Badgers QB Mertz remains upbeat after offseason speculation
Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz says his confidence hasn’t wavered even during an offseason in which Oklahoma transfer Caleb Williams’ name got mentioned as his potential replacement. Mertz is now working with a new receiving corps and new offensive coordinator as he attempts to gain consistency and live up to the lofty expectations that accompanied his arrival. “My confidence never really has gotten tested to the point where I doubt myself,” Mertz said Monday.
news.yahoo.comBadgers' Chryst says he never spoke directly to Williams
Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst says he never personally spoke with Caleb Williams when the former Oklahoma quarterback was considering potential transfer destinations before choosing Southern California. Chryst added that he did keep incumbent quarterback Graham Mertz informed about the situation as Williams was making his decision. "He understands,” Chryst said Monday, the day before Wisconsin opens spring practice.
news.yahoo.comNo. 14 Michigan routs Wisconsin 38-17; Badgers QB Mertz hurt
Michigan Wisconsin Football Michigan's Daxton Hill hits Wisconsin's Graham Mertz during the second half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, in Madison, Wis. Mertz was hurt on the play and left the game. 14 Michigan found a formula to shut down the Wisconsin rushing attack that had embarrassed the Wolverines the last couple of years. After Mertz and Ferguson departed, Michigan (5-0, 1-0) scored 25 straight points to put the game out of reach. “It was just a relentless effort.”Badgers coach Paul Chryst said Mertz went to the hospital for evaluation but otherwise had no immediate update on either injury. Wisconsin beat Michigan 35-14 in 2019 and 49-11 in 2020 while rushing for over 340 yards in each of those games.
wftv.comNo. 14 Michigan rips Wisconsin 38-17; Badgers' Mertz injured
14 Michigan remained unbeaten Saturday with a 38-17 victory over Wisconsin, which lost starting quarterback Graham Mertz to a chest injury. Wisconsin beat Michigan 35-14 in 2019 and 49-11 in 2020 while rushing for over 340 yards in each of those games. Highly touted freshman quarterback J.J. McCarthy also played and had a 1-yard touchdown run plus a 56-yard touchdown pass to Daylen Baldwin. Mertz was 8 of 15 for 115 yards with a touchdown pass to Chimere Dike before getting hurt. But once Mertz went down, the Badgers never threatened again.
wftv.comWisconsin QB Graham Mertz leaves with chest injury
Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz left Saturday's game against No. 14 Michigan after he was sacked early in the third quarter. The team said Mertz and tight end Jake Ferguson went to the locker room with chest injuries. Michigan’s Daxton Hill sacked Mertz on a third-and-9 play in the first series of the third.
news.yahoo.comChryst says Wisconsin's troubles on offense go beyond Mertz
Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst says the Badgers’ problems on offense don’t rest solely with struggling quarterback Graham Mertz. Mertz was 18 for 41 for 240 yards with four interceptions and a fumble in the Badgers’ 41-13 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday. Chryst said Monday his message to the sophomore is to stay positive.
news.yahoo.comWith QB Coan out, No. 12 Irish beat No. 18 Badgers 41-13
12 Notre Dame beat No. Brian Kelly became the winningest coach in Notre Dame history with victory No. Coan, a Wisconsin transfer, left with an apparent left leg injury in the third quarter with the game tied at 10. A highly rated 2019 recruit, Mertz had some ups and downs in 2020, but Coan could see where things were headed and transferred to Notre Dame. Notre Dame got a strip sack by Jayson Ademilola on Wisconsin's next possession, and Isaiah Foskey recovered on the Badgers 46.
wftv.comDefense helps No. 19 Penn State edge No. 12 Wisconsin 16-10
“It was a gutsy win against a really good opponent, a top-20 opponent,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. Jahan Dotson had a 49-yard touchdown catch for Penn State and also set up Cain’s score with a 42-yard reception. Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford was 18 of 33 for 247 yards. Ebiketie, a Temple transfer, blocked a short field-goal attempt and provided consistent pressure in his Penn State debut. [ POLL IMPLICATIONS ]Wisconsin figures to fall out of the top 15 while Penn State could move up to the top 15.
wftv.comTuttle, D lift No. 10 Indiana past No. 18 Wisconsin 14-6
Indiana tied a program record Saturday by earning its sixth Big Ten win of the season, joining the 1967 and 1987 teams. Tuttle also lost a fumble that led to a Wisconsin field goal. “He goes running into the locker so I’m thinking, I’m telling Dex (Dexter Williams), ‘OK, this is your time. Indiana entered the day with a Big Ten-leading 18 takeaways and used an early turnover to take the lead for good. Wisconsin had moved the ball to the Indiana 39 when Tiawan Mullen sacked Mertz and knocked the ball loose.
