IOWA CITY, Iowa — Don't count Wisconsin out of the Big Ten West race just yet.

Corey Clement ran for 134 yards and a touchdown and the 10th-ranked Badgers used a stout defense to beat Iowa 17-9 on Saturday, snapping a two-game skid.

Alex Hornibrook had 197 yards passing for the Badgers (5-2, 2-2 Big Ten), who won for the fourth straight time in Iowa City.

Back-to-back losses to Ohio State and Michigan put Wisconsin in a hole in its own division. But the Badgers survived a late Iowa surge — and next week they get division favorite Nebraska at home.

"They persevered. They kept playing, and they did it together," Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said.

Backup Bart Houston threw a touchdown pass for Wisconsin, and Clement's 1-yard TD run put the Badgers up 14-6 midway through the third quarter.
But Wisconsin was carried by its defense. The Badgers allowed just 236 yards on 60 plays and held the Hawkeyes (5-3, 3-2) without a touchdown for the first time all season — just a week after they scored 49 points against Purdue.

C.J. Beathard had 153 yards passing for Iowa, which lost its third straight at home.

"There were some plays that we left out there. That certainly didn't help our cause," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said.

THE TAKEAWAY

Wisconsin: Chryst wasn't just giving lip service to Wisconsin's perseverance. The Badgers overcame two missed field goals and a fumble that Iowa recovered in its own end zone, and their defense stopped Iowa 11 times on 13 third downs.

Iowa: The Hawkeyes offense, which has been inconsistent at times this season, bottomed out. Beathard hardly had any open receivers — and when he did, he missed them more than once. Iowa's hopes for a run at the West title now seem dim, with Penn State, Michigan and Nebraska still on its schedule.