PISCATAWAY, N.J. – On a cold, windy day in unfamiliar territory, the Wisconsin Badgers played a very familiar game en route to a 37-0 shutout of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
With nothing going in the passing game, the Badgers (3-1 Big Ten, 6-2 overall) rode good games from both star running backs redshirt junior Melvin Gordon and sophomore Corey Clement, and their most impressive defensive performance of the year, thoroughly dominating the overmatched Scarlet Knights (1-4, 5-3).
In a sparsely attended homecoming game, the Badgers got off to a slow start, going three-and-out on each of their first three drives, which saw Gordon take three carries for -1 yards as procedure penalties and inaccurate passing saw three consecutive punts by redshirt sophomore quarterback Bart Houston.
After getting a first down on their first drive, the Rutgers offense sputtered as their third possession ended with a Derek Landisch sack, followed up by a punt block by redshirt junior cornerback A.J. Jordan, which gave the ball to the Badgers at Rutgers’ 20-yard-line.
From there, the Badgers didn’t look back. With redshirt junior quarterback Tanner McEvoy under center, the Badgers ran three plays on the drive, capped off by an impressive 13-yard run by Gordon to open up the scoring.
Clement, a native of Glassboro, New Jersey, had a huge day, leading the team in rushing with 14 carries for 131 yards and two touchdowns, coming from 43 and 36 yards out.
“I played the game that I play,” Clement said after the game. “I can only give credit to my o-line. They did a great job, especially on the 43-yard touchdown. I saw everything shift up front and it opened up in my eyes. I give them all the credit.”
Gordon had an equally impressive day, taking his 19 carries for 128 yards and two scores himself, though he had a scary moment in the first drive of the fourth quarter.
Up 30-0 with the Badgers once again driving down the field, Gordon returned to the game after Clement’s helmet came off. Running a wheel route up the left sideline, redshirt junior Joel Stave fluttered a ball right to him; however, while trying to make the catch, tight end Sam Arneson hit Gordon in the left knee with his helmet.
After staying down for a minute while the Badgers fans in attendance waited with bated breath, Gordon was helped up and then walked off under his own power to the training table.
Yet, as good as the running game was, finishing with 298 yards, the passing game was just as bad.
Between McEvoy and Stave, the two quarterbacks went 8-of-20 for 87 yards, no touchdowns and an interception thrown by McEvoy, who appeared to lose sight of cornerback Anthony Cioffi underneath.
While the Wisconsin passing attack couldn’t generate much of anything, the Rutgers offense was significantly worse.
Stifled by the impressive Wisconsin defense, who have forced three-and-outs in 18 of the 27 possessions between the this and the Maryland game, quarterbacks Gary Nova and Chris Laviano combined to go 7-of-27 for 63 yards, no touchdowns and an interception.
On the ground, the Scarlet Knights couldn’t get much going either, with 29 carries for 76 yards, led by Robert Martin, who had 13 carries for 63 yards.
As a team, Rutgers averaged 407 yards per game but were held to just 139 on Saturday, taking until their final drive to break 100 yards on the day.
“We had a great game plan going into this weekend,” linebacker Vince Biegel said, who ended the game with five tackles and a sack. “We felt solid. We competed at a high level. The separation and execution really paid off for us today in the victory.”
The Badgers travel to West Lafayette, Indiana to take on the Purdue Boilermakers (1-3, 3-5) next week before the biggest game on their schedule, a home date with the Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-1, 7-1) potentially playing for a berth in the Big Ten Championship game.
