2024-10-13 06:10:02
The Wisconsin football team continued its domination over Rutgers as the Badgers ran all over the Scarlet Knights in a 42-7 win on Saturday at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey.
Tawee Walker had a career-high 198 yards and scored three touchdowns for a second straight week to lead a Wisconsin offense that totaled 549 yards.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin’s defense held Rutgers’ star running back Kyle Monangai in check and to a season-low in rushing yards.
Wisconsin has scored 94 points in its last two games and remained perfect over Rutgers (6-0 all-time and now three blowout victories over the Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium).
The Journal Sentinel had live coverage from the game. Take a look back at the key highlights, scoring plays and stats.
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | TOTAL |
| WIS | 14 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 42 |
| RUT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Braedyn Locke was stellar again. Outside of a first-quarter interception, Locke was in command.
He completed 71.4% of his passes for 240 yards and set the tone early with a touchdown on the team’s first drive.
Locke continues to be unflappable. Since taking over for the injured Tyler Van Dyke last month, he’s shown an ability to move on quickly from mistakes. A great sign for the sophomore quarterback.
Rutgers was supposed to be the team with the dominant rushing game. The Badgers had other ideas. Wisconsin totaled 309 rushing yards to Rutgers’ 168.
Here were the team’s top three performers on the ground:
Mike Tressel’s unit has allowed just one touchdown in the last two games and 13 total points. It shined in limiting the success of Rutgers’ strong running game.
The defense limited running back Kyle Monangai to a season-low 72 yards rushing. He had 22 at halftime. The Badgers also had an interception and a key fourth-down stop with Rutgers looking to score in the second quarter.
Wisconsin pounds Rutgers, 42-7, behind an impressive rushing attack by the Badgers.
Wisconsin improves to 4-2 with their second straight win. Rutgers drops their second straight game to fall to 4-2. The offense is humming along right now after struggling to find an identity early in the season. Has this team and program finally figured it out in Luke Fickell’s second year? It appears so.
The Badgers play Northwestern on the road next week.
The Wisconsin offense and running game can’t be stopped for a second straight week.
Braedyn Locke completed an 80-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run that he executed perfectly on a read option to extend the Badgers’ lead to 42-7.
Cade Yacamelli had runs of 45 yards and 19 yards on the drive as well in his first action in the game.
Every Badgers running back has thrived today. It’s like the old days of smashmouth Wisconsin football.
Drive: 9 plays 80 yards 5:25
Score: Wisconsin 42, Rutgers 7
Rutgers gets one first down after Athan Kaliakmanis finds Christian Dremel for 18 yards, but the Scarlet Knights get just 1 more yard and have to punt again.
Wisconsin gets the ball back with 10:09 left in the game.
Expect a lot of runs as Wisconsin looks to finish this impressive performance out.
Kyle Monangai came into the game with all the hype as one of the Big Ten’s best running back.
Well, Tawee Walker would like a word.
After Rutgers scored its first touchdown of the game, the Badgers responded quickly with Walker’s third touchdown.
The freshman rushed up the middle untouched for a 55-yard TD run. It’s the second straight week he had three touchdown runs.
He’s up to 198 yards rushing on 24 carries for an 8.3 yards per carry average.
Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 2:37
Score: Wisconsin 35, Rutgers 7 (with 11:20 left in the fourth quarter)
Rutgers is finally on the board.
Kyle Monangai capped off the 13-play, 80-yard drive with a 13-yard touchdown.
It’s his seventh rushing touchdown of the season.
There’s still 13 minutes, 48 seconds left in the game. But is it too little, too late for Rutgers? Monangai is up to 72 yards rushing but he’s still about 60 yards less than his average.
Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 3:25
Score: Wisconsin 28, Rutgers 7
Wisconsin takes a 28-0 lead into the fourth quarter.
Wisconsin has been in complete control of this game through three quarters and used explosive plays to expand their lead after a sluggish second quarter.
Rutgers is on the move as the final period begins. After a 5-yard run by Kyle Monangai, the Scarlet Knights have the ball at Wisconsin’s 46-yard line.
Rutgers goes three and out for the sixth time in this game.
The Scarlet Knights continue to struggle finding a groove on offense. The Badgers get one first down on their next possession when Braedyn Locke connected with Quincy Burroughs for 13 yards. But the drive stalls after Locke was sacked.
