No. 12 Wisconsin scored 19 consecutive points and held Northern Iowa scoreless for nearly three quarters, but Northern Iowa mounted a furious rally in the final 14 minutes and forced Wisconsin to hold on for a 26-21 win.
Northern Iowa's Sawyer Kollmorgen found Chad Owens for a 2-yard touchdown pass with 2:05 left in the third quarter to cut the lead to 19-7. Wisconsin's Danny O'Brien found Jared Abbrederis for a 53-yard touchdown less than two minutes into the fourth quarter to make the lead 26-7. O'Brien and Abbrederis also connected on a touchdown in the first half.
Northern Iowa Vs. Wisconsin Final Score: Badgers Hang On 26-21, Danny O’Brien Throws 2 TDs
Northern Iowa responded with two touchdown passes from Kollmorgen to David Johnson, one for 55 yards and one for 31 yards, to make it 26-21.
Northern Iowa forced a Wisconsin punt and got the ball back with 5:39 remaining. They drove into Wisconsin territory, but couldn't convert a fourth down and gave it back to Wisconsin, who ran out the clock.
O'Brien was 19-for-23 for 219 yards and touchdowns. Montee Ball had 32 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown. Kollmorgen went 18-for-34 for 265 yards and three touchdowns. Johnson had four catches for 107 yards.
Box Score Hero: Danny O’Brien was efficient passing (19-for-23) and he connected on some big passing plays for the Badgers.
Rankings Ramifications: Wisconsin came into the game ranked 12th. The game was closer than expected, but the fact that they won means they shouldn't be hurt too badly in the rankings.
But Did They Cover?: Wisconsin was favored by 33 points heading into this game, so they didn't cover.
For More On This Game: For more on Badgers football, visit Wisconsin blog Bucky’s 5th Quarter, plus Big Ten blog Off Tackle Empire.
Next Week's Schedule: Wisconsin will hit the road to take on Oregon State on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 4 p.m. ET, while Northern Iowa hosts Central State on Sept. 8 at 4 p.m. ET.
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