By james art 
The Wisconsin Badgers came to Iowa City and Kinnick Stadium hoping to bring the Heartland Trophy back to Madison for the first time in two years against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
They were unable to achieve this and instead lost 42-10 in what was a disappointing performance from the team.
Here’s what went wrong for Wisconsin in their 42-10 loss to Iowa.
Start the game
Tawee Walker hasn’t looked that good the past two weeks against Iowa and Penn State. Of course, both teams have strong run defenses, but that still shouldn’t make him a non-factor on offense. Walker’s struggles have limited Wisconsin’s success down the field, which also hurts this offense.
One thing that disappointed me was how Darion Dupree was very efficient and continued to play well against this Hawkeye defense, yet had nine fewer carries than Walker. If Walker is gassed or not playing well, I don’t see the downside to giving Dupree, Jones and Yacamelli carries.
Bradyn Locke
Braedyn Locke’s struggles with turnovers continued in this game. Locke made two bad interceptions and set up Iowa for easy scoring opportunities both times. He struggled to know how long to hold onto the football.
On many plays in this game, Lock held the ball a few seconds too long, giving the opposing defense time to adjust and suffocate the play.
Another issue with Locke is his lack of size. Because he is so much smaller than most defensive players, so many of his passes are tipped and hit by opposing defenses.
It’s not something he can control, but it hurts the offense when someone who’s smaller isn’t a dual threat and doesn’t have the best presence in the pocket.
Run defense
I really like Coach Tressel and I think he has done a very good job as Wisconsin’s defensive coordinator so far. However, the defensive line and run defense have been killer for the Badgers all season.
The run defense always starts well, but because the offense doesn’t have many long snaps, it gives the defense little time off the field. The defensive line has always been a concern this season, but it’s intensified when facing run-only teams.
Iowa quarterback Brendan Sullivan stretched that Badger defensive line and easily created plays with his feet. Wisconsin needs to attack the transfer portal and find a quarterback who can help fix those issues.
I still think Wisconsin will finish 7-5 and beat Nebraska and Minnesota, but this loss makes the prediction and outcome much more difficult.