The Badgers are rolling.
Wisconsin just six plays to get in the end zone again and it was all on runs. That’s old-school Wisconsin football.
The Badgers began the drive with four straight runs by Darrion Dupree and then on a third and long Braedyn Locke showed his ability to run as well with an 8-yard scramble for the first down.
Tawee Walker took it from there with a 9-yard touchdown run. It’s 28-0 Badgers.
Drive: 6 plays, 31 yards, 3:21
Score: Wisconsin 28, Rutgers 0 (with 4:47 left in the third quarter)
After a delay of game penalty to start the drive, Athan Kaliakmanis’ pass is tipped and intercepted.
Hunter Wohler had a big hit on the Rutgers wide receiver that sent the ball into into the Badgers’ grasp.
The Badgers offense will start the drive at the Rutgers’ 31-yard line with 8:06 left in the third quarter.
That was impressive for Wisconsin!
The Badgers need just four plays to go 89 yards in less than 2 minutes to get into the end zone and extend their lead to 21-0.
Tawee Walker had the Badgers off and running quickly with a 33-yard burst on the first play of the drive.
After a 7-yard run by Darrion Dupree, Braedyn Locke and Vinny Anthony hooked up for a 47-yard completion to get down to the Rutgers 2-yard line.
The freshman Dupree then finished off the drive with his first touchdown.
Drive: 4 plays, 89 yards, 1:45
Score: Wisconsin 21, Rutgers 0
Both Wisconsin and Rutgers trade punts to begin the second half.
The Badgers incorporated Trech Kekahuna into the offense for the first time on their first drive. The breakout star in last week’s win over Purdue had two catches on the drive, including a 13-yard reception to get a first down.
Rutgers went with four runs by Kyle Monangai on its first four plays. But facing a 3rd and 4 they go to the pass and Athan Kaliakmanis’ pass is incomplete after another drop by Rutgers. Drops have been a problem all day for the Scarlet Knights.
Will Pauling is out for the game with what is being labeled as an upper body injury, the team announced early in the third quarter.
He was hit hard late in the second quarter after a catch on a play that resulted in a fumble. The injury is a tough break for Pauling, who started out the game hot with a touchdown on the first drive.
It’s the second straight week that the wide receiver has left a game with an injury
Well, that was sure a turn of events.
Will Pauling’s fumble doesn’t come back to hurt the Badgers on the scoreboard but this wasn’t a pretty way for Wisconsin to end the half.
Rutgers gets one first down but then is forced into a 37-yard field goal with 16 second left. And after a bad snap, the Badgers block the field goal. The Badgers, smartly, kneel it down and go into the half with a 14-0 lead.
As poor as the Badgers played in the two-minute drill, Rutgers was equally worse. Rutgers had chances late in the second quarter to cut into the lead but the Badgers first had a big fourth-down stop and then that missed field goal was the latest missed opportunity. Drops have also plagued Rutgers.
Wisconsin has two turnovers in the game but Rutgers couldn’t capitalize on either. Both teams also have missed field goals.
The big story has been Wisconsin’s defense limiting Rutgers’ top-tier rushing game to just 51 yards. Running back Kyle Monangai, who came into the game averaging 133.4 yards, has just 22 on 11 carries.
Rutgers’ drive lasts just 18 seconds after three drops.
Wisconsin will get another opportunity. But the drive ends with its second turnover of the game. One second and 10 from their own 30-yard line, Will Pauling was hit hard after a catch and fumbled it.
Rutgers recovered the ball at the Badgers’ 34-yard line with 40 seconds left in the half.
A critical mistake for the Badgers in this second quarter when they’re up 14-0. It’s great to be aggressive but with Tawee Walker running the ball like he is it would have been best to run it there and take the 14-point lead into halftime.
Wisconsin gets one first down but has to punt. It’s the third straight possession without points.
But another highlight was Tawee Walker, who opened the drive with three straight runs totaling 13 yards. Walker is continuing to show that he can be a lead back for Wisconsin after Chez Mellusi left the team last week. It’s still very early in his Wisconsin career, but could he turn into the next great running back at UW?
There’s just 1:17 left in the second quarter. Can the Badgers defense continue to keep Rutgers down?
