GAME NOTES: Wisconsin 23, Maryland 10

NOTABLE QUOTES

• Interim Head Coach Jim Leonhard’s opening comments

“First of all, just very proud of the way our guys handled the bye week and the prep needed to win this game and to come out and play strong early and not get affected by the weather and push through that and really thrive in those situations early in the game. Just really proud of the way they handled a lot of adversity today.”

• Leonhard on Wisconsin stopping the Maryland passing game

“Number one, it’s containing the quarterback. You saw late in the last drive how dynamic he can be when he gets out of the pocket. I thought we did a really good job early in the game of getting him on the ground , forcing him into the boundary, getting him to throw the ball away because what happened late in the game is normally what he is doing for four quarters. So we did a great job of containing him and forcing him to make throws and make some tough decisions. You had to stop the run first today. You had to control the line of scrimmage and affect the quarterback in the pocket, and we were able it on get that done.”

• Leonhard on enjoying the success that Isaac Guerendo is having.

“Adversity is a huge part of the game, unfortunately. To see a guy who has struggled through it and he has had his ups and he has had his downs, and it felt like every time he was going to break through, something happened. To see him have the day he did today, it’s just awesome. I had a great view of him going down the sideline. I’m glad they kept that one inbounds. Just to see guys push through any adversity that comes up and get some rewards out of it, that’s huge for those players and building confidence going forward.”

• Nate Van Zelst on kicking in this inclement weather

“I do yeah (have experience), I’m from Illinois so I grew up with the wind and the rain and the cold so it’s really nothing new.”

• Van Zelst on what the most difficult thing about kicking in weather like there was today

“I think in our stadium, just the changing winds, I went out there for my kicks, they were different every time, so it’s kind of getting a feel for it when you’re out there and keeping track of where the winds going and adjusting accordingly.”

• Keeanu Benton on gameplanning and playing against Taulia Tagovailoa.

“I feel like I had a good grasp on what was going on and what would be coming and kind of the reads on their offensive lineman on run/pass, kind of simpled it out and I feel like we all was able to get out and get after him and get him off the spot — he’s allusive so I feel like some of those pressures could have been sacks, but he’s so fast at getting out there, that we missed a couple, but overall I think we did well.”

• Benton on the weather and what he expected of the game

“It’s going to be a defensive game, the rain don’t bother me, but it does mess up the offense and the ball handlers, so I feel we could have forced a few more turnovers.”

GAME NOTES COURTESY OF THE UW ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT

TEAM NOTES

• Today’s captains: senior NT Keeanu Benton, junior ILB Nick Herbig, junior QB Graham Mertz
• Today’s attendance at Camp Randall Stadium was 74,057.
• With the win, Wisconsin has won all 4 matchups against the Terrapins.
• The Badgers secured another key November victory. Wisconsin has now posted a 39-8 (.830) record in the month since 2010. Among Power-5 schools heading into Saturday, only Ohio State (.886), Georgia (.857), Oklahoma (.857) and Alabama (.844) have totaled better records in the month since 2010.
• The Badgers held Maryland to just 10 points, its lowest scoring output of the season and fewest points since a 43-3 loss to Northwestern in 2020.
• Wisconsin’s defense snapped Maryland’s 10-game streak of 27+ point performances. The streak was a Terrapin program record.