No. 13 Wisconsin routs Michigan 49-11 in 1st game in 3 weeks
Wisconsin wide receiver Chimere Dike (13) gets away from Michigan defensive back Vincent Gray (4) during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020. 13 Wisconsin build a big lead in a 49-11 rout of Michigan on Saturday night. “It was great to get back to playing.”The Wolverines (1-3) fell behind 28-0 at halftime, their largest deficit at home since the Big House opened in 1927, and are off to their worst start since 1967. The team announced that 10 players would not be available to play at Michigan, but didn't say why they were out of the lineup. POLL IMPLICATIONSThe Badgers might up a little after slipping in the two weeks they were idle after rising to No.
No. 10 Wisconsin cancels game with Purdue due to outbreak
MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin has canceled Saturday's home game against Purdue, the second straight game the 10th-ranked Badgers have called off as COVID-19 cases within their team continue to rise. Ten players and 11 staffers have tested positive over the last seven days. This marks the second straight week that Wisconsin has canceled a football game due to the outbreak. They called that game off on Oct. 28, the same day they announced that coach Paul Chryst had tested positive. This second cancellation gives Wisconsin little room for error in its quest to reach a second straight conference championship game.
No. 9 Wisconsin cancels Nebraska game; Chryst tests positive
9 Wisconsin canceled its game at Nebraska and paused team activities for at least a week after a dozen people in the program — including coach Paul Chryst — tested positive for COVID-19. Alvarez said the team had only one positive test two days before Friday's season-opening 45-7 victory over Illinois and 12 positive tests afterward. Alvarez said Wisconsin had reached the “orange/red” levels in the Big Ten protocols based on its rate of positive tests. The announcement followed reports that quarterback Graham Mertz had tested positive twice – which would require him to sit out at least 21 days under Big Ten protocols – and that backup quarterback Chase Wolf had tested positive at least once. “We’ll see where we are as far as testing, and we’ll make that decision as we move closer to the game,” Alvarez said.
Nightmare scenario: What happens when outbreak hits QB room?
What happens if an outbreak hits a team’s quarterback room? “Obviously this year there’s some things that will be unique,” Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said Monday without specifically discussing his players’ test results. “I think there certainly were those questions after the decision was made,” Ohio State team physician Jim Borchers said last week. And that’s all we really paid attention to.”Big Ten protocols say that athletes who test positive through point-of-contact daily testing must take a polymerase chain reaction test to confirm the first result. While Wisconsin awaits answers, Big Ten teams continue reminding quarterbacks about the potential risks inherent in this unusual season.
Wisconsin coach stays mum on QB Mertz with Huskers up next
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and Wisconsin State Journal both reported that Mertz had tested positive. The Journal-Sentinel reported Mertz’s positive test came Saturday, one day after the Badgers’ 45-7 season-opening home victory over Illinois. Both papers reported that Mertz would be undergoing a second test to determine if the first result was a false positive. Big Ten protocols say that athletes who test positive through point-of-contact daily testing must take a polymerase chain reaction test to confirm the first result. Chryst said he has no problem with the Big Ten’s 21-day policy, which is more stringent than those of most conferences regarding players who test positive.
Mertz, No. 14 Wisconsin rout Illinois 45-7 in Big Ten opener
Mertz threw five touchdown passes to match the Wisconsin record in a commanding first career start and the No. We’re a better football team than that.”After Illinois fumbled the ball away on the game’s second play from scrimmage, Mertz hit fullback Mason Stokke for a 10-yard touchdown pass. Illinois briefly got back into it late in the second quarter when Ferguson fumbled at the end of a 9-yard completion. Mertz responded to Illinois’ touchdown by throwing a 34-yard completion to Ferguson and then hitting the tight end again for a 14-yard score with 1:06 left in the half. After Illinois went three-and-out on its next series, Mertz threw deep and found Danny Davis for a 53-yard touchdown pass with 28 seconds left until halftime.