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Rapid reaction: Wisconsin uses balanced offensive attack to steamroll Northwestern
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Wisconsin’s passing attack is coming along. It’s still nowhere close to the aerial attack we’ve seen from teams like Ohio State, Penn State or Purdue this season, but it’s lightyears ahead of where it was to start the season.
Braelon Allen was still the focal point of the offense for Wisconsin, carrying a bulk of the rushing attack workload in Wisconsin’s 35-7 victory over Northwestern. The freshman back ended the contest with 173 yards and 3 touchdowns on 25 carries.
It marked the sixth-consecutive game the 17-year-old has hit 100 yards on the ground, a feat not even the great Jonathan Taylor accomplished. But it was more than just Wisconsin’s rushing attack that resulted in another blowout win.
Graham Mertz had one of his best performances of the season, completing 18-of-23 passes for 216 yards and 2 touchdowns. His lone interception came at the end of the 1st half with just 10 seconds remaining.
Northwestern had no answer on either side of the football.
The Badgers ended the game with 268 yards on the ground and 229 yards through the air, the kind of balanced attack necessary to win the B1G West and challenge a team like Ohio State, Michigan or Michigan State in the B1G title game.
Better late than never, right?
Wisconsin’s balanced offense showed up as a nice complement to another outstanding defensive outing. The Badgers held a third-straight B1G opponent to 7 points or less. The Wildcats mustered just 239 yards of offense.
Mertz was also able to get multiple pass catchers involved in the game. Danny Davis II had 3 catches for 46 yards, Jake Ferguson had 4 receptions for 43 yards and Chimere Dike had 3 catches for 37 yards. Kendric Pryor, Brady Schipper and Jack Dunn all had multiple catches, too.
Wisconsin has now rattled off 6 straight wins, putting that 1-3 start in the rearview mirror. The Badgers host Nebraska before closing out the season on the road against Minnesota.
Win out, and Wisconsin is headed back to Indianapolis for a chance to compete for a B1G title. Who would’ve though that would’ve been the case back in October?
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB