Notes: Wisconsin Penalty-Free For the First Time Since 2016

MADISON, Wis. — Team and individual notes from Wisconsin’s 42-10 win over Middle Tennessee State on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium…

Wisconsin Team Notes

-Today’s captains: senior WR Vinny Anthony II, senior OL Riley Mahlman, graduate student DL Ben Barten, and graduate S Preston Zachman.

– The Badgers had an attendance of 70,368 this afternoon.=

– Wisconsin has started 2-0 for the second-straight season under HC Luke Fickell. It also marks the 7th time in the last 10 years UW has earned a 2-0 start.

– The Badgers improved to 6-1 all-time against Conference USA teams.

– The game marks the first time since 1995 that UW had two different wide receivers record rushing touchdowns in a single game.

– Wisconsin totaled 75 rushing yards from WRs in the game, the most in a single game since the Badgers tallied 113 versus Purdue on Nov. 23, 2019.

– UW outgained Middle Tennessee 436-241, including a 282-95 advantage in the second half.

– The Badgers’ 436 yards of total offense were their most since posting 549 in a win at Rutgers on Oct. 12, 2024.

– Wisconsin held Middle Tennessee to 33 yards rushing after holding Miami to only 34 yards on the ground last weekend. It marks the first time UW has held an opponent to under 35 yards rushing in back-to-back games since holding Purdue to -13 yards on the ground and Iowa to 24 rushing yards on Sept. 23 and Sept. 30, 2021.

– The Badgers had 5 sacks, their most since recording 6 on Sept. 16, 2023 against Georiga Southern.
Wisconsin didn’t commit a penalty on the day, marking the first time since Oct. 22, 2016 against Iowa that the Badgers were not penalized.

– Through two games this season, Wisconsin has allowed just one opposing touchdown, the lowest amount in the team’s first two games of the season since shutting out its first two opponents in 2019.

-UW recorded both a 61-yard rushing touchdown and a 58-yard receiving touchdown. The last time the team recorded both a 50+ yard rushing and receiving touchdown was against Illinois State on Sept. 3, 2022.

– Wisconsin put together a 99-yard scoring drive in the game. The last time the team put together a drive of equal length was Sept. 6, 2003 against Akron.

Individual Notes

– In his first start as a Badger, QB Danny O’Neil went 23-of-27 for 283 yards, the most passing yards by a Badger quarterback in their starting debut since 1951. O’Neil’s 3 touchdowns through the air were the most in a Badger starting debut since Graham Mertz had 5 TDs in his debut on Oct. 23, 2020 against Illinois. O’Neil’s 85 percent completion percentage was the best mark by a UW quarterback since Graham Mertz posted a 87.5 percent clip (14-of-16) against Illinois State on Sept. 3, 2022.

RB Dilin Jones notched first career touchdown in the second quarter thanks to a 1-yard scamper that put UW up 14-3. Jones finished the day with 10 carries for 36 yards.

– WR Vinny Anthony II had 4 catches for 50 yards and recorded his first career rushing touchdown in the third quarter on a career-long 14-yard rush.

– WR Trech Kekahuna posted 4 catches for 28 yards and scored his first career rushing TD, a 61-yard camper, in the third quarter. His 61-yard touchdown run was the longest since Chez Melusi had an 89-yard touchdown run on Sept. 2, 2023 vs. Buffalo.

– WR Jayden Ballard had 2 catches for 73 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown catch in the fourth frame.
It marked Ballard’s first receiving TD as a Badger and his first TD since he hauled in a 72-yard TD reception as a member of Ohio State on Sept. 17, 2022 against Toledo.

– WR Joe Griffin Jr. had his first catch as a Badger in the fourth quarter.

– TE Lance Mason had a career-high seven catches for 102 yards and a touchdown, becoming the first Badger tight end to eclipse 100-yards since Troy Fumigali did so on Sept. 1, 2017 against Utah State.

– LB Tackett Curtis had 7 tackles, including his first sack of the year.

– LB Christian Alliegro posted 7 tackles and set a career high with 2 TFL’s.

– S Preston Zachman had 5 tackles.

– DB Omillio Agard nabbed his first career interception halfway through the second quarter.

– LB Sebastian Cheeks had his third career sack in the first half. Cheeks ended the day with 3 stops.

– DL Brandon Lane had his first sack as a Badger in the third quarter.

– LB Mason Posa notched a sack on the last play of the game, the first of his career.

– S Charlie Jarvis blocked a punt in the fourth quarter, UW’s first blocked punt since Jaylan Franklin recorded one against Wake Forest on Dec. 30, 2020.

Wisconsin Athletic Communications Department