FOOTBALL Wisconsin vs. Buffalo: Post-game notes
- By Jon McNamara
- The Badgers' Den
- 2 Replies
TEAM NOTES
Today’s captains: senior WR Chimere Dike, senior QB Tanner Mordecai, senior ILB Maema Njongmeta and senior OLB Marty Strey.
Today’s attendance at Camp Randall Stadium was 76,224, a sellout. The sellout was the first for a season opener at Camp Randall since 2009. (Sept. 5, 2009, win vs. Northern Illinois, 28-20)
The temperature was 88 degrees at kickoff, marking the second hottest game temperature in Camp Randall history. The only game warmer was a 2011 affair versus UNLV (9/1/2011, 90 degrees)
The victory marked head coach Luke Fickell’s first at Camp Randall Stadium.
Dating back to 1996, Wisconsin has now won 27 of its last 28 home openers. Since 2000, UW has won 21 of its last 24 season openers.
The Badgers have not lost a season-opening game at home to a non-conference opponent since 1995, going 17-0 since.
The Badger defense held Buffalo to a 2-for-15 clip on third down. That’s the lowest third down mark for an opponent since holding Rutgers to 1-for-11 on Nov. 6, 2021
The Badgers tallied 501 yards of offense and ran for 312 yards in the win, the most in a single game since rushing for 391 at Illinois on Oct. 9, 2021.
RBs Chez Mellusi and Braelon Allen both rushed for over 100 yards for the third time as a duo. Wisconsin is now 3-0 in such games.
o With Allen and Mellusi’s 100-yard performances, the Badgers posted a pair of 100+ yard rushing performances in the same game for the first time since Nov. 5, 2022. Mellusi and Allen last achieved the feat in a win over Purdue on Oct. 23, 2021.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
QB Tanner Mordecai recorded his first pass completion as a Badger at the 10:16 mark of the first quarter. WR Bryson Green made the catch, his first for UW.
o Mordecai finished with 189 passing yards on 24-of-31 passing with 1 score and 2 interceptions.
o Mordecai’s 24 completions are most by a Badgers QB in his Wisconsin debut since at least 1968.
RB Chez Mellusi led the Badgers dynamic rushing attack, totaling a career-high 157 yards and 2 scores on 13 carries.
Mellusi scored multiple rushing TDs for the first time in his career.
Mellusi scored the first touchdown of the season for the Badgers, finding the end zone on third and goal from the one. Mellusi’s score was the 14th of his career and 8th as a Badger. Mellusi also scored the Badgers’ first offensive touchdown of the 2021 season.
o Dating back to last season, Mellusi has now rushed for 75+ yards in four straight games.
Mellusi broke a 89-yard TD scamper to give Wisconsin a 20-10 lead in the third quarter. The run was tied for the fifth longest rush in Badger history.
o The rush was the longest for UW since Isaac Guerendo broke a 89-yard TD run vs. Maryland last season (Nov. 5, 2022)
o Mellusi’s 89-yard score was the longest rush of his career.
RB Braelon Allen caught a career-high 7 passes for 25 yards, surpassing his previous high of 4 receptions at Minnesota on Nov. 27, 2021. Allen made 13 catches in 12 games last season.
Allen totaled 17 rushing yards on 141 carries with 2 TDs.
o Allen’s 100-yard performance was the 16th of his career. No active Power 5 running back has collected more 100-yard games over the last three seasons.
o Allen now has 25 career rushing touchdowns and tallied his 6th-career multi-score game.
The Badgers are now 9-0 over the last three seasons when Mellusi and Allen both run for over 50 yards.
Freshman TE Tucker Ashcraft appeared in the first game of his college career. He entered the game in the first quarter and made his first career catch at the 1:13 mark of the second quarter. Ashcraft’s 12-yard reception moved the chains and Wisconsin was able to pull ahead 14-7 on a DIke touchdown catch a play later.
o Ashcraft finished with 2 catches for 36 yards in the win.
WR Will Pauling made his first catch as a Badger at the 9:36 mark of the first quarter. He finished with 5 catches for 55 yards.
WR Chimere Dike’s first catch of the season went for six. His 29-yard score from Mordecai gave the Badgers the lead late in the first half.
o Dike recorded his ninth career TD catch after leading the Badgers with six last season.
S Hunter Wohler led the Badger defense with 11 total tackles, a career high. His previous high (6) came at Iowa last season (Nov. 12, 2022).
Sophomore ILB Jordan Turner posted 8 tackles.
OLB Jake Chaney recorded a key third-down TFL in the third quarter, forcing a Bulls punt. Chaney finished with 5 tackles, including 1 TFL.
K Nathanial Vakos converted 5-of-5 extra points and added a 37-yard FG in his first action as a Badger.
