Wisconsin vs. Indiana 2025 Recap: Badgers Dominated in 2nd Half; Lose 31-7

The Wisconsin Badgers found themselves in a close game at halftime against the No. 2-ranked team in the country in the Indiana Hoosiers. However, the wheels fell off, and the Badgers were dominated in the second half en route to a 31-7 loss. Wisconsin moves to 3-7 on the year, while Indiana remains undefeated (11-0). So, what are the key takeaways and what went wrong in the second half for the Badgers? Let’s break it down in our 2025 Wisconsin vs. Indiana postgame recap.

Wisconsin vs. Indiana 2025 Recap

Quarterback Play

This matchup featured two teams with two completely different quarterback situations. On one side, you had a Heisman frontrunner, a potential top-5 NFL draft pick, and a quarterback who’s leading his team to the College Football Playoff in Fernando Mendoza.

On the other side, was true freshman quarterback Carter Smith, making his first collegiate start. He was also the first Wisconsin true freshman quarterback to start a game since 1991.

Mendoza clearly won the quarterback duel on Saturday. However, Smith held his own and showed some promise, especially in the first half for the Badgers.

Smith finished 9-of-15 for 98 yards, with a touchdown, an interception, and a fumble. He also added seven rushes for five yards. However, 45 of his 98 passing yards came on the fourth and inches touchdown pass to Lance Mason. Like all quarterback performances for the Badgers this season, the numbers were not great. However, Smith looked calm and poised at the quarterback position, especially in the first half.

Smith’s feet were a lot calmer in the pocket on Saturday than they were last week against Washington. He got through reads a lot quicker and was able to deliver some on-time, accurate passes to the receivers. His touchdown pass to Lance Mason came after a great ball fake to Gideon Ituka, where Mason was able to get behind the safeties for a walk-in touchdown.

In our preview, we talked about Smith taking care of the ball and not making any freshman mistakes. He did that for the most part. However, his one interception was on an underthrown pass, an attempt he never should have made.

Overall, it was an up-and-down day for Smith, which is to be expected as a freshman, especially against a team like Indiana.

On the other side, Fernando Mendoza lived up to the hype and didn’t disappoint. He finished 22-of-24 for 299 yards and four touchdowns. His last touchdown pass to Omar Cooper set the Indiana all-time record for touchdown passes in a season at 30. It really was an all-around complete performance from Mendoza. He was able to sit back and pick apart the Badgers’ defense, and the secondary was no match for the Hoosier receivers.

If you were to nitpick, at times Mendoza held onto the ball too long. Yet, when you’re having a game like he was having, you’re going to continue to wait for your receivers to get open. He did take one or two unnecessary sack. However, besides those one or two mishaps, Mendoza’s performance was flawless.

A Tale of Two Halves

This was a 10-7 game at halftime that ended up 31-7 in favor of the Hoosiers. As cliché as it sounds, this was a tale of two halves.

If you watched each half independently of the other, the Badgers’ play in the first half was on par with Indiana. In fact, they looked just as good or even better than Indiana. However, the second half was a different story, as the Badgers were flat-out dominated.

At halftime, Wisconsin was winning time of possession battle at 16:57 to 12:48. They had run more plays, had more rushing yards, and had one less first down (7), than Indiana did in the first half. They looked quite comfortable and had Indiana on the ropes a bit. However, once Indiana came out of the locker room after halftime, they were a different team.

The Hoosiers wound up winning the time of possession battle at 33:58 to 26:02. They outgained the Badgers 388-168, finished with 11 more first downs, and ran 17 more plays than Wisconsin – complete domination. The Badgers only gained one first down in the entirety of the second half.

Indiana physically dominated the Badgers after halftime, and didn’t give them any hope of pulling off an upset. After the game, Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell talked about the difference in the two halves.

“Obviously, that was a tale of two halves. The first half, to be honest with you, was kind of how you would draw it up for us. Methodically doing some things, eliminating big plays other than one defensively. I think that was the idea of where we want to play right now, and the complementary idea of what football has to look like for us.

The second half was not that. It was the exact opposite. We gave up big plays, turned the ball over, and just where we are right now, it’s really difficult for us to overcome those types of things. We’ve seen that earlier at times this year, but it hurts a hell of a lot more when you’ve seen how we can play in that first half. I’m not going to say, “Oh, we had it,” but seeing how we can play, the things we’re capable of doing — and then not doing it in the second half — it hurts. You have to be able to overcome all kinds of things in the face of adversity, and we weren’t able to do that.”

