FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The numbers were staggering.
Wisconsin’s defense entered the Big Ten title game limiting teams to 236.9 yards per game. Ten of UW’s 12 opponents failed to hit the 300-yard mark.
Ohio State ran 33 plays in the first half of the title game and generated 309 yards, thanks largely to pass plays of 84 and 57 yards - both of which were touchdowns - and a 77-yard run that set up the Buckeyes’ third touchdown.
“In the first half we did not pay attention to the little details,” senior outside linebacker Garret Dooley said. “I know we gave up three up three or four big plays in the first half and that is more than we give up in a three-game span.
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“We had a bust in coverage, we had missed tackles ... that is always something we’ve taken pride in this season – getting a lot of people to the ball, gang-tackling.
“We dug ourselves into a hole that was too deep.”
UW limited Ohio State to 140 yards on 35 plays in the second half, with 53 of the yards coming on a run by J.K. Dobbins, but the Badgers could not overcome an 11-point halftime deficit and suffered a 27-21 loss.
The Badgers entered the title game having allowed 32 plays of 20 yards or more in 12 games. The average gain was 31.0 yards. Ohio State hit UW’s defense with four big plays, with the average gain 67.8 yards.
UW (12-1) cannot afford a repeat performance against Miami (10-2) Saturday in the Orange Bowl.
“I feel like we’ve got the best defense in the nation,” senior cornerback Derrick Tindal said. “I’ve got so much trust in these guys. I know they’re going to bounce back. I love them.”
UW enters the Orange Bowl No. 1 nationally in total defense (253.2 ypg.) and No. 3 in scoring defense (13.2 ppg.).
Miami enters the Orange Bowl tied for 56th nationally in scoring (29.5 ppg.), but the offense has generated 67 plays (47 passes and 20 runs) of 20 yards or more.
The narrative after UW’s loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten title game was that the Badgers couldn’t match the Buckeyes’ speed. That doesn’t take into account how UW held Ohio State to 4.0 yards per play and two field goals after halftime.
Nevertheless, the No. 1 question facing the members of UW’s defense entering the Orange Bowl is whether they can match Miami’s speed.
“We have great athletes on this team,” Dooley said. “We have guys who can hit top speed just as fast as Ohio State can.”
Like Dooley, defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard didn’t sound intimidated.
“We feel like we’re fast,” he said. "We feel like we’re athletic enough to compete with anybody. We’re excited to go down to Miami and play a great football team.
“They are fast. They are athletic but we feel like we match up with them.”
A blown assignment in the secondary led to Ohio State’s 84-yard touchdown pass in the opening quarter. It appeared safety Natrell Jamerson vacated his area, leaving safety Joe Ferguson to cover two receivers running vertical routes. Ferguson had no chance.
Cornerback Nick Nelson and Jamerson both had a shot at bringing down wide receiver Paris Campbell on a short pass in the left flat. Instead, both whiffed and Campbell turned the short gain into a 54-yard score.
Defensive end Conor Sheehy missed Dobbins in the backfield and linebacker T.J. Edwards was walled off to the inside on Dobbins’ 77-yard run to the UW 1.
“I just thought we made some uncharacteristic mistakes, things that we don’t normally do,” Edwards said. “It is tough. I thought we played a great second half, and guys did what we were supposed to do.
“Personally, I had a really bad first half. You’re not going to win big-time games and we’re not going to get it done against Miami if we don’t play a full game. We’re going to need our best game to win this game.”
In addition to slowing Ohio State’s offense in the second half, UW’s defense recorded three takeaways. That led to 18 of UW’s 21 points.
Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel returned an interception 9 yards for UW’s first score. He forced and recovered a fumble that set up a field goal, and linebacker Leon Jacobs intercepted a pass to set up a 52-yard touchdown drive plus a two-point conversion.
“It really came down to three or four plays,” said linebacker Ryan Connelly, who applied pressure on Jacobs’ interception. “It was a matter of assignment and tackling. It’s not really a scheme thing. It’s about making plays at the end of the day. That is the game of football.”
Tindal was a reserve cornerback as a freshman in 2014 when UW fell behind early and suffered a 59-0 loss to the Buckeyes in the Big Ten title game.
He noticed a significant difference in attitude with this defense.
“The thing I was proud to see was how my guys responded,” he said. “I could take you back to my freshman year, 2014 man, they scored two touchdowns and it felt like the whole team got the energy drained out.
“When we went down by 14 this time, guys were on the sidelines still laughing and smiling. I love to see that from them. I’ve never been so proud of a team in my life.”