Jonathan Taylor rushed for 250 yards and Danny Davis scored two touchdowns to lead No. 13 Wisconsin to a 24-22 win over No. 18 Iowa in a Big Ten West division matchup Saturday in Madison, Wis.
Taylor had 31 carries and became the first player to eclipse the 100-yard mark against the Hawkeyes this season.
Wisconsin (7-2, 4-2 Big Ten) had to survive a late threat by Iowa. Hawkeyes senior Nate Stanley threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to freshman Tyrone Tracy Jr. with 3:12 left in the game. Down by two, Iowa (6-3, 3-3) was stopped on the two-point conversion attempt.
Early in the first quarter, A.J. Epenesa sacked Wisconsin quarterback Jack Coan and forced a fumble that was picked up by Iowa's Cedrick Lattimore on Wisconsin's 16-yard line. Keith Duncan drilled a 24-yard field goal four plays later to put Iowa up 3-0.
After an inauspicious start that included five penalties and a missed field goal attempt by Collin Larsh that sailed wide right, Wisconsin caught a break in the second quarter.
Jack Sanborn forced a fumble by Stanley on Wisconsin's 41-yard line. The Badgers strung together a seven-play, 59-yard drive, capped by a 17-yard touchdown rush on a jet sweep by Davis that gave the Badgers a 7-3 lead with 9:44 to go in the first half.
The Hawkeyes made it 7-6 with a 40-yard field goal from Duncan.
Davis continued a solid effort and boosted Wisconsin's lead to 14-6 with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Coan with 14 seconds left in the half.
Coan and Quintez Cephus connected on critical plays to extend the Badgers' lead. Cephus caught a 52-yard pass on Iowa's 34-yard line, and two plays later, hauled in a 27-yard score to give Wisconsin a 21-6 lead entering the fourth quarter.
Matt Hankins intercepted Coan at the Wisconsin 47-yard line to give the Hawkeyes momentum.
Stanley lobbed a 3-yard score to freshman Nico Ragaini at 14:06 of the fourth quarter to cut Wisconsin's lead to 21-13.
Duncan kicked a 39-yard field goal with 9:27 left as Iowa inched closer at 21-16. He's made 22 field goals this season, a single-season program record.
Larsh kicked a 29-yard field goal with 3:29 to go as Wisconsin pulled to 24-16 with 3:29 remaining in the game.
Stanley completed 17 of 28 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns. Coan was 16 of 25 for 173 yards, two TDs and a pick.
--Field Level Media
