FOOTBALL Post-game notes: Wisconsin 35, Northwestern 7

[Jon McNamara]

POSTGAME NOTES
#18 WISCONSIN 35, NORTHWESTERN 7 ▪ NOV. 13, 2021 ▪ CAMP RANDALL STADIUM ▪ MADISON, WIS.

TEAM NOTES

• Today’s captains: senior TE Jake Ferguson, senior CB Faion Hicksand senior ILB Jack Sanborn.
• Today’s attendance: 73,194
• Paul Chryst improved to 63-22 (.741) in his 7th 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) 63
5. Milt Bruhn (1956-66) 52
* Also served as coach in 2 bowl games (2012, 2014)

• Under Chryst, Wisconsin is:

4-3 (.571) vs. Northwestern

31-7 (.816) vs. the Big Ten West Division

42-15 (.737) in Big Ten Conference play

35-8 (.814) at Camp Randall Stadium

• UW won its 6th straight game, the team’s longest win streak since opening the 2019 season 6-0.

o The Badgers have won 5 consecutive Big Ten games for the first time since posting a perfect 9-0 conference record in 2017.

• Wisconsin won its 3rd consecutive matchup with Northwestern at Camp Randall Stadium and has won 7 of the last 8 meetings in Madison.
• Overall, the Badgers have won 4 of their last 6 meetings with the Wildcats, dating to 2016.
• During their 6-game win streak, the Badgers have allowed an average of 7.3 points per game and 194.5 yards per game.
• For the second consecutive game, UW tallied at least 200 yards rushing and 200 yards passing.

o The last time UW had back-to-back 200/200 games came in the first 3 games of the 2017 season.

o The Badgers turned consecutive 200/200 games in Big Ten play for the first time since posting 3 straight such games in wins over Indiana, Michigan and Northwestern in 2010.

• Wisconsin’s defense held an opponent without an offensive touchdown for the 4th time this season (Eastern Michigan, Illinois, Rutgers, Northwestern).

o The Badgers have given up just 4 offensive TDs during their 6-game win streak, including zero offensive TDs allowed in their last 2 games.

• The Badgers registered 4 takeaways and have forced 16 total turnovers in the last 4 games. UW had just 4 takeaways in its first 6 games.

o UW has recorded at least 3 interceptions in 3 of its last 4 games).

• The Badgers have not allowed an opponent to score on an opening possession in any game this season, and have forced a 3-and-out on the opponent’s initial drive in 7 of 10 games.
• UW matched its season high with 12 TFLs and has registered 4 games this season with at least 10 TFLs (including 3 of last 4).
• The Badgers ran for 268 yards vs. Northwestern and are averaging 269.7 during their 6-game win streak.
• Wisconsin went 6-for-11 (54.5%) on third down, the team’s best percentage of the season.

o UW is 12-for-23 (52.2%) on third down over the last 2 games after converting 29.7% (33-11) over the first 8 games.

• The Badgers outscored Northwestern 21-0 in the second quarter and have outscored their last 3 opponents (Iowa, Rutgers, Northwestern) by a combined margin of 58-0. During its 6-game win streak, UW has outscored opponents 84-13 in the second period.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Sophomore QB Graham Mertz went 18-for-23 for 216 yards with 2 touchdowns and 1 interception, completing passes to 9 receivers. Mertz’s 177.1 passer rating is his second-highest of the season, trailing only his 244.1 mark at Rutgers.
  • After throwing for 240 yards at Rutgers last week, Mertz has posted back-to-back 200-yard games for the 2nd time in his career (230 at Northwestern and 202 vs. Indiana last season).

o Mertz also has thrown multiple touchdown passes in consecutive games for the 2nd time in his career (5 vs. Illinois and 2 at Michigan last season).

• Freshman RB Braelon Allen made the first start of his career, carrying 25 times for 173 yards and 3 touchdowns — all career highs — while surpassing the 100-yard mark for the 6th-straight game.

o Allen’s 6th consecutive 100-yard rushing game marks the longest such streak at UW since Jonathan Taylor opened the 2018 season with 7 straight 100-yard games en route to winning the first of consecutive Doak Walker Awards.

o Allen is the first UW true freshman with 6 consecutive 100-yard games since Anthony Davis in 2001:

CONSEC. 100-YD GAMES, TRUE FRESHMEN (UW)
Player Consec. Games Year
Anthony Davis 6 2001
Braelon Allen 6 2021
Anthony Davis 4 2001
Jonathan Taylor 4 2017
· Only Anthony Davis (10), Jonathan Taylor (10) and Ron Dayne (7) have more 100-yard games as a true freshman than Allen:

100-YD RUSHING GAMES, TRUE FRESHMEN (UW)
Player Games Year
Anthony Davis 10 2001
Jonathan Taylor 10 2017
Ron Dayne 7 1996
Braelon Allen 6 2021
James White 5 2010

· Allen is the first Badger with 3 touchdown runs in a game since Jonathan Taylor scored 4 rushing TDs vs. Kent State on Oct. 5, 2019.

• Junior RB Brady Schipper ran for 38 yards on 7 carries, including a career-long 24-yard reception in the second quarter.
• Sophomore RB Julius Davis set career highs with 47 yards and 9 carries.
• Senior WR Danny Davis logged a touchdown for the 2nd consecutive game, hauling in a 13-yard pass from Mertz in the second quarter for his 2nd TD catch of the season and the 13th of his career.

· Davis now ranks No. 14 on UW’s all-time receiving yards list:

CAREER RECEIVING YARDS (UW)
Rk. Player Years Yards
12. Jonathan Orr 2002-05 1,824
13. Troy Fumagalli 2014-17 1,627
14. Danny Davis 2017-pres. 1,582
15. Donald Hayes 1994-97 1,575
16. Quintez Cephus 2016-17, 19 1,496
17. Garrett Graham 2006-09 1,492
18. Jake Ferguson 2017-pres. 1,466

• Senior TE Jake Ferguson caught 4 passes for 43 yards, including an 11-yard TD catch.

o Ferguson has caught at least one pass in each of his 44 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 (WR) *53
2. Jake Ferguson, Wisconsin (TE) *44
3. Emeka Emezie, NC State (WR) 41
4. JD Spielman, TCU (WR) *40
5. Jahan Dotson, Penn State (WR) 38
* Every game played in career

· Ferguson’s 1,466 receiving yards place him 18th on UW’s career list, and 4th 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
18. Jake Ferguson 2017-pres. 1,466
21. Jacob Pedersen 2010-13 1,394

• Junior ILB Leo Chenal led the Badgers with 14 tackles, the second-highest total of his career.

o Chenal entered the game ranked 4th in the NCAA in TFLs and added an additional 3.0 TFLs and 1.0 sack today. He has 13.5 TFLs over the last 5 games and leads UW with 15.0 TFLs overall and ranks 2nd with 6.5 sacks.

• Senior ILB Jack Sanborn tallied 10 tackles and a career-high 3.0 TFLs.
• Senior CB Caesar Williams intercepted a pass for the 2nd consecutive game, picking off QB Andrew Marty in the end zone on Northwestern’s game-opening drive for his 3rd interception of the season and the 5th of his career.
• Sophomore CB Dean Engram recorded the first interception of his career, picking off Marty in the third quarter.
• Freshman LB Jordan Turner had his 2nd INT in as many games, intercepting Ryan Hilinski in the fourth quarter.
• Freshman S Hunter Wohler tallied 2 tackles, including his first-career sack.