EL DORADO, Kan. (August 31, 2019) -- Turnovers and penalties proved costly in the Badgers' first loss of the season at the hands of No. 10 Butler Community College, 36-17.

Quarterback Braxton Kerr never settled in, completing only 19-of-42 for 186 yards and throwing four interceptions compared to just one touchdown. The Badgers' offense dug themselves a hole early in the game, punting the ball on their first five possessions and turning the ball over on a failed fourth-down conversion in their sixth possession before finally kicking a field goal late in the second quarter, marking their first points of the game.

By that point, the Grizzlies had already scored 26 unanswered points on  a couple of running touchdowns matched with two others in the air (though they missed two of the four PATs). The Badgers' no-huddle offense turned the ball over quickly and giving Butler plenty of time to punch the ball in on a Badger defense that had spent a lot of time on the field. 
  
Snow College started to show life late in the game when Kerr connected with receiver Tejhaun Palmer for their first touchdown. The Badgers then recovered an onside kick but Kerr would throw his fourth pick of the day just two plays later. The defense would come to the rescue, forcing the Grizzlies to a three-and-out, but the Badgers muffed the kick return, coughing the ball up at their own five-yard line.  The costly turnover lead to a Grizzlies' touchdown and silenced any hopes of a possible comeback. 
  
Linebacker Alec Drake had a good day individually, recording 10 tackles, while teammate Gerald Wilbon also performed well with five tackles and one interception. After a slow start to the running game, running back Sione Molisi was able to find some holes, bounced off of tackles, and finished the day rushing for 82 yards on 15 carries. Backup quarterback Garrison Beach got his first snaps of the 2019 season, completing three-of-four attempts for 34 yards and one touchdown. 
  
Butler, the tenth-ranked team in the nation, looked very strong both on the ground and in the air, racking up 413 yards of total offense. Snow College did not help their case in the penalty department, earning 90 yards lost on 11 penalties. 
  
Now at 1-1 after two contests against top-10 teams, the Badgers still have a lot of potential and a bright outlook on the rest of the season. The Badgers will next play host to Air Force Academy Preparatory on Saturday, Sept. 7. Game time is set for 7 p.m. (MST) in Ephraim. The game can be viewed on live stream at local10.centracom.com or on the YouTube channel SnowTV.