Wisconsin Badgers vs. Northwestern Wildcats game recap: Everything we know
Wisconsin Badgers vs. Northwestern game recap:
Interim head coach Jim Leonhard and the Wisconsin Badgers (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten), who were ten-point favorites, righted the ship at Ryan Field on Saturday afternoon, beating the Northwestern Wildcats 42-7 (1-5, 1-2 Big Ten) behind a dominant all-around performance.
Bobby Engram’s offense looked immeasurably different in week six, producing an impressive 515 total yards (322 passing, 194 rushing) and scoring 42 points on 7.6 yards per play. Which begs the question, how much of UW’s offensive struggles were tied to Paul Chryst over inserting himself in the play calling?
The defense, which has struggled mightily the past two weeks, looked much better, holding the Wildcats to just one score but allowing 342 yards of total offense.
It was an emotional week for UW, but they came up firing and improved to 3-3 on the young season, winning the program’s first game under coach Leonhard. Also worth noting, this was Wisconsin’s first win in Evanston since 2016.
Here’s a recap of Wisconsin’s road victory over the Northwestern Wildcats:
Key to the game: Wisconsin played a clean game
There were many positives you could take away from Saturday’s blowout win over Northwestern, but what impressed me the most was Wisconsin playing a clean, disciplined football game.
UW won the turnover battle three to zero and had six penalties for 66 yards, which is a substantial improvement from the last couple of weeks.
The offense managed to mix things up and put players in a position to succeed. It’s also worth mentioning that Wisconsin converted on 10-of-14 third-down attempts and kept the chains moving.
Overall, it was a fundamentally sound game for a program forced to make a transition mid-season.
Must see highlight: Braelon Allen TD pass
Game balls/players of the game:
QB Graham Mertz: It helps that the pass-blocking was much improved against the lowly Wildcats, but there is no denying Graham Mertz looked really, really good. He completed 20-of-29 passes to seven different receivers for 299 yards and five touchdowns. It’ll be interesting to see how Mertz performs with Bobby Engram having complete control over the offense during the stretch run.
WR Chimere Dike: This was, by far, the best game of Chimere Dike’s career. He registered 10 catches for 185 yards and caught three touchdowns on the afternoon, making him just the tenth Wisconsin wide receiver to score three TDs in a game and the first since 2017. Dike’s career day is the WR1 type of performance we’ve been waiting on.
S Kamo’i Latu: The Utah transfer continues to impress and has been a rock-solid addition this season. It seems as though he makes a play every single week. Against Northwestern, Kamo’i Latu registered three tackles and two interceptions. I continue to be impressed with Latu and how he’s filled in during Huter Wohler’s absence.
OLB Nick Herbig: After two weeks of being held without a sack, Nick Herbig made his presence known against Northwestern. The Junior outside linebacker finished with seven tackles, one sack, and a forced fumble that wound up being recovered by UW. Wisconsin needs Herbig to continue wreaking havoc on opposing quarterbacks for the Badgers to get things turned around on defense.
What's next
The Wisconsin Badgers (3-3) will stay on the road next weekend, playing Mel Tucker and the Michigan State Spartans (2-4) at Spartan Stadium on Saturday, October 15.
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