The Scarlet Knights started the drive after the Badgers’ missed field goal at their own 20-yard line.
And they have their best possession of the game, getting down to the march down the field to the Wisconsin 10-yard line.
But the Badgers’ defense gets a huge stop. On 4th and 1, Rutgers bypasses a short field goal in favor of continuing the drive in pursuit of a touchdown.
It was probably the right call since Rutgers was finally showing some signs of life on offense. But it backfires after Kyle Monangai is stuffed at the line. Rutgers’ drive goes nine plays, 70 yards and took 4 minutes, 53 seconds off the block.
Wisconsin’s defense bent but didn’t break. The Badgers offense will get the ball back with 2:24 left in the second quarter.
Wisconsin had another solid drive going but it ended with a missed field goal.
The Badgers got down to the Rutgers’ 23-yard line but a false start penalty pushed them back 5 yards. They got the yards back with 10 rushing yards from Tawee Walker to get within a more manageable kick.
But Nathanial Vakos missed a 35-yard field goal.
That was a missed opportunity.
Rutgers will take over with 7:17 left in the second quarter. Was that just a shift in momentum?
Wisconsin converts on a third down but then are forced into its first punt of the game.
And it was a beauty by Atticus Bertrams, who has been putting together an All-Big Ten type of season.
He pinned Rutgers down at the 2-yard line.
Backed up deep in their territory, Rutgers can’t get going. The Badgers stopped running back Kyle Monangai for no gain on the ground and then Athan Kaliakmanis’ next two passes are incomplete.
The Badgers, however, nearly give it away on a muffed punt but quickly recover. The same thing happened against USC two weeks ago but they lost the ball in that game as they blew a lead.
Fortunately for Wisconsin, it didn’t lose the ball. No harm.
Braedyn Locke and the offense gets the ball again at its own 48-yard line with 10:17 left in the second quarter.
Rutgers’ offense is out of sorts and punt again after another three and out. The Scarlet Knights have 35 total yards (23 rushing and 12 passing) through four possessions.
Braedyn Locke, Tawee Walker and offense will look to expand the lead as they take the field with 15 seconds left in the first quarter.
Braedyn Locke shrugged off that interception and led a second first-quarter touchdown drive. Tawee Walker completed it with a 2-yard touchdown run on a fourth and 1.
It’s Walker’s seventh touchdown of the season.
Walker is running with a purpose today. He began the drive with an 18-yard run to the right to get the Badgers to the 35-yard line. Then after a 6-yard run by Walker, Locke found tight end Tucker Ashcraft over the middle for 18 yards. The Badgers were quickly down to the Rutgers 11-yard line and in business.
Four plays later, Walker was in the end zone.
Drive: 7 plays 53 yards 3:25
Score: Wisconsin 14, Rutgers 0
Braedyn Locke’s interception doesn’t hurt the Badgers.
Rutgers is three and out once again. Rutgers only has one first down in its first three drives.
Mike Tressel’s defense is doing a really nice job today in containing a Rutgers offense that has thrived in controlling games through the run.
Wisconsin’s defense gets a three and out and the Badgers’ offense gets the ball back.
After two 6-yard gains on back-to-back plays by freshman Tawee Walker, Braedyn Locke slinged it downfield and was picked off by Rutgers.
Locke was looking for a streaking Vinny Anthony but Shaquan Loyal jumped up for the easy interception with 6:42 left in the first quarter.
But the picks didn’t deter Locke last week as he went on to have a huge game as the Badgers rolled in the second half.
We’ll see how he responds after this on the Badgers’ next drive. Locke had two interceptions last week in the first half against Purdue so that’s something the sophomore will have to work on.
The Badgers are on the scoreboard first after Braedyn Locke’s 16-yard touchdown pass to Will Pauling.
Wisconsin’s offense took the field at its own 11-yard line with 12:13 left in the first quarter. The Badgers didn’t waste any time going to the air as they looked to pick up where they left off last week against Purdue. But Locke just missed a diving Will Pauling on the pass down field. Locke had 359 yards passing in last week’s win over Purdue. The total is seventh-most in program history.
On 3rd and 2, Tawee Walker avoids the defenders in the back field and gains 7 yards on the play.
