Braelon Allen’s 3-yard TD run in OT gets Wisconsin bowl eligible with 24-17 win against Nebraska

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Braelon Allen scored the game-winning touchdown on a 3-yard run in overtime to lift Wisconsin to a 24-17 win against Nebraska on Saturday night.

Nebraska’s Chubba Purdy threw an interception to Preston Zachman to end the game.

Allen ran for two touchdowns and Tanner Mordecai threw a touchdown pass for the Badgers (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten), who snapped a three-game losing streak and are bowl eligible for the 22nd straight season. Only Georgia and Oklahoma have longer active bowl streaks.

Mordecai was 18-of-28 passing for 160 yards in his second game back from a broken right hand.

Nebraska (5-6, 3-5) scored on their fourth play of the game on Purdy’s 55-yard touchdown run. Purdy extended the lead to 14-0 with a 58-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Lloyd with 6:01 left in the first quarter.

Purdy, the younger brother of San Francisco 49er quarterback Brock Purdy, got his first start of the season and finished 15-of-23 passing for 169 yards and with 105 yards rushing on 14 carries.

Mordecai got things going in the right direction for Wisconsin in the second quarter. Mordecai threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Jackson Acker with 6:37 to go in first half to pull the Badgers to 14-7. Nathanial Vakos’ 30-yard field goal made it 14-10.

Wisconsin took the lead 17-14 on a 2-yard touchdown run by Allen with 7:47 left in the third quarter.

Nebraska’s Tristan Alvano kicked a 30-yard field goal to tie the game at 17-all with 4 seconds left in regulation.

THE TAKEAWAY

Nebraska: The Huskers have one more opportunity to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2016. They’ve lost 10 straight games against Wisconsin and haven’t claimed a road game in Madison since 1966.

Wisconsin: Braelon Allen has struggled with a lower body injury this season but offered valuable contributions after being limited with three carries in Wisconsin’s loss to Northwestern last weekend. Jackson Acker picked up the slack in the ground game with eight carries for 32 yards against Nebraska.

INJURY

Wisconsin persevered despite missing one of its best players. Hunter Wohler, the Badgers’ leading tackler, was ruled out in the second half with an upper body injury. Wohler entered the game leading the Big Ten with 61 tackles.

UP NEXT

Nebraska: Hosts No. 16 Iowa on Friday.

Wisconsin: At Minnesota on Saturday.

(WMTV) - The Badgers trail the Cornhuskers 14-10 at the half at Camp Randall.

Nebraska has 270 first-half yards, while Wisconsin has 133. The Huskers rushed for 144, while the Badgers rushed for 88.

Third-string sophomore quarterback Chubba Purdy got the start for Nebraska and led the Huskers to a hot start, scoring on their first two drives. Purdy rushed for 55 yards on the first touchdown, then threw a 58-yard strike to Jaylen Lloyd to go up 14-0 early.

Wisconsin junior running back Braelon Allen was questionable ahead of Saturday’s game, but came into the game after the Badgers went down by two touchdowns.

Redshirt-sophomore running back Jackson Acker rushed for the first Badgers’ score of the game in the second quarter. A 35-yard field goal by Nathaniel Vakos made it a four-point game with under two minutes to go in the first half.

Nebraska freshman kicker Tristan Alvano missed a 42-yard field goal as time expired in the first half.

Wisconsin senior quarterback Tanner Mordecai is 10/15 for 88 yards and a touchdown. He rushed for another 10 yards. Acker has 18 yards on the ground for the Badgers. Redshirt-sophomore Will Pauling leads the Badgers with 20 receiving yards on three catches.

(WMTV) - The Wisconsin Badgers (5-5) and the Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-5) will face off on Saturday night at Camp Randall for the Freedom Trophy.

With a win, either of the teams become bowl-eligible. Wisconsin has made a bowl the last 21 years, the third-longest active streak in the NCAA. The Badgers were officially eliminated from winning the Big Ten West with Iowa’s 15-13 win over Illinois.

The Badgers have never lost a night game at home against an unranked opponent, and they have won the last nine meetings with the Cornhuskers.

The Huskers are first in the conference in rushing yards, averaging 185.8 yards per game, while they hold their opponents to 79.6 yards per game on the ground, good for second in rushing defense. Nebraska is fifth in the conference in scoring defense, allowing 18.2 points per game. Wisconsin is seventh, allowing 19.6.

However, Nebraska struggles to throw the football. They are 13th in passing offense, throwing for 127.3 yards per game. They also are 13th in offensive efficiency.

The Huskers also allow the third-most sacks in the conference at 25, while the Badgers allow the fourth-fewest at 16. Nebraska is second in sacks by, sitting at second place with 29. Wisconsin has brought down opponents’ quarterbacks 25 times, tied for fifth in the Big Ten.

Wisconsin is honoring 21 seniors on Senior Night, including wide receiver Chimere Dike, outside linebacker CJ Goetz, quarterback Tanner Mordecai, and linebacker Maema Njongmeta.

Kickoff is set for 6:30 on NBC15.

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