Postgame Notes: UW 45, ILL 7
TEAM NOTES
Today’s game captain: senior RB Garrett Groshek
Friday’s game marked the latest start to a Wisconsin football season since the Badgers opened the 1918 season — which was delayed due to the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-20 — on Oct. 26.
Wisconsin won its home opener for the 25th consecutive season, a run that dates back to 1996. Only Florida (31) owns a longer active streak among FBS teams.
The Badgers claimed a win in their season-opening contest for the 5th straight year.
The win marked Wisconsin’s first season-opening victory over a Big Ten opponent since a 21-14 triumph over No. 1-ranked Michigan on Sept. 12, 1981 (which also was UW’s last opener vs. a conference opponent at Camp Randall).
UW claimed its 8th straight victory over Illinois at Camp Randall Stadium, dating to 2004.
Overall, Wisconsin has won 10 of its last 11 (and 14 of its last 16) meetings with the Illini.
Paul Chryst improved to 53-16 (.768) in his sixth season as Wisconsin’s head coach, passing Milt Bruhn (1956-66) for 4th on UW’s all-time wins list:
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) 53
5. Milt Bruhn (1956-66) 52
* Also served as coach in 2 bowl games (2012, 2014)
Under Chryst, Wisconsin is:
35-10 (.778) in Big Ten Conference play
26-5 (.839) vs. the Big Ten West Division
5-1 (.833) in season openers
5-1 (.833) vs. Illinois
Wisconsin won its 8th consecutive home game, dating to last season.
UW tallied its most points in a Big Ten opener since beating Nebraska 48-17 in 2011.
The Badgers held Illinois to just 218 yards and just 8 first downs. Those numbers are the fewest by a UW Big Ten opponent since Michigan State totaled just 149 and 7 first downs against UW last season.
Wisconsin dominated the time of possession by a margin of 43:28 to 16:32. That’s UW’s most lopsided total since owning a 44:31 to 15:29 advantage over Minnesota in 2004.
The Badgers finished a perfect 6-for-6 in red zone opportunities, scoring 5 touchdowns and 1 field goal.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Redshirt freshman QB Graham Mertz became the first Wisconsin freshman to start a season opener at quarterback since 1978, going 20-for-21 for 248 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Mertz’s 5 touchdowns tied the highest single-game total in UW history, matching the school record set by Darrell Bevell vs. Nevada in 1993 and Jim Sorgi vs. Michigan State in 2003.
Mertz set the Wisconsin completion percentage record with a mark of .952, going 20-for-21 overall. He surpassed Alex Hornibrook’s mark of .947 (18-19) vs. BYU on Sept. 16, 2017.
Mertz is the third FBS player over the last 25 seasons to post at least 5 TD passes and complete at least 95% of his passes, joining Cincinnati’s Gunner Kiel (vs. Central Florida in 2015) and USC’s Matt Barkley (vs. Colorado in 2012).
Mertz tallied the most TD passes (5) and best completion percentage (95.2%) by a Badgers QB in his starting debut. He also posted the second-most completions (20) and third-most yards in a first start.
Mertz finished with a pass efficiency rating of 277.1, the third-highest mark in Badger history behind John Stocco (296.7 vs. Indiana in 2006) and Alex Hornibrook (277.4 vs BYU in 2017) - minimum 15 pass attempts.
Mertz’s rating also trails only Russell Wilson (292 vs. UNLV in 2011) for a Badger in his starting debut.
Mertz completed his first 17 passes, matching the Badgers’ single-game school record for consecutive completions. His 17 straight completions also ranks as the third-longest streak in a conference game in Big Ten history.
