Jalen Milroe passed for three touchdowns and ran for two more on Saturday in Madison, Wis., to pace fourth-ranked Alabama to a 42-10 nonconference rout of Wisconsin, which lost starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke on its opening possession.
Van Dyke, a redshirt senior transfer from Miami, was carted off the field with an apparent right knee injury after a third-down scramble. He was replaced by redshirt sophomore Braedyn Locke, who started three games last season in place of an injured Tanner Mordecai.
Milroe completed 12 of 17 passes for 196 yards with touchdowns of 31, 26 and 37 yards. He also ran for a team-high 75 yards on 14 carries.
Alabama (3-0) scored on each side of halftime for a 28-3 lead. The Crimson Tide outgained Wisconsin 407-290 for the game and averaged 7.3 yards per play to 4.0 for the Badgers (2-1).
Locke completed 13 of 26 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown. Chez Mellusi ran for 66 yards on 11 carries.
Alabama went in front 7-3 with 20 seconds left in the opening quarter when Milroe hit dynamic freshman Ryan Williams with a 31-yard scoring strike.
The Crimson Tide capitalized on a second-quarter turnover to make it 14-3. Mellusi ran for 21 yards but fumbled on the tackle, and the ball was recovered by Alabama at the Wisconsin 28. Seven plays later, Milroe skirted to the right end for a score from 3 yards out.
Nathanial Vakos was wide right on a 44-yard field-goal attempt with 36 seconds left in the first half for Wisconsin, and Milroe needed just two plays to go 73 yards the other way. He hit Williams for a 47-yard gain, then threw a 26-yard scoring pass to Germie Bernard for a 21-3 halftime lead.
The Crimson Tide marched 75 yards in five plays on the opening series of the third quarter, capping the drive with Jamarion Miller’s 34-yard touchdown run to make it 28-3.
The Badgers answered with a 17-play, 75-yard drive capped by Locke’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Will Pauling.
Alabama later recovered a fumble by Cade Yacamelli at the Wisconsin 18. Milroe scored on a 10-yard run for a 35-10 lead late in the third quarter and hit a wide-open Josh Cuevas for a 37-yard touchdown with 10:05 left in the game.
Wisconsin opened the contest with a 10-play, 40-yard drive, settling for Vakos’ 53-yard field goal. Graham Nicholson was wide right from 46 yards out on Alabama’s ensuing possession.
–Field Level Media
