No. 13 Wisconsin opens Big Ten play with dominant victory over No. 11 Michigan

MADISON - The No. 13 Wisconsin Badgers (3-0, 1-0) began Big Ten play by defeating the No. 11 Michigan Wolverines (2-1, 0-1), 35-14.

Wisconsin opened the game as they have the previous two, with a Jonathan Taylor touchdown. Taylor was in for a score on 2nd & goal, but the ruling was changed, with Taylor being down on the 1-yard-line.

A play later, Taylor pushed his way into the end zone. Taylor rushed for 51 yards on the opening drive, gaining 51 of Wisconsin’s 75 yards on the drive.

Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson did not waste any time on the Wolverines opening drive, completing his first pass to Ronnie Bell for 68 yards.

Michigan looked poised to tie the game, but on third & goal, Wisconsin safety Reggie Pearson knocked the ball away from Ben Mason and forced a turn over. Wisconsin would eventually punt to end the drive.

Taylor opened Wisconsin’s third drive of the day, with a 72-yard rushing touchdown, putting Wisconsin up 14-0.

This would be Taylor’s final rush of the first half, finishing with 143 yards and two scores. Taylor exited the game with cramps.

However, Wisconsin still found its rushing game to be intact, thanks to none other than quarterback Jack Coan.

Coan took a quarterback keeper into the end zone from one yard out and two drives later, rushed for a 25-yard touchdown as well.

@B5Qphotos; Matt Fleming

Following Coan’s first score, safety Eric Burrell secured his second interception of the game, off a batted Patterson pass.

The Badgers went in to halftime, up 28-0.

The second half picked up when the first left off, with a familiar face returning. Jonathan Taylor was back out on the field and ready to run.

Following a punt by Michigan, Wisconsin went on a 13-play, 84-yard drive that lasted 8:02 and ended with a John Chenal, two yard touchdown run.

Michigan ended Wisconsin’s 13 quarter shut out streak late in the third quarter when Shea Patterson found Sean McKeon in the end zone. Patterson also completed a 2-point conversion, following the score.

Michigan’s drive was advanced by two Wisconsin penalties, both of which were for targeting. Safety Eric Burrell was first penalized for targeting when Wolverine quarterback Dylan McCaffery slid just short of the first down, with Burrell hitting him.

Wisconsin’s other starting safety Reggie Pearson was also penalized for targeting on a hit of McCaffery as well, knocking him out of the game, leading to Patterson coming back in.

Both Burrell and Pearson were ejected and will now miss the first half of next week’s game against Northwestern.

Michigan was able to find the end zone once more in the game, as Patterson orchestrated an eight play, 69-yard drive that covered three minutes of game time. The drive ended with Patterson finding Donovan Peoples-Jones for a score on fourth and goal.

Patterson’s two-point try following the second score, would fall incomplete. Following an onside kick recovery, Patterson led Michigan on another long drive, deep into Wisconsin territory and nearly scored a touchdown.

Patterson threw a pass that was ruled complete in the end zone for a score to Nico Collins, but was later ruled incomplete after a review.

Patterson was then stripped of the ball by Zack Baun and Wisconsin was able to fall on it, with just under three minutes remaining.

Michigan did force a Wisconsin punt on the following drive, but Wisconsin was able to get the ball back with a John Torchio interception. The Badgers were able to run out the clock and secure the victory after that.

Wisconsin hosts Northwestern next Saturday, at 11 a.m.