Wisconsin pulled off an upset on Saturday night, beating No. 16 USC 24-7 in Madison while most of the state's attention was on the Milwaukee Brewers' World Series game. The Badgers led 17-7 at the start of the fourth quarter, and Camp Randall Stadium erupted during the team's weekly rendition of Jump Around as the win became clear.

How Wisconsin won

Quarterback Colton Joseph threw for just 58 passing yards, but Wisconsin ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns, and the defence did the heavy lifting. The Badgers held USC to minus-17 rushing yards, including yards lost on five sacks, and forced two interceptions from Heisman Trophy candidate Jayden Maiava. After the final whistle, Badger fans and students piled onto the turf to celebrate the team's first home win over a ranked opponent this season.

What it means

The win could propel Wisconsin into next week's Top 25, and it gave Badger fans a night to remember even as the Brewers were completing their own comeback in Milwaukee. Word of Wisconsin's win reached American Family Field during the baseball game, where Brewers fans joined in the celebrations. For USC, the defeat is a setback in a season built around Maiava's Heisman campaign, and the Trojans will need to regroup quickly after being shut down on the ground and turned over twice through the air.

Wisconsin's defence, rather than its offence, was the story of the night. Holding a ranked opponent to negative rushing yards is a rare feat, and doing it with five sacks and two interceptions explains why the upset felt so complete by the fourth quarter, rather than a narrow escape.