Badgers control clock, rotate QBs, snap skid against Hawkeyes

IOWA CITY — After back-to-back games in which No. 10 Wisconsin took two of the best teams in the country down to the wire, only to lose, the Badgers had a mental hill to climb Saturday.

Wisconsin (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten) dominated basically every aspect of the battle for the Heartland Trophy against Iowa, but for much of the game let the Hawkeyes (5-3, 3-2) hang around and stay within one score.

A pair of missed field goals and a fumble while reaching to score left the door open for Iowa. It was a storyline that had haunted Wisconsin in their losses. But the Badgers kept their hope alive for a Big Ten West title while seriously hurting the Hawkeyes' in a 17-9 victory at Kinnick Stadium that reclaimed the Heartland Trophy.

'You've got to really trust in the guys that are going to go out there and lay it on the line for you,' said running back Corey Clement. 'This game, I knew what I was coming into. Iowa is a very tough defense and those guys play a really tough style of defense.'

Wisconsin outgained Iowa 423-236 in total offense, including 167-83 on the ground, with Clement rushing 35 times for 134 yards and one touchdown. The Badgers converted 8 of 17 third downs, went three and out just twice and had six drives of 50 or more yards.

The biggest disparity, though, came in the way they controlled the ball against the Hawkeyes.

Wisconsin held the ball for 37:02, which was 14:04 longer than Iowa possessed it. That kept the Badger defense fresh to stifle the Hawkeye offense and kept Clement and Co. grinding out the game on the ground.

Clement called that part of the game, 'very crucial' especially because Wisconsin played two different quarterbacks during the game. Starter Alex Hornibrook went 11 of 19 for 197 yards and backup Bart Houston went 4 of 6 for 59 yards and one touchdown in a pair of drives in the second quarter and fourth quarter.

Initially it appeared Hornibrook came out because of a big hit sustained by linebacker Josey Jewell — a hit initially ruled targeting, but overturned on replay — but Hornibrook and head coach Paul Chryst both shrugged that off as not the case. Chryst said they wanted to have both incorporated into the offense 'so we can be the best team we can be.'

Going forward, Chryst said he hasn't put a lot of thought into how much both will be used, but 'it's a real possibility for us,' to 'not put the onus all on one guy.'

Hornibrook seemed unconcerned about that after the game, instead focusing on the fact that Wisconsin returned to the win column after a pair of losses that could have had lasting effects.

'We were going back and forth with each other — we have to. We were definitely working together,' Hornibrook said. 'It wasn't the (overall) style we wanted to, but a win's a win. It's great to come in here and get a win after these past couple weeks.'

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