GRAHAM MERTZ

Defending national champion Georgia became the second team in 15 seasons to score a touchdown on its first seven possessions against a ranked opponent.

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.

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.

Graham Mertz scored on two quarterback sneaks and threw a touchdown pass to help Wisconsin trounce No. 9 Iowa 27-7 on Saturday for its fourth consecutive victory.

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.

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.

Cornelius Johnson caught both of Cade McNamara’s touchdown passes and No. 14 Michigan remained unbeaten with a 38-17 victory over Wisconsin, which lost starting quarterback Graham Mertz to a 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.

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.

For about 45 minutes late Saturday afternoon, college football was on overload.

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.

Chris Tyree returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown and Drew Pyne threw a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter in relief of an injured Jack Coan as No. 12 Notre Dame beat No. 18 Wisconsin 41-13 at Soldier Field.

No. 16 Arkansas' game against No. 7 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and No. 18 Wisconsin's meeting with No. 12 Notre Dame at Soldier Field in Chicago highlight the college football schedule on Saturday.

“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.

Jaquan Brisker and Ji’Ayir Brown intercepted Graham Mertz deep in Penn State territory in the final 2½ minutes to preserve the 19th-ranked Nittany Lions’ 16-10 victory over No. 12 Wisconsin.

Nine of the 14 Big Ten football teams appear set at quarterback heading into the fall.

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.

Northwestern players celebrate after they defeated Wisconsin 17-7 in an NCAA college football game in Evanston, Ill., Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)If you need help with the Public File, call 407-291-6000.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.