UW’s Defense

• Gave up just 189 total yards, the lowest total by a Badger opponent since holding Iowa to 156 on Oct. 30, 2021.
• Allowed 77 yards passing, the fewest since limiting Illinois to 67 yards on Oct. 9, 2021.
• Held Maryland to 9 first downs, fewest surrendered since Iowa had 9 on Oct. 30, 2021.
• Had a season-high 5.0 sacks, the team’s most since recording 6.0 in the Las Vegas Bowl vs. Arizona State on Dec. 30, 2021.
• Allowed Maryland to convert only 5-of-17 third downs (29.4%). The marks back-to-back games holding the opponent below 35.0% (Purdue was, the lowest percentage since 5-for-16 (31%).
• Wisconsin won the turnover battle, forcing one INT without a turnover of its own. The Badgers, who entered the game third in the Big Ten in turnover margin, are now +6 in turnover margin on the season.
• The Badgers outscored the Terrapins 17-0 in the first half. Wisconsin has now scored first in 7 of 9 games this season. The Badgers have outscored opponents 80-10 in the first half over the last 4 games.
• The Badgers ran for a season-high 293 yards, the team’s highest mark since rushing for 305 at Rutgers on Nov. 6, 2021.
• With RBs Isaac Guerendo and Braelon Allen both surpassing the 100-yard rushing mark, it marked the first time that the Badgers have had multiple 100+ yard rushers since Chez Mellusi (149) and Braelon Allen (140) did so vs. Purdue on Oct. 23, 2021.
• With Allen surpassing the 1,000-yard mark this season, Wisconsin has had 1,000-yard rushers in 26 of the last 30 seasons.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Sophomore RB Braelon Allen posted 119 yards and a score on 23 carries. By surpassing the 1,000-yard mark this season, Allen became the 5th Badger RB to run for 1,000 yards as a freshman and a sophomore: Johathan Taylor (2017-18), PJ Hill (2006-07), Anthony Davis (2001-02), Ron Dayne (1996-97)
• Allen recorded his 14th 100-yard game over his last 18 games.
• Allen recorded his 10th rushing TD of the season. A total of 29 Badgers have now assembled double-digit rushing TD seasons since 1996, the most in the Big Ten.
• Senior RB Isaac Guerendo ran for a career-high 114 yards and 1 score on 12 carries. Guerendo broke an 89-yard TD to give the Badgers a 14-0 lead in the 2nd quarter.
• The 89-yard carry was the 2nd-longest rush of the season and the 5th-longest in program history.
• Guerendo and Braelon Allen are the first Badger RB combo to both record runs of 80+ yards in the same season since Melvin Gordon (80) and James White (93) did so in 2013.
• Wisconsin now has 2 separate players with 85+ yard runs in the same season for the first time in program history.
• Junior WR Chimere Dike caught 3 passes for 32 yards in the Wisconsin win. Dike surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in his career, moving his total to 1,016.
• All 3 of Dike’s catches converted successful 3rd downs. Dike entered the game ranked T-2nd in the Big Ten with 10 catches for first down in 3rd down situations this season.
• Dike has now recorded 3+ catches in 5-straight games, the longest streak of his career.
• Sophomore S Hunter Wohler picked off a Maryland pass to begin the 4th quarter, notching his first career INT in his return to action.
• Wohler is the 10th Badger to pick off a pass this season. Wisconsin entered the game ranked 2nd in the nation with 14 INTs.
• With 10 different players recording INTs, the Badgers matched the 2018 defensive unit.
• Junior OLB Nick Herbig recorded a pair of sacks, pushing his season total to 8.0. Herbig totaled 4 tackles, including 3.0 for loss in the win.
• Herbig entered the game alone atop the Big Ten sack leaderboard.
• Herbig’s 3.0 TFLs matched a career high and gave him 5.5 over his last 2 games.
• Herbig now ranks T-9th in program history with 18.0 career QB takedowns. Herbig tied Erasmus James (2001-02, 04) with Saturday’s 2-sack performance.
• Senior NT Keeanu Benton recorded a sack on 4th down in the 1st quarter. Benton totaled 4 tackles.
• Senior OLB C.J. Goetz totaled 4 tackles and notched a 2nd-quarter sack, his 2nd of the season and first since recording 1.0 in Wisconsin’s OT loss at Michigan State.
• Sophomore ILB Jordan Turner totaled 6 tackles, giving him 6+ tackles in 3 straight games.
• Senior P Andy Vujnovich punted 6 times for an average of 39.7 yards and a long of 50 yards.
• Vujnovich pinned the Boilermakers inside the 20 3 times.
• Vujnovich has recorded 7 punts inside the 20 over the last 2 games.
• Vujnovich has pinned opponents inside the 20 in each of the last 5 games and in all but one game this season.
• Redshirt freshman K Nate Van Zelst knocked in 3 FGs on 4 attempts, converting his first FGs since drilling a 39-yarder against Illinois. The 3 FGs were a career high.