Wisconsin lost, and there aren’t any moral victories in football. However, there were some positives in the first half and some things to build on. Most importantly, the Badgers just need to figure out a way to play a complete game. The injuries and talent discrepancy certainly don’t help, but for Wisconsin to be successful looking towards next year, playing a complete game is something they will need to learn how to do.

The first half was promising, but in the end, it wasn’t enough to beat one of the best teams in the country in Indiana.

Mike Tressel and Jeff Grimes

The Badgers have suffered a multitude of injuries this season, and both coordinators have been working with a lot of backup players. For what it’s worth, the coaches did a great job on Saturday.

Offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes’ first-half playcalling was arguably his best half all year. With a fourth-string quarterback and running back and multiple backup linemen in, the Badgers were able to move the ball throughout the first half.

Grimes got the ball out of Smith’s hands quickly, and the end-around/jets sweeps with Kekahuna and Anthony were successful. The fourth and inches play that led to the Badgers’ only touchdown was a phenomenal call. He got Smith comfortable with quick, easy throws and added some extra elements to the run game. The Badgers are very offensively challenged, especially in regard to a downfield passing attack. However, Grimes schemed up some things on Saturday that helped the Badgers move the ball.

If there is one gripe, there should have been more Smith-designed runs. It was a big part of the Washington game, but not as much against Indiana.

As for Mike Tressel, he also called a good game on Saturday. Tressel hasn’t gotten as much notoriety or credit this year given what he’s had to work with. The defense has been the bright spot of the team, and Tressel even changed his defensive philosophy after last year. He has notably been more of a three-down lineman play-caller, but has shifted to more of a four and five-down lineman approach. His game plan against Washington was great, and so was his game plan against Indiana.

Tressel mixed up zone and man again, and did a great job of disguising pressure and moving his key players. The Badgers have a lack of talent in the secondary, which was picked apart, especially in man coverage. However, I liked seeing the Badgers playing more man, which has been lacking a bit this year at times.

Neither the offense nor defense performed well in the second half, which we already highlighted. However, both Grimes and Tressel, deserve some credit for what they’ve done this year with the hand they’ve been dealt.

Wisconsin vs. Indiana 2025 Recap: Other Notes

Gideon Ituka

I wanted to add a little section on Gideon Ituka, who left on a stretcher midway through the third quarter. Ituka, after getting hit twice in the head on one play, appeared to be knocked unconscious after the second hit. Medical personnel instantly rushed over and called for the cart. Ituka was completely immobilized and was taken off on a stretcher, but was able to give a thumbs-up while leaving the field.

He was rushed to a local hospital in Bloomington, and it was reported that he had feeling and movement in all of his extremities. After the game, Ituka posted on social media, “Just wanna let everyone know I’m doing well. On the team plane headed home with my guys. Thanks for all the love and support.”

It’s great to see Ituka is alright and was able to fly home with the team after a very scary scene in the second half. Ituka has been a major bright spot for the Badgers for the past couple of weeks and will be a key part for the Badgers moving forward.

Darryl Peterson

This is a Darryl Peterson appreciation paragraph. Peterson had arguably his best game as a Badger on Saturday, finishing with six total tackles and 2.5 sacks. Peterson, a grad student, has spent his entire career with the Badgers and has stayed through the ups and the downs. He has had many chances to hit the portal but has decided to stay due to his love for Wisconsin.

Peterson grew up an Ohio State fan in Akron, Ohio, but it was reported during the Ohio State game, how much Peterson loves Wisconsin and that he’s a Badger for life. As Fickell continues to build this Wisconsin program, players like Darryl Peterson are who you want to have in your program and are players you want to go to battle with every week.

Looking Ahead

The Badgers will welcome former head coach Brett Bielema, whom they had great success under, back to Camp Randall next Saturday for a matchup against Illinois. Illinois at (7-3) will head to Madison after a 24-6 victory at home against the Maryland Terrapins. The Badgers will be looking to secure a victory against Bielema in a revenge game of sorts. Wisconsin opened as a 9.5-point underdog and will be looking for a huge upset win.