will Pauling.

Any Wisconsin hopes of making this game competitive essentially disappeared in the final minute of the first half.

Wisconsin trailed 14-3 when Locke orchestrated a nice drive that got the Badgers into field-goal range. After Locke barely overthrew a diving Will Pauling in the end zone on third-and-3 from Alabama’s 27, Vakos sent a 44-yard field-goal attempt wide right with 36 seconds left in the second quarter.

Alabama needed just two plays and 17 seconds to score a touchdown.

Milroe hit a wide-open Williams for a 47-yard gain, then found Bernard in the end zone to extend Alabama’s lead to 21-3. Alabama also got the ball back to start the second half and quickly scored again, with Jam Miller racing to the end zone untouched from 34 yards out.

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The takeaway

Alabama: After posting a negative-3 turnover margin and committing 13 penalties against USF, Alabama had a plus-2 turnover margin and was penalized four times Saturday. ... Alabama did lose linebacker Qua Russaw and running back Richard Young to injuries.

Wisconsin: The Badgers made too many mistakes to have a realistic chance of winning. Two Alabama touchdowns came after Wisconsin lost fumbles deep in its own territory. Two other Alabama touchdowns followed an unsuccessful fourth-and-1 try and a missed field-goal attempt by Wisconsin. The Badgers now wait to find out about their quarterback situation.

Up next

Alabama: Off next week before starting thee Southeastern Conference portion of their schedule Sept. 28 by hosting No. 2 Georgia.

Wisconsin: Off next week before opening Big Ten play Sept. 28 at No. 11 Southern California.