“We got our ass kicked,” head coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “We lost a bunch of one-on-ones. So we got to coach the guys better. Period.”

From the Badgers’ first drive, it was clear how the remainder of the afternoon would play out. Joseph kept the Spartans guessing, and they guessed wrong every time. Wisconsin ran simple option plays: either the quarterback kept the ball, or he handed it off to the running back. But stopping the option takes gap discipline and the ability to win the line of scrimmage, two things the Spartans couldn’t accomplish all day.

The Badgers’ first drive consisted of 10 run plays, four of which were quarterback scrambles. Joseph tallied 39 rushing yards on those attempts, taking off whenever he saw an opening in the Spartans’ defense. The former Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year concluded his day with 13 carries for 141 rushing yards.

On the corresponding drive, Joseph continued his extraordinary half, breaking off his longest rush of the game. He took it 26 yards down the left sideline before Wisconsin eventually cashed in for a two-touchdown lead.

Although the rushing attack crushed the Spartans, play calls through the air capped off both drives. MSU became so reliant on stopping the run that it began to overcommit on everything. Wisconsin offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes picked up on that tendency late in each drive, resulting in 20- and 15-yard touchdowns caught by wide receiver Jacob Harris.

Those two plays were just nine of Joseph’s completions on the day, an almost embarrassing total for an offense that looked unstoppable against the Spartan defense. 

The damage was done early. Wisconsin headed into halftime with a 17-3 lead, but the Badgers kept pouring it on.

A three-play, 54-yard drive opened up the third quarter; once again, it was Joseph. Back-to-back rushes gained seven yards for the Badgers before he burst through the line for a 47-yard quarterback keeper touchdown. 

That play epitomized the afternoon. MSU had no answer and made zero necessary adjustments. One missed assignment was all Joseph needed to turn a routine quarterback draw into a game-changing, explosive play. 

“They physically beat us in every aspect of the game,” Fitzgerald said. “And that's incredibly disappointing.”

What happened after that didn’t matter. MSU’s offense was incapable of scoring, and despite forcing three straight punts, the defense didn’t come up with a stop when it mattered. 

The game got away from the Spartans in an inexcusable way. It was a result that will certainly stain Fitzgerald’s first-season resume in East Lansing.

“Our D-Ends were up the field,” Fitzgerald said. “Our three-technique didn’t wipe or clear to get off the block. Our Two-I’s jumped outside the block. Both of our linebackers were slow to come to the draw when the backs stepped up. Our free safety missed a tackle."

But the issue extends beyond Saturday’s result.

This won’t be the most dynamic rushing quarterback the Spartans face this season. Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood will pose the same threat in five weeks when MSU travels to Ann Arbor. If Fitzgerald wants to revive Spartan fans’ spirits, MSU will have to be much more sound in the run game, or the same result will repeat itself.

MSU falls below .500 with the loss but returns to East Lansing next week for its annual homecoming game. The Spartans (2-3) take on Illinois (2-2) Saturday, Oct. 10 at 3:30 p.m. ET. The game will be aired on FS1.