The University of Akron football team fell to the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday, Sept. 10, by a score of 54-10 in Madison, Wisconsin.

This loss moved the Zips to 1-1 for the season, snapping UA’s six-game winning streak carried over from last year. The team was also attempting to win its first game ever against a Big Ten Conference opponent, but fell short.

The Zips’ offense was stagnant, gaining just 224 yards and converting only once on third down out of 10 attempts. The Badgers were able to gain 586 total yards (294 rushing, 292 passing) and managed to dominate time of possession, controlling the football for more than 40 minutes.

Coming off a game with more than 400 yards passing, the Zips’ Thomas Woodson threw for just 108 yards with one interception. The Badgers’ Bart Houston threw for 231 yards with two touchdowns and zero turnovers.

Despite the team not being able to maintain many drives, Akron’s Warren Ball was able to rack up 71 yards on just seven carries. Wisconsin’s Corey Clement consistently followed his excellent offensive line, gaining 111 yards on 21 carries for two touchdowns.

Jojo Natson was able to give the Zips their only touchdown with an elusive 55-yard punt return in the second quarter that made the score 23-7. Natson was named MAC Special Teams Player of the Week for his playmaking ability. Natson also had three receptions for 44 yards. Fellow Zips’ receiver Jerome Lane also finished with three catches, recording 43 yards.

Akron will next take on the Thundering Herd of Marshall, who are 1-0 coming off a 62-point shutout against Morgan State. The game will take place on Saturday, Sept. 10 at Joan C. Edwards Stadium at 12 p.m. Take notice as the Zips try to bounce back and move on to 2-1.