CONSECUTIVE COMPLETIONS, SINGLE GAME
Cmp. Player Opponent (Date)
17 Tanner McEvoy Western Ill. (9/6/2014)
17 Graham Mertz Illinois (10/23/2020)
16 Russell Wilson at Minnesota (11/12/2011)
15 Alex Hornibrook at BYU (9/16/2017)
14 Darrell Bevell Northwestern (10/9/1993)
14 Darrell Bevell SMU (9/23/1995)
Dating to last season, when he completed his final 9 attempts, Mertz had a streak of 26 straight completions.
Mertz threw for 248 yards, the third-highest single-game total by a Wisconsin freshman, trailing Darrell Bevell (274 vs. Northwestern in 1992) and Joel Stave (254 vs. Illinois in 2012).
Junior TE Jake Ferguson caught a career high 7 catches for 72 yards and hauled in a career-best 3 touchdowns.
Ferguson is just the 9th player in UW history to catch at least 3 TDs in one game and the third Badger tight end in the last 50 years, joining Owen Daniels (2005) and Garrett Graham (2009).
Senior WR Danny Davis caught 2 passes for 72 yards, including a 53-yard TD pass in the second quarter, his 12th career touchdown.
Senior RB Garrett Groshek finished with a career-high 99 yards from scrimmage, rushing for a team-best 70 yards and catching 4 passes for 29 yards.
Senior FB Mason Stokke pulled in the first touchdown reception of his career on a 10-yard pass from Mertz to open the scoring for the Badgers in the first quarter
Junior FB John Chenal scored his second-career touchdown on a 2-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Senior LB Isaiahh Loudermilk racked up the 7th sack of his career.
Freshman OLB Nick Herbig recorded the first sack of his career in his collegiate debut.
Sophomore LB C.J. Goetz posted his first-career sack and made a career-high 3 tackles.
Freshman S Titus Toler tallied his first-career interception, picking off Isaiah Williams in the fourth quarter.
Junior P Andy Vujnovich punted 4 times for 184 yards (46.0 avg.) in his Wisconsin debut, including 60-yarder on his first attempt as a Badger.
Junior K Collin Larsh connected on a 19-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and all 6 of his extra points. Larsh is now 13-for-19 on FGs in his career.
TEAM NOTES
Today’s game captain: senior RB Garrett Groshek
Friday’s game marked the latest start to a Wisconsin football season since the Badgers opened the 1918 season — which was delayed due to the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-20 — on Oct. 26.
Wisconsin won its home opener for the 25th consecutive season, a run that dates back to 1996. Only Florida (31) owns a longer active streak among FBS teams.
The Badgers claimed a win in their season-opening contest for the 5th straight year.
The win marked Wisconsin’s first season-opening victory over a Big Ten opponent since a 21-14 triumph over No. 1-ranked Michigan on Sept. 12, 1981 (which also was UW’s last opener vs. a conference opponent at Camp Randall).
UW claimed its 8th straight victory over Illinois at Camp Randall Stadium, dating to 2004.
Overall, Wisconsin has won 10 of its last 11 (and 14 of its last 16) meetings with the Illini.
Paul Chryst improved to 53-16 (.768) in his sixth season as Wisconsin’s head coach, passing Milt Bruhn (1956-66) for 4th on UW’s all-time wins list:
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) 53
5. Milt Bruhn (1956-66) 52
* Also served as coach in 2 bowl games (2012, 2014)
Under Chryst, Wisconsin is:
35-10 (.778) in Big Ten Conference play
26-5 (.839) vs. the Big Ten West Division
5-1 (.833) in season openers
5-1 (.833) vs. Illinois
Wisconsin won its 8th consecutive home game, dating to last season.
UW tallied its most points in a Big Ten opener since beating Nebraska 48-17 in 2011.
The Badgers held Illinois to just 218 yards and just 8 first downs. Those numbers are the fewest by a UW Big Ten opponent since Michigan State totaled just 149 and 7 first downs against UW last season.
Wisconsin dominated the time of possession by a margin of 43:28 to 16:32. That’s UW’s most lopsided total since owning a 44:31 to 15:29 advantage over Minnesota in 2004.
