Wisconsin got off to a solid start on Tuesday night in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, even without QB Graham Mertz, who recently committed to Florida.

The Badgers drove down the field and took a 3-0 lead under new QB Chase Wolf and then made a defensive stop. On the ensuing possession, RB Chez Mellusi broke off a 51-yard run to get into the red zone.

Then, though, Wolf threw an interception to an Oklahoma State defender:

It didn’t take Oklahoma State long to find the end zone after that, with QB Garrett Rangel hitting Stephon Johnson Jr. for an 84-yard touchdown:

The Badgers’ fortunes turned back around after that Oklahoma State touchdown, though, as they scored 14 unanswered points to close out the half and take a 17-7 lead into halftime. Mellusi scored once and Wolf recovered from the interception to find Hayden Rucci for a touchdown.

In the second half, RB Braelon Allen added a touchdown to extend Wisconsin’s lead to 24-7.

Oklahoma State cut the deficit to 24-14 early in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late. Wisconsin’s rushing attack bled the clock.

In fitting fashion, after Oklahoma State got the ball back, down 24-17, Cedric Dort Jr. sealed the Badgers’ win with an interception.

Wisconsin finished the season with a 7-6 overall record with the 24-17 victory. Oklahoma State dropped to 7-6 on the year. We’ll see what the future holds for the Badgers under Luke Fickell!