GAME NOTES: No. 21 Wisconsin 52, Rutgers 3

Games Notes courtesy of the Wisconsin Athletic Department

TEAM NOTES

• Paul Chryst improved to 62-22 (.738) in his seventh season as Wisconsin’s head coach, ranking 4th on UW’s all-time wins list and the 4th coach in school history to win 60 games:

WINS AS WISCONSIN COACH, ALL-TIME

Coach (Years) Wins

1. Barry Alvarez (1990-2005)* 119

2. Bret Bielema (2006-12) 68

3. Phil King (1896-1902, ’05) 65

4. Paul Chryst (2015-present) 62

5. Milt Bruhn (1956-66) 52

* Also served as coach in 2 bowl games (2012, 2014)

• Under Chryst, Wisconsin is:

3-0 (1.000) vs. Rutgers

41-15 (.732) in Big Ten Conference play

18-4 (.818) in the month of November

23-8 (.742) in road games

• With their sixth win, Wisconsin is bowl-eligble for the 20th consecutive season, extending the nation’s third-longest active streak. The Badgers trail only Georgia (25) and Oklahoma (23) in terms of active bowl streaks.
• The Badgers improved to 4-0 all-time vs. Rutgers, including a 2-0 mark in Piscataway.

• UW won its fifth-straight game, the team’s longest win streak since opening the 2019 season 6-0.
• Wisconsin’s 52 points were its most since a 61-0 win over Central Michigan on Sept. 9, 2019, and its most in a Big Ten game since a 59-24 win over No. 11 Nebraska on Nov. 15, 2014.
• UW’s 52 points are its most in a Big Ten road game since a 56-32 win at Illinois (Oct. 19, 2013).
• Saturday marked the Badgers’ widest margin of victory (49 points) in a Big Ten game since a 59-7 win over Indiana on Oct. 15, 2011.
• The Badgers piled up 579 yards of total offense, their most in a Big Ten game since posting 606 yards vs. Purdue on Nov. 23, 2019.
• The Badgers registered four takeaways and have totaled 12 in the last three games. UW had just four takeaways in its first six games.

• During their five-game win streak, the Badgers have allowed an average of 7.4 points per game and 185.6 yards per game.
• Wisconsin ended Rutgers’ opening drive of the game with a Noah Burks interception. The Badgers have not allowed an opponent to score on an opening possession in any game this season, and have forced a three-and-out on the opponent’s initial drive in seven of nine games.
• During their five-game win streak, the Badgers are averaging 270.0 rushing yards per game.
• Wisconsin scored its fastest back-to-back touchdowns of the season, with FB John Chenal’s one-yard TD catch and CB Caesar Williams’ 29-yard interception return TD coming just 14 seconds apart in the second quarter.
• UW went 7-for-12 (.583) on third down, the team’s best mark of the season. The Badgers also limited Rutgers to just 1-for-11 on third down.
• The Badgers totaled at least 250 yards rushing and passing for the first time since rushing for 294 and passing for 292 vs. Akron in 2016.
• The last time UW posted at least 250 and 250 in a Big Ten game was an 83-20 win over Indiana in 2010 (338 rushing, 260 passing).

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Sophomore QB Graham Mertz went 11-for-16 for 240 yards with three TDs, including a career-long 72-yard touchdown pass to Danny Davis in the third quarter.
• Mertz’s connection with Davis is the Badgers’ longest pass play since QB Jon Budmayr connected with WR Jared Abbrederis on a 74-yard TD pass vs. Indiana on Nov. 13, 2010.
• Mertz had the third multi-touchdown game of his career, and first since throwing for two TDs vs. Michigan on Nov. 14, 2020.
• Freshman RB Braelon Allen carried 15 times for 129 yards and a touchdown, his fifth consecutive game with 100-plus rushing yards.

• Allen is the first Badger freshman with five consecutive 100-yard games since Anthony Davis in 2001.
• Junior RB Chez Mellusi ran for 75 yards on 15 carries, including a 14-yard touchdown run. He now has five rushing scores on the season.
• Freshman RB Jackson Acker made his Badgers debut and scored an 18-yard touchdown run on his first-ever carry in the third quarter. He finished with three carries for 24 yards and a TD.
• Freshman RB Grover Bortolotti saw his first action for UW, finishing with five rushes for 48 yards.
• Sophomore RB Julius Davis tallied career-best numbers with seven carries for 32 yards.
• Senior FB John Chenal recorded the first touchdown reception of his career, pulling in a one-yard pass from Mertz in the second quarter
• Senior WR Danny Davis pulled in a career-long 72-yard touchdown catch from Mertz in the third quarter, his 1st touchdown catch of the season and the 13th of his career.
• Davis moved past former teammate Quintez Cephus for 15th place on UW’s all-time receiving yards list:

CAREER RECEIVING YARDS (UW)

Rk. Player Years Yards

15. Danny Davis 2017-pres. 1,536

16. Quintez Cephus 2016-17, 19 1,496

17. Garrett Graham 2006-09 1,492

18. David Charles 1976-78 1,459

19. Tim Stracka 1978-80, 1982 1,433

20. Jake Ferguson 2017-pres. 1,423

21. Jacob Pedersen 2010-13 1,394

• Sophomore WR Chimere Dike matched his career-high with three catches for a career-best 55 yards.
• Senior WR Kendric Pryor grabbed four passes for 72 yards and pulled in his second touchdown pass of the season — and sixth of his career — in the second quarter, a 25-yard reception from Mertz.

• Freshman WR Markus Allen saw his first action for UW and notched two catches for 34 yards.
• Senior TE Jake Ferguson had two catches for 40 yards.
• Ferguson has caught at least one pass in each of his 43 career games, a school record, and extending the nation’s 2nd-longest active streak:

CONSEC. GAMES WITH RECEPTION, FBS (ACTIVE)

1. Justin Hall, Ball State *52

2. Jake Ferguson, Wisconsin *43

3. JD Spielman, TCU *40

Emeka Emezie, NC State (WR) 40

5. Jahan Dotson, Penn State (WR) 37

* Every game played in career

• Ferguson’s 1,423 receiving yards place him 20th on UW’s career list, and fourth among tight ends all-time at Wisconsin:

CAREER RECEIVING YARDS, TIGHT ENDS (UW)

Rk. Player Years Yards

5. Travis Beckum 2006-08 2,149

13. Troy Fumagalli 2014-17 1,627

17. Garrett Graham 2006-09 1,492

20. Jake Ferguson 2017-pres. 1,423

21. Jacob Pedersen 2010-13 1,394

25. Lance Kendricks 2007-10 1,160

• Senior ILB Jack Sanborn led UW with nine tackles, including 1.0 sack, his third of the season.
• Sophomore OLB Nick Herbig posted his team-high seventh sack of the season. He also had three tackles and two TFLs.
• Senior OLB Noah Burks hauled in his first INT of the season and third of his career.
• Freshman S Hunter Wohler set a career high with six tackles, including his first TFL.

• Freshman OLB Jordan Turner registered his first-career INT as well as his first two career tackles.
• Senior K Collin Larsh made 1-of-2 field goals, knocking in a 29-yarder in second quarter.
• Larsh had his streak of seven consecutive made field goals snapped on a missed attempt from 35 yards in the second quarter.
• Larsh is now 13-for-15 since having his first attempt of the season blocked in the opener vs. Penn State.