The Badgers finished a perfect 6-for-6 in red zone opportunities, scoring 5 touchdowns and 1 field goal.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Redshirt freshman QB Graham Mertz became the first Wisconsin freshman to start a season opener at quarterback since 1978, going 20-for-21 for 248 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Mertz’s 5 touchdowns tied the highest single-game total in UW history, matching the school record set by Darrell Bevell vs. Nevada in 1993 and Jim Sorgi vs. Michigan State in 2003.
Mertz set the Wisconsin completion percentage record with a mark of .952, going 20-for-21 overall. He surpassed Alex Hornibrook’s mark of .947 (18-19) vs. BYU on Sept. 16, 2017.
Mertz is the third FBS player over the last 25 seasons to post at least 5 TD passes and complete at least 95% of his passes, joining Cincinnati’s Gunner Kiel (vs. Central Florida in 2015) and USC’s Matt Barkley (vs. Colorado in 2012).
Mertz tallied the most TD passes (5) and best completion percentage (95.2%) by a Badgers QB in his starting debut. He also posted the second-most completions (20) and third-most yards in a first start.
Mertz finished with a pass efficiency rating of 277.1, the third-highest mark in Badger history behind John Stocco (296.7 vs. Indiana in 2006) and Alex Hornibrook (277.4 vs BYU in 2017) - minimum 15 pass attempts.
Mertz’s rating also trails only Russell Wilson (292 vs. UNLV in 2011) for a Badger in his starting debut.
Mertz completed his first 17 passes, matching the Badgers’ single-game school record for consecutive completions. His 17 straight completions also ranks as the third-longest streak in a conference game in Big Ten history.
CONSECUTIVE COMPLETIONS, SINGLE GAME
Cmp. Player Opponent (Date)
17 Tanner McEvoy Western Ill. (9/6/2014)
17 Graham Mertz Illinois (10/23/2020)
16 Russell Wilson at Minnesota (11/12/2011)
15 Alex Hornibrook at BYU (9/16/2017)
14 Darrell Bevell Northwestern (10/9/1993)
14 Darrell Bevell SMU (9/23/1995)
Dating to last season, when he completed his final 9 attempts, Mertz had a streak of 26 straight completions.
Mertz threw for 248 yards, the third-highest single-game total by a Wisconsin freshman, trailing Darrell Bevell (274 vs. Northwestern in 1992) and Joel Stave (254 vs. Illinois in 2012).
Junior TE Jake Ferguson caught a career high 7 catches for 72 yards and hauled in a career-best 3 touchdowns.
Ferguson is just the 9th player in UW history to catch at least 3 TDs in one game and the third Badger tight end in the last 50 years, joining Owen Daniels (2005) and Garrett Graham (2009).
Senior WR Danny Davis caught 2 passes for 72 yards, including a 53-yard TD pass in the second quarter, his 12th career touchdown.
Senior RB Garrett Groshek finished with a career-high 99 yards from scrimmage, rushing for a team-best 70 yards and catching 4 passes for 29 yards.
Senior FB Mason Stokke pulled in the first touchdown reception of his career on a 10-yard pass from Mertz to open the scoring for the Badgers in the first quarter
Junior FB John Chenal scored his second-career touchdown on a 2-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Senior LB Isaiahh Loudermilk racked up the 7th sack of his career.
Freshman OLB Nick Herbig recorded the first sack of his career in his collegiate debut.
Sophomore LB C.J. Goetz posted his first-career sack and made a career-high 3 tackles.
Freshman S Titus Toler tallied his first-career interception, picking off Isaiah Williams in the fourth quarter.
Junior P Andy Vujnovich punted 4 times for 184 yards (46.0 avg.) in his Wisconsin debut, including 60-yarder on his first attempt as a Badger.
Junior K Collin Larsh connected on a 19-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and all 6 of his extra points. Larsh is now 13-for-19 on FGs in his career.
