Over eight months removed from their last game, the No. 4 Wisconsin Badgers football team (0-0 Big Ten, 1-0 overall) looked rusty throughout the first half of their 34-3 home win against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (0-0 Conference USA, 0-1 overall) on Friday night.
The Badgers' first drive of the night stalled out after going for 11 plays and gaining 43 yards. After the defense remained stout for their first series out, it only took one snap for the offense's next series to garner the first touchdown of the night, when sophomore running back Jonathan Taylor took a delayed handoff and turned it up field for a 47-yard touchdown.
Despite the spark from Taylor, the offense remained stagnant throughout the first quarter with each series stalling out and failing to seriously threaten the Hilltoppers defense.
Fortunes turned for the Badgers offense in the second quarter as they looked as if they had shaken off the rust that had plagued them throughout the first 15 minutes. The Badgers kicked a field goal on their second series of the quarter and followed it up with a pair of touchdowns — another for Taylor on a 30-yard run and a highlight-reel grab in the back of the end zone by Kendric Pryor to make it 24-0 entering the half.
The Badgers kept the momentum rolling in the second half with a field goal and a 43-yard receiving touchdown from redshirt sophomore Garret Groshek.
Despite their inexperience, the Badgers defense held their own against the Hilltoppers offense for most of the night. The defense was tested when Jonathan Taylor fumbled within the Wisconsin red zone in the third quarter, but the defense responded by shutting down the Hilltoppers, one of their three red zone stops in the game.
Redshirt freshman Scott Nelson showcased his rapid development throughout the night as he was around the ball consistently and had a couple of pass breakups.
A full recap and further coverage of this game and the Wisconsin Football program will be available at dailycardinal.com.
