Fired up for a homecoming-fueled Badger crowd, Wisconsin earned a four-score victory over Michigan State. Coming off the high of a 24-20 road win against then-No. 13 Penn State, the Badgers took down another Big Ten foe in a dominating fashion.
Wisconsin’s offense was hot right out of the gate. Quarterback Colton Joseph flaunted his versatility when he ran 39 yards within four plays, before connecting with tight end and Bowling Green transfer Jacob Harris on a 20-yard wheel route. Harris high-pointed the ball over a defensive back and after moments of bobbling, secured the ball in the endzone.
Harris made a name for himself last week after scoring the game-winning touchdown in the Badger’s comeback win against Penn State off of a 72-yard touchdown.
The Badgers defense equally stepped up to the plate, holding the Spartans to a short 39 yards between 10 plays and, ultimately, a turnover of downs. Sophomore linebacker Cooper Catalano got in on four tackles within the drive.
On the following drive, Harris did it again. This time, the senior’s jet motion was simultaneous to his quarterback’s rollout, and Joseph’s 15-yards throw found Harris in the endzone.
Harris claimed his third touchdown as a Badger — all of which have come within the past week — and Wisconsin advanced the score to 14-0 with just over a minute to spare in the first quarter.
Amid a fiery start, it was clear Joseph had put his three-interception game against Penn State in the past.
Another Michigan State turnover-on-downs was followed by a 07:08, 16-play Wisconsin drive. Unable to capitalize, the Badgers opted for a field goal and Gavin Lahm drilled a routine 30-yarder that split the uprights. The senior is perfect on field goal attempts this season.
After another scoreless offensive drive, Michigan State strung together a 51-yard, 8-play drive, ultimately nailing a 31-yard field goal to get on the board entering the half.
Wisconsin opened the half 17-3 with dominance. Sophomore Linebacker Mason Posa stopped Michigan State for no gain on an integral fourth-and-one, forcing yet another Spartan turnover-on-downs. Posa posted nine total tackles in the afternoon, eight of which were solo tackles.
The Spartans ended the night with one successful conversion amongst six fourth-down attempts.
With the ball back, it only took a quick three plays for the Badgers to rack up the score. Joseph exploited a gap in the middle rushing 47 yards to the house. Joseph ended the afternoon as the games’ leading-rusher with a total of 141 yards. Despite struggling in the passing game, Joseph showcased his elite running ability making him a major threat for opposing Big Ten teams.
“Our offensive line and tight ends were creating so many open lanes for me to run,” Joseph said in a postgame press conference.
Wisconsin’s formidable defense gave out no favors, holding the Spartans to a meager 2.8 yards per rush on the afternoon and leaving them scoreless in the remainder of the contest.
The Badgers, on the other hand, had one last stint that put the game to bed.
Backed up by a resilient offensive line, Joseph’s seven-step drop allowed him to find wide receiver Malachi Coleman, who sat unguarded in the endzone. Coleman broke out against Notre Dame but had been sidelined these last few weeks due to an injury.
The Badgers wrapped up the 31-3 contest bringing them to 4-1 and 2-0 in the Big Ten.
Head Coach Luke Fickell expressed how impressed he was with his team in the postgame press conference.
“It was one of our first complementary wholesome, full football games that we’ve played in a long time,” Fickell said.
Joseph, along with his Badger team, find promise in their consistent play.
“[We] are super hyped up and coaches are really confident that this team is going to continue growing and continue on our path,” Joseph said in a postgame press conference.
Spirits reign high in Madison and the Badgers will enter a bye week before heading out west to take on No. 21 UCLA on Oct. 17. This will be the twelfth time in program history that these two teams will be meeting. UCLA currently holds a 7-4 record over Wisconsin.
The last time the Badgers played the Bruins was in neutral-site El Paso, Texas in December 2000 for the Sun Bowl in a tight 21-20 game. Before that, Wisconsin and UCLA faced off in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena in January 1998, where the Badgers won 38-31.