Freshman P Atticus Bertrams punted 5 times for 194 yards (38.8) in his debut. He pinned the Bulls inside the 20 4 times.
Today’s captains: senior WR Chimere Dike, senior QB Tanner Mordecai, senior ILB Maema Njongmeta and senior OLB Marty Strey.
Today’s attendance at Camp Randall Stadium was 76,224, a sellout. The sellout was the first for a season opener at Camp Randall since 2009. (Sept. 5, 2009, win vs. Northern Illinois, 28-20)
The temperature was 88 degrees at kickoff, marking the second hottest game temperature in Camp Randall history. The only game warmer was a 2011 affair versus UNLV (9/1/2011, 90 degrees)
The victory marked head coach Luke Fickell’s first at Camp Randall Stadium.
Dating back to 1996, Wisconsin has now won 27 of its last 28 home openers. Since 2000, UW has won 21 of its last 24 season openers.
The Badgers have not lost a season-opening game at home to a non-conference opponent since 1995, going 17-0 since.
The Badger defense held Buffalo to a 2-for-15 clip on third down. That’s the lowest third down mark for an opponent since holding Rutgers to 1-for-11 on Nov. 6, 2021
The Badgers tallied 501 yards of offense and ran for 312 yards in the win, the most in a single game since rushing for 391 at Illinois on Oct. 9, 2021.
RBs Chez Mellusi and Braelon Allen both rushed for over 100 yards for the third time as a duo. Wisconsin is now 3-0 in such games.
o With Allen and Mellusi’s 100-yard performances, the Badgers posted a pair of 100+ yard rushing performances in the same game for the first time since Nov. 5, 2022. Mellusi and Allen last achieved the feat in a win over Purdue on Oct. 23, 2021.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
QB Tanner Mordecai recorded his first pass completion as a Badger at the 10:16 mark of the first quarter. WR Bryson Green made the catch, his first for UW.
o Mordecai finished with 189 passing yards on 24-of-31 passing with 1 score and 2 interceptions.
o Mordecai’s 24 completions are most by a Badgers QB in his Wisconsin debut since at least 1968.
RB Chez Mellusi led the Badgers dynamic rushing attack, totaling a career-high 157 yards and 2 scores on 13 carries.
Mellusi scored multiple rushing TDs for the first time in his career.
Mellusi scored the first touchdown of the season for the Badgers, finding the end zone on third and goal from the one. Mellusi’s score was the 14th of his career and 8th as a Badger. Mellusi also scored the Badgers’ first offensive touchdown of the 2021 season.
o Dating back to last season, Mellusi has now rushed for 75+ yards in four straight games.
Mellusi broke a 89-yard TD scamper to give Wisconsin a 20-10 lead in the third quarter. The run was tied for the fifth longest rush in Badger history.
o The rush was the longest for UW since Isaac Guerendo broke a 89-yard TD run vs. Maryland last season (Nov. 5, 2022)
o Mellusi’s 89-yard score was the longest rush of his career.
RB Braelon Allen caught a career-high 7 passes for 25 yards, surpassing his previous high of 4 receptions at Minnesota on Nov. 27, 2021. Allen made 13 catches in 12 games last season.
Allen totaled 17 rushing yards on 141 carries with 2 TDs.
o Allen’s 100-yard performance was the 16th of his career. No active Power 5 running back has collected more 100-yard games over the last three seasons.
o Allen now has 25 career rushing touchdowns and tallied his 6th-career multi-score game.
The Badgers are now 9-0 over the last three seasons when Mellusi and Allen both run for over 50 yards.
Freshman TE Tucker Ashcraft appeared in the first game of his college career. He entered the game in the first quarter and made his first career catch at the 1:13 mark of the second quarter. Ashcraft’s 12-yard reception moved the chains and Wisconsin was able to pull ahead 14-7 on a DIke touchdown catch a play later.
o Ashcraft finished with 2 catches for 36 yards in the win.
WR Will Pauling made his first catch as a Badger at the 9:36 mark of the first quarter. He finished with 5 catches for 55 yards.
WR Chimere Dike’s first catch of the season went for six. His 29-yard score from Mordecai gave the Badgers the lead late in the first half.
o Dike recorded his ninth career TD catch after leading the Badgers with six last season.
S Hunter Wohler led the Badger defense with 11 total tackles, a career high. His previous high (6) came at Iowa last season (Nov. 12, 2022).
Sophomore ILB Jordan Turner posted 8 tackles.
OLB Jake Chaney recorded a key third-down TFL in the third quarter, forcing a Bulls punt. Chaney finished with 5 tackles, including 1 TFL.
K Nathanial Vakos converted 5-of-5 extra points and added a 37-yard FG in his first action as a Badger.
Freshman P Atticus Bertrams punted 5 times for 194 yards (38.8) in his debut. He pinned the Bulls inside the 20 4 times.
