MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin was well in control of Western Kentucky by halftime Friday. And when the Hilltoppers had chances to cut into the Badgers’ advantage in the second half, they failed to do so.

No. 4 Wisconsin handled WKU 34-3 at Camp Randall Stadium in both teams’ season openers. Jonathan Taylor ran for two Badger scores, while Alex Hornibrook threw for two more.

A third-quarter Ryan Nuss field goal marked the only points Friday that the Toppers could muster. They had three other red-zone chances, but those slipped away on a trick-play interception, a fourth-down drop and a fumble.

“I left the game really looking at, in the second half, four red-zone trips,” coach Mike Sanford said afterward. “… To get into the red zone – you can do the math – four times and come away with three points and turn the ball over twice, that’s the name of the game.

“It’s a 34-point game we end up losing. Four trips to the red zone, you’d get 28 points, ideally … and we’re competitive in the fourth quarter.”

WKU’s season-opening loss came against what’s most certainly the highest ranked team the Hilltoppers (0-1) will face all season.

Wisconsin’s roster features five 2017 All-Americans, including three along the offensive line. The Badgers (1-0) were picked to win the Big Ten Conference West Division and figure to compete for a College Football Playoff slot.

WKU needed to avoid miscues and hit available opportunities if it wanted a chance to shock the college football world as a 37-point underdog. That didn’t happen in a 31-point defeat.

Tops quarterback Drew Eckels credited the WKU defense for its performance and said the offense didn’t take advantage of its chances.

“The O-line that they have is enormous,” the redshirt senior Eckels said. “(The Hilltoppers’ defense) held their own. I really wish the offense, myself included, capitalized in the red zone more.”

Eckels made his first college start Friday. He was 15-of-26 passing for 167 yards and ran nine times for 38 yards, with a long rush of 15, before leaving the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent injury after being hit on a scramble.

Sanford said it was a knock to Eckels’ left arm, but that the QB is fine moving forward.

Wisconsin went into halftime up 24-0, scoring on three straight drives to end the second quarter.

The running back Taylor went for touchdown runs of 47 and 30 yards during the first half. Rafael Gaglianone kicked a 39-yard field goal, while Hornibrook threw a 2-yard TD pass to Kendric Pryor with eight seconds left before half.

Defensive end Jeremy Darvin and linebackers Ben Holt and Masai Whyte all sacked Hornibrook in the first half for WKU.

The three sacks in one half marked a quarter of the Hilltoppers’ 2017 sack total through 13 games (12).

“We sent a couple of blitzes and threw their O-line off-guard,” the redshirt senior Whyte said. “We created some gaps and got some penetration, got everyone around the ball.”

WKU never got any offensive traction in the first half. Alex Rinella punted on each of the Toppers’ first six series, while the seventh ended in a kneel-down before the half.

WKU marched 67 yards on its opening drive in the second half but stalled inside the 15. Nuss’ 25-yard field goal marked the Hilltoppers’ first points of the season.

A Gaglianone 42-yard field goal pushed the Badgers’ lead back to 24 at 27-3 with 10:10 left in the third quarter.

WKU started the next drive at its 25 and worked into the red zone again. Eckels completed all four of his pass attempts for 49 yards on that series. But with 3rd-and-3 on the Wisconsin 10-yard line, Sanford elected to have a non-QB, wide receiver Quin Jernighan, attempt a pass.

Jernighan took the ball on a handoff from running back Garland LaFrance and floated a pass across the field toward Eckels, who was breaking for the end zone down the right side. Badgers cornerback Faion Hicks was there and he easily intercepted Jernighan’s attempt for a trick-play TD pass.

Sanford defended the play call after the game.

“I think it is one of those plays that you obviously want to have something back if it doesn’t go well,” Sanford said. “But it was a play that we practiced quite a bit. If we’re able to get the ball off a little bit sooner and put the ball on a line, I think it’s going to be a play that scores.”

Eckels said the Badgers “sniffed it out pretty well.”

“The defense was pretty aware of what was happening,” Eckels said. “I like the play call and even though it didn’t work out, we would do it again, hopefully.”

WKU got the ball back when Ta’Corian Darden forced a Taylor fumble that Drell Greene recovered and returned to the Wisconsin 18. The Hilltoppers missed a scoring chance with Xavier Lane dropping an Eckels pass on 4th-and-4.

A 43-yard catch-and-run from Hornibrook to Garrett Groshek gave the Badgers their final score of the night, making it 34-3 with 13:21 to play.

The Tops got one more scoring chance with Davis Shanley in at QB late in place of Eckels. He rushed 13 yards to the 1-yard line but lost a fumble.

It was a fitting end to a night where WKU had chances but never broke through.

“We have big goals,” Sanford said. “We came in here with the intention of wanting to go toe-to-toe with the No. 4 team in the country.

“At times we did. Situationally, we did not. Ultimately that falls on us as coaches, me as head coach and the play caller on offense to find a way to get to pay dirt.”

Up Next

WKU comes home next week to meet FCS program Maine at 6:30 p.m. Local rock band Cage the Elephant will play a concert before the game at Houchens-Smith Stadium.

The Black Bears are off to a 1-0 start after beating rival New Hampshire 35-7 on Thursday night.

Notes

Sanford is 6-8 in his second season as WKU’s coach. Eckels is 0-1 as the Hilltoppers’ starting quarterback. … WKU is 0-2 all-time against Wisconsin and 0-8 against current members of the Big Ten Conference. … The Toppers’ streak of six straight season-opening wins was snapped. … WKU is now 4-17 over the last 21 years in true road openers. … Announced attendance at Camp Randall Stadium was 74,145.{&end}