The Tigers' late surge was too much for the young Badgers to withstand.
For three quarters, Wisconsin was running LSU out of the building. The Badgers were dominating the Tigers on both lines of scrimmage and appeared to be on the verge of making themselves the clear favorite in the Big Ten West. But LSU's defense dug deep and came up with some big second-half stops and turnovers, giving its offense just enough of a jump start to get back in the game and mount an impressive comeback from a 24-7 third quarter deficit.
Late in the game, LSU started winning the battle up front and Wisconsin seemed to completely lose its composure. Having Melvin Gordon miss large chunks of the final quarter didn't help, but Tanner McEvoy seemed exceptionally rattled, throwing a pair of devastating interceptions just as the Tigers' offense was getting a head of steam.
Three things we learned
1. LSU's offense is talented but enigmatic. Even for a team that reloads as effortlessly as LSU does, replacing Zach Mettenberger, Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham, and Jeremy Hill wasn't going to be easy. Saturday night was the proof of that. New starting quarterback Anthony Jennings and the Tigers' stable of blue-chip running backs sputtered through most of the first three quarters but made big plays late in the game. LSU's veteran offensive line should provide the new faces at the skill positions with time to mature, but there could be some growing pains early. Jennings finished with 238 yards passing and a pair of long touchdown passes. His 35-yard connection with John Diarse gave the Tigers their first lead in the fourth quarter.
2. Wisconsin's rushing attack was as good as advertised ... for one half. Even if SEC defenses aren't quite what they once were, running roughshod over one of the conferences most prestigious teams is going to turn some heads. Melvin Gordon was a preseason Heisman contender, and he did nothing but bolster his status as one of the nation's best running backs with his performance against LSU. He gained 140 yards on just 16 carries, and not until he came out of the game for mysterious reasons in the second half did he look remotely stoppable.
Gary Andersen said Melvin Gordon was fine. Doesn't know why he didn't carry the ball more than two times.
- Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) August 31, 2014
Hey, we finally joined Facebook!
3. Wisconsin's passing game is going to be a problem ... for Wisconsin. 2014 is a year of transition for the Badgers' passing game. They lost their top three pass-catchers from 2013 and converted safety Tanner McEvoy has overtaken incumbent quarterback Joel Stave. McEvoy showed on Saturday night that he's a great athlete but still incredibly raw as a passer. He completed just eight of 24 pass attempts for a total of 50 yards, and a few throws that were just comically inaccurate, including a late interception that essentially sealed Wisconsin's fate.
Melvin Gordon is very good, but he can't carry the entire offense on his back. If the Badgers are going to have a shot at winning the Big Ten West, the passing attack needs to improve dramatically.
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