After a slow start, Wisconsin overwhelmed visiting Middle Tennessee with three touchdowns in a 12:04 stretch of the second half to roll to a 42-10 win on Saturday in Madison, Wis.
The Badgers (2-0) held a narrow 14-10 lead midway through the third quarter with the Blue Raiders (0-2) driving into Wisconsin territory. Christian Alliegro’s stop of MTSU running back Jekail Middlebrook on fourth-and-1 at the Badgers 24-yard line proved pivotal, as Wisconsin erupted from there.
On the ensuing change of possession, Trech Kekahuna went 61 yards for a touchdown. Wisconsin then forced a quick three-and-out and took over at the 50-yard line, scoring again on a 14-yard Vinny Anthony II carry.
Another Blue Raiders punt pinned Wisconsin at its own 1-yard line, but the Badgers carved out large chunks of yardage to set up quarterback Danny O’Neil connecting with Jayden Ballard on a 58-yard touchdown pass.
The score was O’Neil’s second of the afternoon and capped the game-changing stretch. O’Neil finished 23-of-27 passing for 283 yards with three touchdown tosses, including a 17-yard connection with Lance Mason to complete the sixth Wisconsin scoring drive in seven possessions.
The scoring reception was part of a seven-catch, 102-yard afternoon for Mason.
That roll came only after MTSU blanked the Badgers for the game’s first 21:40. The Blue Raiders forced punts on Wisconsin’s first two possessions, but could only capitalize with a 27-yard Jacob Hathaway field goal in the first quarter.
O’Neil got the Badgers on the board with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Tyrell Henry midway through the second quarter, capping an 11-play, 80-yard drive. Wisconsin struck again in the period on a Dilin Jones goal-line touchdown carry, but the Blue Raiders answered when Damonte Smith’s interception of O’Neill set up MTSU in the red zone.
Nick Vattiato threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Hunter Tipton just before halftime, and the resulting four-point margin was as close as the Blue Raiders would be for the rest of the day.
Vattiato went 20-of-31 passing for 197 yards. The MTSU aerial attack got little support from the rushing game, with Wisconsin stymying the Blue Raiders to just 33 yards on 28 attempts.
–Field Level Media
