Bryan Jackson II scored the go-ahead touchdown Saturday night against his former team and host Wisconsin’s defense limited No. 16 Southern California to 241 total yards during a 24-7 victory in Madison.
Colton Joseph added a touchdown pass and tight end Ryan Schwendeman tacked on a game-sealing touchdown run as the Badgers (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten Conference) physically controlled most of the last three quarters.
Wisconsin outrushed the Trojans 142 yards to minus-17, forcing quarterback Jayden Maiava to basically go it alone. Maiava completed 31 of 50 passes for 258 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions but he was sacked five times.
Joseph hit 12 of 14 passes for only 58 yards but avoided turnovers. The Badgers converted six of 12 third downs and controlled the ball for 32:38, preventing USC from finding any rhythm.
Gavin Lahm gave Wisconsin a 3-0 edge with 7:20 left in the first quarter on a 33-yard field goal, set up by Bryce West’s 23-yard interception return to the Trojans’ 17.
USC took its only lead of the night at the 9:44 mark of the second quarter when Maiava flipped a 4-yard touchdown pass to Taniela Tupou, finishing off a 15-play drive.
The Badgers grabbed the lead for good when Jackson capped a 75-yard march that lasted nearly eight minutes with a 5-yard scoring run up the middle. That allowed them to take a 10-7 advantage to halftime.
Wisconsin upped the lead to 10 with 9:21 remaining in the third quarter as Joseph and Chris Brooks Jr. connected for a 16-yard touchdown. The Badgers capitalized on a formation that left the Trojans outnumbered on the left side, with four receivers there and just two defenders were left to repel three blockers in front of Brooks.
Schwendeman sealed the outcome by taking a handoff as an up-back in a power formation and nudging the ball across the goal line from the 1 with 5:02 left in the game, polishing off a 13-play drive that chewed up 8:12.