Huskies Get Drenched, Embarrassed In the Wisconsin Rain

Two plays later, wide receiver Denzel Boston made a sensational one-handed, 1-yard touchdown catch to put his team 10-3.

However, that's when everything really started to go wrong for the Huskies, not better.

A short time after his go-ahead score, Boston came up limping after a punt return and had to be driven out of the stadium on the cart, though he returned in the second half.

About the same time running back Jonah Coleman noticeably limped off the field and never came back, finishing with just five rushes for 2 yards.

The UW offensive line quickly became a mess, too.

Center Landen Hatchett, with an injured hand, was replaced by Zach Henning. Right tackle Drew Azzopardi, for an unknonwn reason, was swapped out for Paki Finau. Left tackle Carver Wills, dealing with a gimpy knee, was spelled at times by Soane Faasolo.

The first quarter ended up scoreless with neither team able to do much at all. Demond Williams wasn't sharp in any manner.

For Wisconsin's O'Neil, a San Diego State transfer, he could run the ball but he couldn't throw it. On his second series, he couldn't run it any longer either.

O'Neil took one around the left side for 21 yards but appeared to pull something and was staggering when the UW player who answers to "Batman" led with his head to bring the QB down. Yet Dillard-Allen, after a review, was cleared of any targeting wrongdoing.

the quarterback left and never came back.

In came Smith, who primarily handed off. He struggled through five series before giving way to senior Hunter Simmons, who had started four earlier games without any success, late in the second quarter.

The teams traded 42-yard field goals in the second quarter, with Vakos putting Wisconsin on the board first and the Huskies' Grady Gross matching it.

Following Gross's 3-pointer, the UW held their hosts to a 3-and-out series. With the ball at the Wisconsin 17. Ward ran past a blocker to slap down the punt by the Badgers' Sean West, which the punter recovered himself on the 1.

It was Ward's second career punt block, after picking one up at his previous stop in Arizona and returning that one for a touchdown.

After a run didn't work, Boston made a one-handed catch of a Williams throw in the end zone, beating cornerback Rico Hallman, a much-decorated 41-game starter, and the Huskies led 10-3.

Inside the final minute of the first half, Wisconsin replaced Smith at Wisconsin quarterback with Simmons.

This is how bad it was for the Badgers: Simmons completed their first pass of the game inside the final minute of the opening half.

Coming out for the third quarter, both teams were greeted by an absolute downpour. The rain was practically blowing sideways. The home team initially handled it better than the Huskies, who shouldn't have been spooked by considering they're Northwest based, but they probably spend too much practice time in Dempsey Indoor.

On the UW's first second-half possession, Demond Williams Jr. fumbled the ball away while scrambling, setting up the Badgers on the UW 7. It was a disastrous mistake.

Wisconsin tied the game at 10 in two plays, with Smith, getting another shot at the controls, running 5 yards and then 2 more for the points with 6:26 left in the quarter.

After a change of possessions, the Badgers took the lead at 13-10 on Vakos' 32-yard field with 1:58 left in the quarter.

The rain was coming down harder.

The fourth quarter was devoid of any sustainable offense and any more points by either team. Gross had a field goal blocked. Everything came to a merciful end for the UW when Williams was dropped for a 1-yard loss on fourth-and-6 from his 41.

Williams finished with a team-high 61 yards rushing on 20 carries while completing 20 of 32 passes for 134 yards and a touchdown, with an interception.

By contrast, Wisconsin's Smith hit on just 3 of 12 passes for 8 yards while running 15 times for 47 yards and his score.

It now appears that it's time for the Huskies to play out the string with three regular-season games left and see what sort of mid-level bowl game they can find.

Losses to bad Wisconsin teams won't necessarily bring much in the way of postseason rewards.