(UW ATHLETICS) MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin football team beat Middle Tennessee, 42-0, Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.
Sophomore quarterback Danny O’Neil, playing in wake of Billy Edwards’ absence, set the record for most yards in a UW quarterback’s first start with 283. He threw for three touchdowns en route to a staggering 85-percent completion mark.
Despite a slow first quarter, highlighted by a Middle Tennessee field goal, the Badgers found the endzone twice in the second. Their first touchdown came off a grinding 11-play, 80-yard drive, as O’Neil hit tight end Lance Mason for a 34-yard gain into the redzone. He found Tyrell Henry plays later for a 3-yard receiving touchdown.
On the ensuing possession, redshirt freshman cornerback Omilio Agard picked off the Blue Raider quarterback, setting up Dilin Jones’ 1-yard touchdown scamper. It’s the first touchdown of the redshirt freshman’s career, putting the Badgers up 14-3. Middle Tennessee struck back before the halftime break as Bucky took a 14-10 lead into the interval.
The squads traded possessions to start the half with junior Christian Alliegro coming up from his linebacker spot to make a crucial 4th-and-1 stop. The Connecticut native set a career-high in TFLs on the day, posting two.
Wisconsin used the defensive momentum to their advantage, ripping off a two-play touchdown drive on the following possession. Wide receiver Trech Kekahuna took an end-around 61-yards to the house, marking the longest rush of his career. It’s also the longest Badger rushing touchdown since the 2023 season opener against Buffalo when Chez Mellusi scampered for 89-yards to the endzone.
After another Badger stop, UW’s offense tapped back into their creative bag with another wide receiver end-around touchdown. This time, it was Vinny Anthony II taking the ball 14-yards for the score and 28-10 lead. It’s the first time since at least 1995 that two different Wisconsin receivers have rushed for touchdowns in the same game.
The dagger came early in the fourth as O’Neil connected with senior receiver Jayden Ballard for a 58-yard touchdown, Ballard’s first in a Wisconsin uniform. The explosive 7-play, 99-yard drive, was the longest since Lee Evans’ 99-yard receiving touchdown against Akron on Sept. 6, 2003.
The Badgers hit paydirt once more in the fourth as O’Neil found Mason once more for a 17-yard touchdown. Mason finished his day with career-high receptions and yards, catching a team-high 7 balls for 102 yards and a score. He’s the first Badger tight end with 100 yards since Troy Fumigali in the 2017 opener against Utah State.
Wisconsin’s defense finished the day with five sacks, the most since a 2023 match up with Georgia Southern. Linebacker Sebastian Cheeks notched one early in the first-half, while Tackett Curtis and Tyrese Fearbry joined the party. True freshman Mason Posa teamed up with linebacker Garrison Solliday on the game’s final play to each earn their first-career sacks.
UW showed their multiplicity on the ground Saturday with 153 rushing yards on a committee basis. Kekahuna led the way after his 61-yard score, while Jones trailed just behind with 36 yards on 10 carries. Darrion Dupree took 6 carries for 25 yards and Cade Yacamelli added 15 yards on 4 carries to assert the ground game.
Finally, the Badgers kept a clean slate, committing zero penalties on the day for the first time since an Oct. 22, 2016, win over Iowa.
Up Next: The Badgers hit the road for the first time this season as a battle with No. 21 Alabama looms next Saturday. The Tide (0-1) dropped their first game of the season against No. 14 Florida State, but look to avenge that loss Saturday night versus Louisiana-Monroe.
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