Locke then connects with Pauling across the middle as the drive continues and then finds Vinny Anthony for a 34-yard completion to get to the Rutgers 19-yard line. A beautiful ball and catch. Anthony has shown his explosiveness this season.
Two plays later, the Badgers are in the end zone. Locke finds Pauling for a 16-yard touchdown in the right corner. That was sure an impressive opening drive for the Badgers. They have set the tone with this drive. Locke didn’t let the first miss to Pauling bother him and delivered some spot-on passes to get the Badgers on the board first.
Drive: 8 plays, 89 yards, 3:08
Score: Wisconsin 7, Rutgers 0 (9:16 left in the first quarter)
The Badgers had to prepare for the explosive Kyle Monangai at running back. But they’ll also have to be mindful of Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, who showed off his wheels on the first play of the game. He took it himself for a 9-yard gain.
Then it was Monangai for the next two carries.
But on 3rd and 6 at its own 42-yard line, Rutgers went to the pass for the first time and Wisconsin nearly picked off Kaliakmanis. Ricardo Hallman dropped the would-be interception.
Hallman, who led the country in interceptions last year, will be kicking himself for not holding onto that one.
Either way, the Badgers get the stop and the offense will take the field for the first time.
Wisconsin won the toss and has deferred for the second half.
It’s 72 degrees and sunny with a slight breeze at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey. Just a gorgeous October day for a college football game.
The Badgers have never lost to Rutgers (5-0). All the games have occurred since 2014 after Rutgers joined the Big Ten.
Can Luke Fickell and the Badgers keep the streak going?
Questionable
Out
Questionable
Out
Friday
Saturday
The No. 2-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes and No. 3-ranked Oregon Ducks is the marquee game not only on the Big Ten schedule but nationally.
BYE: Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana, Nebraska
Follow here for scores all day.
This is Wisconsin’s third game ever at Rutgers. It won both previous games in Piscataway (52-3 in 2021 and 37-0 in 2014).
It likely won’t be that easy for the Badgers in 2024. In fact, Wisconsin is the underdog for the first time in the six-game series. Rutgers (4-1) is off to a solid start to their season and they have a win over last year’s national runner-up, Washington. They’re a sound defensive team and led by Kyle Monangai they have a tremendous running attack on offense.
Outside of last week when Wisconsin steamrolled Purdue, Wisconsin’s offense has mostly struggled this season.
The Badgers play their second road game of the Big Ten and season. Its last game away from Camp Randall was a 38-21 loss to USC.
TV channel: Big Ten Network
Live stream: Fox Sports app, Fubo (free trial for new subscribers)
Jeff Levering, a member of the Brewers TV and radio broadcast team, is in the booth for play-by-play, Jake Butt is the analyst and Brooke Fletcher is the on-field reporter.
Rutgers is in Piscataway, New Jersey, a suburb in the New York metropolitan area. Piscataway has a population around 61,000.
Our Badgers football reporters are split on this matchup.
Mark Stewart: Wisconsin 24, Rutgers 20
JR Radcliffe: Rutgers 28, Wisconsin 20
Here’s more on the reasoning behind their picks. ESPN’s predictor model, meanwhile, only gives Wisconsin a 39.4% of winning.
Spread: Wisconsin (+1.5)
Money line: Rutgers -125, Wisconsin +105
Total points: 44
Here are stats for both teams after five games:
Wisconsin
Rutgers
Braedyn Locke will start his third game at quarterback after taking over for the injured Tyler Van Dyke, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL last month against Alabama. And after Trech Kekahuna’s breakout performance last week against Purdue, will he become a favorite target of Locke?
Here’s Wisconsin’s full two-deep at every position.
The offense revolves around senior running back Kyle Monangai, whose 133.4 yards per game are second in the Big Ten and fourth nationally. Monangai already has a 200-yard rushing game and two 100-plus yard games, including against Washington two weeks ago. He averages 5.8 yards per carry.
Rutgers’ quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis is in his first year with the Scarlet Knights after transferring from Minnesota. He started 12 games for the Golden Gophers in 2023. He’s completing 55.6% of his passes and has eight touchdowns and three interceptions through five games. Here’s Rutgers’ full roster.
* Denotes Big Ten game
* Denotes Big Ten game
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