MADISON, Wis. -- No. 25 Wisconsin had a chance to pull off an upset as the clock wound down against No. 20 Northwestern.

But the Wildcats snared a 13-7 Big Ten Conference win at Camp Randall Stadium to snap Wisconsin's five-game winning streak and come away with their first victory in Madison since 2000.

Wisconsin backup quarterback Bart Houston failed to connect on a game-tying, 11-yard pass to wide receiver Tanner McEvoy with two seconds left as the Badgers' rally fell short. Houston substituted for starter Joel Stave on the final play after Stave was shaken up after a sack.

Running back Justin Jackson was a bright spot for Northwestern (9-2, 5-2 Big Ten) in a battle between two of the toughest defenses in the Big Ten.

Jackson, a sophomore, rushed for 139 yards and scored one touchdown for Northwestern, which is tied for second place in the Big Ten's West Division.

The Badgers' last series was a wild one. Stave threw 5 of 7 passes for 73 yards to get the Badgers to the Northwestern 1-yard line with 31 seconds left. Wide receiver Jazz Peavy caught a pass in the end zone, but a replay official ruled that Peavy bobbled the ball as he fell to the ground.

Stave was tackled for a loss of 10 yards on the next play, and running back Dare Ogunbuwale spiked the ball prior to the final play that brought in Houston.

Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said he was surprised by the finish.

"I'm still kind of speechless," said Fitzgerald, whose team forced five Badgers turnovers. "I don't know how that unfolded, but it did. I've been on the other side of those games and I feel for those kids from Wisconsin. It's a tough way to end up on the short end."

Jackson said the swing of emotions and anticipation was palpable in the closing moments, but the Wildcats had confidence their defense would get the job done. Linebacker Walker Williams had eight tackles and one interception, and linebacker Nate Hall had two of his eight tackles on Wisconsin's last series.

"We got the sack," Jackson said, "and at that point we were just sitting on the bench locking arms and hoping and praying that they were going to stop them. And they did."

Cornerback Nick VanNoose set the stage for the Wildcats' first score as he picked off Stave's pass on the Wisconsin 19-yard line on a ball tipped by defensive lineman Ifeadi Odenigbo. Three plays later, Jackson rumbled eight yards into the end zone for a touchdown 5:48 into the contest.

Wide receiver Jazz Peavy energized the Badgers' offense with two consecutive catches, including a 42-yard pass to Northwestern's 6-yard line. Running back Corey Clement scampered nine yards to trim Northwestern's lead to 10-7 with 8:24 to go in the third.

It was an inauspicious game for Badgers special teams. Wide receiver Alex Erickson dashed to the end zone on a punt return from the Badgers' 24-yard line midway through the third, but the officials negated the touchdown and indicated Erickson made a fair catch signal.

On the next Wisconsin series, Erickson muffed the punt, which was recovered by Wildcats cornerback Matthew Harris at the Badgers' 30-yard line with 2:01 left in the third.

Stave completed 20 of 34 passes for 229 yards, with two interceptions, and minus-58 rushing yards. He was sacked six times and had two fumbles, losing one, in his last home game at Wisconsin.

Northwestern kicker Jack Mitchell was successful with field goals from 35 and 37 yards, and he missed from 27.

The Wildcats held Wisconsin to minus-19 rushing yards in the first half and no points, the Badgers' fewest points in a half this season. The Badgers (8-3, 5-2) didn't run a play in Northwestern territory in the half as the Wildcats' defense had a fumble recovery, one interception and four sacks of Stave.

Wisconsin finished with 203 yards, including minus-26 rushing. Running back Corey Clement had 10 carries for 33 yards and one score.

Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said he respected his players' perseverance, considering poor performance in many aspects of the game.

"We did not play well offensively, but I give them credit for continuing to play and give us a chance at the end," Chryst said. "We've got to do a much better job running the football, if we really want to have a chance to win games."

NOTES: In four previous games at Camp Randall Stadium, the Badgers beat the Wildcats by a combined 120 points. ... The last time Northwestern won in Madison was a 47-44 double-overtime win in 2000. ... Northwestern RB Justin Jackson entered the game with 1,033 rushing yards, the sophomore's second straight season of 1,000. ... Wisconsin officials and players' parents honored 19 athletes on Senior Day, including QB Joel Stave, SS Michael Caputo, WR Alex Erickson, LB Joe Schobert and CB Darius Hilary.