Braelon Allen scored on a 3-yard run in overtime to give Wisconsin a 24-17 comeback victory over visiting Nebraska on Saturday night, as the Badgers snapped a three-game skid to become bowl eligible.
Wisconsin gambled on fourth-and-1 in the first overtime and got the first down on Allen’s 2-yard pickup. Allen scored on the next play to put the Badgers up 24-17.
Nebraska lost a yard on a run and then sandwiched a pair of incompletions around a false start penalty. Chubba Purdy’s pass on fourth-and-16 was picked off by Preston Zachman at the 4.
Wisconsin (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten), which also avoided its first four-game home losing streak since 1990, can extend its streak of bowl games to 22 seasons. The Badgers have won 10 straight against Nebraska.
Nebraska (5-6, 3-5) needs to win its final game at home vs. Iowa to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2016.
Nebraska’s Tristan Alvano sent the game into overtime with a 30-yard field goal from the right hash with four seconds remaining.
Nebraska scored on its first two possessions, but Wisconsin rallied within 14-10 at the half, and then took a 17-14 lead on Allen’s 2-yard touchdown run to cap a 79-yard drive midway through the third quarter.
Purdy, starting in place of injured quarterback Heinrich Haarberg, scrambled for 22 yards to give the Huskers a first down at the Wisconsin 26 with 1:35 left in regulation to set up the tying field goal.
Purdy completed 15 of 23 passes for 169 yards and one touchdown, and ran for 105 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.
Purdy accounted for touchdowns of 55 and 58 yards on the Cornhuskers’ first two series.
On the opening series, Purdy turned a scramble out of the pocket on third-and-3 into a 55-yard touchdown run. The Huskers made it 14-0 with a six-play, 76-yard drive capped by Purdy’s 58-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Lloyd.
The Badgers pulled within 14-7 on Tanner Mordecai’s 26-yard pass to Jackson Acker out of the backfield midway through the second quarter.
Nathanial Vakos hit a 35-yard field goal with 1:54 remaining in the half. Alvano was wide right on a 42-yard attempt on the final play of the half.
Mordecai completed 18 of 28 passes for 160 yards and one score.
–Field Level Media
