(12) Notre Dame 41, (18) Wisconsin 13: 2-minute drill
CHICAGO — Notre Dame scored 31 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, including taking two interceptions back for touchdowns, to beat Wisconsin 41-13 on Saturday afternoon at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Wisconsin Game Balls
Offense: WR Kendric Pryor
Wisconsin didn’t have much success offensively, but Pryor stood out in his opportunities. He set career-highs with six catches and 69 yards, while also adding his first receiving touchdown since the 2018 Pinstripe Bowl. The Chicago area native was targeted a career-high 16 times by quarterback Graham Mertz and would have had quite a few catches and yards if the balls were catchable.
Defense: The front seven
Wisconsin’s front seven dominated once again, sacking Notre Dame quarterbacks six times, racking up 12 tackles for loss and limiting the Irish to three yards rushing. Ten different players had at least a ½ tackle for loss, including two each for Jack Sanborn, Matt Henningsen and Nick Herbig.
Through three games, Wisconsin’s defense has given up 36 points, while the offense and special teams have given the opponent 28 points.
Best Video
Safety Collin Wilder was embarrassed by the #Badgers finish today. Said he apologized to the alumni in attendance, which included Eric Burrell and Jack Cichy. pic.twitter.com/Lv4pkH4LP9
— Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) September 25, 2021
Best Tweets
Just pick like, 5,000 football fans and poll them on what the results of the replay should be. We have the technology.
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) September 25, 2021
Graham Mertz ain’t it…….
— Vince Biegel (@VinceBiegel) September 25, 2021
“Jump Around” playing in Notre Dame’s locker room right now.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) September 25, 2021
Wow Minnesota lost to Bowling Green? Has to be the big takeaway from today’s games. That’s crazy
— Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) September 25, 2021
#Badgers’ 41-13 loss is low point in coach Paul Chryst’s seven seasons. 38 of Notre Dame’s 41 points came off turnovers or on special teams. Offense and special teams are a mess three games into the season; defense deserved better.
— Tom Oates (@TomOatesWSJ) September 25, 2021
What They Said
“No.”
— Graham Mertz when asked if he was concerned about whether the Badgers could move on from him as their quarterback. The sophomore went 18-for-41 for 240 yards and four interceptions, including two that were returned for touchdowns. He also had a fumble in the fourth quarter that led to another Notre Dame score. Since throwing seven touchdowns and no interceptions in his first two starts, Mertz had thrown three touchdowns and 12 interceptions in the next eight.
“The alumni, the guys that have laid this program out for us to what it is today, deserve better.”
— Safety Collin Wilder talking about the way in which the Badgers lost. He said they apologized to alumni that were in the locker room, which included Eric Burrell and Jack Cichy. Wisconsin is 1-2 for the first time since 2001. That’s also the last time they finished with a sub .500 record and missed a bowl game.
In Case You Missed It
— Cornerback Faion Hicks and running back Isaac Guerendo left the game with injuries and did not return.
— Former Wisconsin quarterback Jack Coan was knocked out of the game in the third quarter. He finished 15-for-29 for 158 yards and a touchdown. He was sacked five times.
— Wisconsin linebacker Leo Chenal returned after missing the first two games following a positive COVID-19 test. He ended up leading the Badgers in tackles with eight. He also had a tackle for loss and a forced fumble.
Inside the Numbers
3 – That’s how many yards rushing Notre Dame had. It’s the fewest for the Irish in a game since 2007. Wisconsin is now allowing 23 yards rushing per game.
0-7 – That’s Wisconsin’s record in its last seven games against ranked teams. The offense is averaging 11.6 points per game in those losses. Overall, the Badgers are now 10-16 against top-25 teams in Paul Chryst’s tenure.
4 – That’s how many pass breakups Faion Hicks had. It’s the most by a Wisconsin player since 2017.
What’s Next
Wisconsin (1-2, 0-1) will host Michigan (3-0) at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday at 11 a.m.