Final Score: #19 Wisconsin 49 USF 0

Brief Recap: There’s really not too much to recap, here. Wisconsin was better at the line of scrimmage, had the best player on the field and owned a defense that USF simply couldn’t penetrate. It was the kind of dominating performance we’ve become accustomed to seeing from the Badgers on a regular basis. Jonathan Taylor was unstoppable as a running back and as a receiver, totaling 135 rushing yards, 48 receiving yards and four total touchdowns to star off his junior season.

Key Moment: With :09 remaining in the half, Jack Coan found Taylor around the two-yard line with time winding down. Taylor, who appeared to be wrapped up by a USF defender, fought his way forward and reached the football ahead past the goal line for a touchdown with just :02 remaining in the half. That touchdown gave the Badgers a 28-0 advantage over the Bulls before half, essentially crushing USF’s will.

Key Stat: For most of the night, Wisconsin’s defense held USF’s rushing attack to negative yardage. The Bulls finished with 26 yards on the ground on 23 carries. An impressive defensive effort from the Badgers to say the least.

Key Player: Who else? Of course we’re putting Taylor in this category. His stats are listed above, but it wasn’t just the numbers that made Taylor the most important player of the game. The way he earned his yardage, shifting past defenders, outrunning everyone on the field and powering over tacklers repeatedly. If you thought Taylor was going to see a drop off in his junior season, it doesn’t look like that will be the case.

What it Means: After an 8-5 year and losing a lot of offensive line experience and defensive talent, there were some concerns about what Wisconsin’s ceiling might be this year. Not to jump the gun after one game, but the Badgers are almost certainly right in the thick of the race when it comes to the best teams in the B1G. The rushing game was prominent, the defense was outstanding, and the Heisman Trophy candidate was unstoppable. What more could you ask for?