University of Wisconsin football coach Bret Bielema was asked for a couple of words to describe his team's hard-fought 17-13 victory over Iowa in the Big Ten Conference opener Saturday night at Camp Randall Stadium.

"Wisconsin. Football," Bielema said.

The ninth-ranked Badgers (4-0 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) still have not put together the complete game they were looking for, but on this evening, in front of a crowd 82,630, the fourth-largest in school history, nothing mattered quite as much as survival.

UW extended the nation's longest winning streak to 13 games, winning its 10th straight game at home. It also won for the 20th time in its last 21 night games.

"I told the guys in the locker room, this is classic Wisconsin football," Bielema said. "I'm sure the A.D. (Barry Alvarez) was proud of this game, especially because we won, but it was a knock-down, drag-out four-quarter game."

After getting challenged by Bielema and defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz during the week, the UW defense responded, limiting the Hawkeyes (2-2, 0-1) to 228 total yards.

The defense set an aggressive tone from the start, blitzing heavily on third down and finishing with four sacks.

And in the end, when it matter the most, the offense matched the physical challenge of Iowa's tough defense with a defining 68-yard fourth-quarter drive for the go-ahead touchdown.

Tailback P.J. Hill, who rushed 29 times for 113 yards, had 10 carries for 43 yards on the drive, including a 2-yard scoring run with 9 minutes, 42 seconds left in the game, which put UW ahead 14-10.

"That's Badger football right there," UW quarterback Tyler Donovan said. "Guys coming together as a group and playing together and moreso than anything, (showing) perseverance.

"Within Big Ten football, you know you're going to have four-quarter games and you've got to know how to finish."

That drive was needed because until then, the Badgers struggled on offense to maintain any consistency. Donovan completed just 12-of-23 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. He also had his first two turnovers of the season, a fumble and a second-quarter interception, which led to Iowa's first field goal.

Returner David Gilreath also fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half, giving the Badgers three turnovers, to none for Iowa.

"For us to win that game, the way we did, is a big statement about this program, the resiliency, I think, of the guys and the belief they have and being able to pull out a fourth-quarter victory," Bielema said.

It was evident in Donovan, who had a huge third-down conversion on a scramble in the fourth quarter. Donovan, who ran effectively against the Hawkeyes last year, had trouble finding much running room.

But after Iowa pulled within 14-13, and with his receivers covered on third-and-6, Donovan took off running and picked up 7 yards. That led to a 51-yard field goal by Taylor Mehlhaff that accounted for the final score.

"The thing that Tyler is, he's a competitor," Bielema said. "You saw it in his eyes ... Tyler Donovan is a winner. We hold the nation's longest winning streak for a reason. He's had great success and understands the flow of the game and never gives up."

The Iowa offense came in short-handed at the receiver position, then lost Andy Brodell, its best receiver, to a hamstring injury and tight end Tony Moeaki, who came in leading the team with receptions, to a dislocated elbow and broken hand. Both were injured in the first half.

But the Hawkeyes wouldn't go away, leading 10-7 after three quarters. About the only blemish on UW's defensive performance was a 62-yard drive in just 32 seconds, right before half by the Hawkeyes.

Quarterback Jake Christensen and receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos beat tight coverage by cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu for a 21-yard scoring pass with 4 seconds left in the half to make it 10-7.

"I just feel very badly for our guys," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "We didn't come up here to play close. That wasn't our goal. I thought our guys played with phenomenal effort."

Since Bielema figured it was going to be an old-fashioned Big Ten game, he had his players go back to their customary white pants, instead of the red ones they wore in the last two home games.

"I talked to our team on Thursday night, I said, 'You know what, this is an old grind-out football game, we're playing one of our arch-rivals, it's a 40-40-2 (series) split, a rivalry game, it's a trophy game, let's get back to doing what we do best, ' " Bielema said.

"They all started grinning. (Defensive tackle Jason Chapman), who never says anything, exclaimed very loudly that he likes the white pants look. We have to keep everybody guessing from here on out."

It remains to be seen how good this Badgers team can be, but there is little doubt about its toughness, after the second fourth-quarter comeback victory of the season, including the win on the road at UNLV.

"That's something in this program, our guys have really bought into, they believe they 're going to win," Bielema said. "No matter what the situation is, no matter what the surrounding is or where we're playing at, it comes down to the 11 guys on the field together."