By Adam Roberts – 9/6/2021
Badger quarterback Graham Mertz recalled after Saturday’s 16-10 loss to #19 Penn State that there were too many mistakes in the redzone late, many of which Mertz was to blame for.
The Badger quarterback had two costly interceptions late in the ballgame, and Wisconsin converted on just one redzone trip the entire contest. Overall, Mertz went 22-37 for 185 yards and the two picks, with a decent chunk of those yards coming on the final drive of the game.
Defensively, Wisconsin played fairly well, giving up just one major play on a 49-yard touchdown pass from Sean Clifford to senior wideout Jahan Dotson. The Badgers tallied a couple of sacks and recorded seven tackles for loss.
On the ground for Wisconsin, Chez Mellusi led the pack of seven different Badgers to rush on the day with 121 yards and a score on 31 carries. In the receiving game, Danny Davis had eight catches for 99 yards including a beautiful grab late that was negated moments later by a Mertz pick in the endzone.
Additionally, ESPN reported on Saturday that starting linebacker Leo Chenal would miss the first two games of the season after landing on the COVID-19 list with a positive test. Chenal had 40 tackles and a team-high three sacks in 2020, earning All-Big Ten honorable mention. Cornerback Deron Harrell and linebacker Aaron Witt were also held out of Saturday’s loss.
Wisconsin will look to rebound Saturday when they host Eastern Michigan here on ESPN La Crosse 105.5 and locally on espnlacrosse.com.