The rain may have kept away the fans, but it didn’t keep away the Badgers (4-1 Big Ten, 7-2 overall) offense as they rolled over Rutgers (1-4, 3-5) 48-10.
Getting a win is something the team wanted, but junior running back Corey Clement’s return after missing eight games was much more important. He was back in vintage form in his return, rushing for three touchdowns and 115 yards on 11 carries.
“He’s been working hard, doing what he needs to do to get back out there,” senior fullback Derek Watt said. “He said he felt good today, and he looked pretty good to me.”
The first quarter looked to be more of the same from the Badgers, with a 10-3 lead at the end of the quarter, and lackluster play from both teams. Other than UW’s touchdown drive, there were only two plays of more than 10 yards in the quarter. On the touchdown drive, redshirt senior wide receiver Alex Erickson hauled in a 27-yard reception, setting up a 12-yard score by Clement, the man of the day.
The second quarter was a different story, as the Badgers exploded for 17 points while the Scarlet Knights were kept off the scoreboard. On Wisconsin’s first drive of the quarter, it was knocking on the door of the red zone on fourth-and-two before a false start penalty made it a fourth-and-five, forcing head coach Paul Chryst into a more difficult decision. The offense stayed on the field, and redshirt senior quarterback Joel Stave slung it to an open Erickson who went virtually untouched into the end zone for a 31-yard score and a 14-point lead.
“I knew it was man coverage, one high safety, so I just got inside and pressed through his shoulder, used a move at the top of the route and was able to get some separation and Joel delivered a good pass,” Erickson said.
Clement further opened the lead with a 21-yard touchdown, and as the clock expired sophomore kicker Rafael Gaglianone nailed a 27-yard field goal to give Wisconsin a 27-3 lead at halftime.
The third quarter picked up right where the second left off as the Badger offense kept rolling despite a pair of Stave interceptions. On Wisconsin’s first drive, Stave threw a pass to Erickson, who couldn’t grab it, and the ball bounced right into the hands of Rutgers’ senior linebacker Kaiwan Lewis. Stave’s second interception was less happenstance as he made a questionable decision paired with a poor throw that ended in a pick six for freshman cornerback Blessuan Austin.
The ground game kept pounding, with both of the quarter’s scores coming on the ground, one by Clement and one by junior running back Dare Ogunbowale. Ogunbowale’s touchdown came on the back of Clement though, as Clement got caught at the four-yard line on the tail end of a 58-yard rush, and Ogunbowale punched it into the end zone the following play. Clement looked slow at the end of the run and walked off the field, showing that, while healthy, it may be another week or two before he is at full strength.
“It’s just getting through the soreness. I’m the only person who knows how I feel inside and I’m trying to do everything I can, trying to get every yard,” Clement said. “Everyone knows I’m not 100 percent.”
In the fourth quarter, the Badgers kept their foot on the gas, and senior safety/ wide receiver Tanner McEvoy came in on offense in the wildcat and ran for a 20-yard touchdown, bringing the score to 48-10, which would hold until the game’s end.
The Badger defense was spectacular, only allowing one field goal with the lone Scarlet Knight touchdown coming with the Wisconsin offense on the field. The usual suspects dominated on defense for UW, with junior linebacker Vince Biegel recording two sacks, senior linebacker Joe Schobert recovering a fumble and McEvoy getting a sack and an interception.
This week’s defensive dominance was the fourth game in which the defense didn’t allow a touchdown, and also the sixth game in which the team allowed ten or fewer points.
“We been playing with each other for so long, now it’s just a matter of us just building that chemistry,” junior cornerback Sojourn Shelton said. “I’ve been fortunate to play on special defenses, I think this is probably the best one. We’re having fun together.”
The Badgers take on the Maryland Terrapins in College Park next Saturday. Kickoff will be at 2:30 p.m.
