2024 David Stluka/Wisconsin Athletic Communications
13
1-1, 0-0
27
winner
2:0, 0:0
1-1, 0-0
13
27
winner
| team | 1st place | 2nd place | 3rd place | 4th place | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
|
|
14 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 27 |
Match Summary: Football | | Charlie Parent
Mellusi’s two touchdowns lead the Badgers to victory
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin football team used a 14-point halftime lead to defeat South Dakota 27-13 in its second game of the season on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.
The Badgers got off to a flying start as running back Chez Mellusi ran 9 yards into the end zone, capping a seven-play, 75-yard run in the first three minutes of the game. It’s the second straight season that Mellusi has scored in the first two games.
The Air Raid offense was in full effect in the first quarter when Van Dyke connected with CJ Williams for a 50-yard touchdown to take a 14-0 lead. It was Van Dyke’s first passing touchdown as a Badger and Williams’ first collegiate touchdown.
WHAT A GAME!!! 👏 @BadgerFootball
Wisconsin extends its lead with an excellent TD! pic.twitter.com/DtbM11GHA7
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) 7 September 2024
The two teams traded scoreless possessions until the second quarter, when South Dakota’s Will Leyland put the Coyotes on the scoreboard with a 25-yard field goal. Wisconsin stormed down the field and answered with a 24-yard field goal from Nathaniel Vakos when half had passed.
South Dakota came out of the break and went on a 10-0 run before the Badgers extended the lead to 20-13 thanks to a 50-yard field goal from Vakos. The Ohio transfer has now made two 50-yard attempts in his UW career, making him the sixth Badger kicker to do so.
Mellusi extended the lead in the fourth quarter with a 1-yard rushing touchdown to make it 27-13. In his sixth year, he was the linchpin of an 11-play, 85-yard drive that he capped. He now has two games with multiple rushing touchdowns with the Badgers, with the most recent effort coming in Week 1 against Buffalo last season.
Wisconsin extends its lead! 😎 @BadgerFootball pic.twitter.com/HBlMoAOHQy
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) 7 September 2024
A rampant Wisconsin defense nearly sealed the deal on the next drive, forcing a three-and-out that gave the ball back to the Badgers. Freshman Running Back Tandem Darrion Dupree And Dilin Jones each of them came on the final drive of the game and helped the Badgers take more than six minutes off the clock and end the game.
Van Dyke finished the day with 17 of 27 throws for 217 yards and a touchdown.
The running backs dominated again, despite an injury to the Oklahoma transfer Tawee Walker keep him out. Cade Yacamelli stepped in and set a career-high 73 rushing yards on eight carries. Mellusi carried the brunt of the load today, finishing the game with 16 carries for 60 yards and two touchdowns.
Williams finished as the team’s best receiver, scoring 53 yards and a touchdown. Will Pauling led the Badgers in pass catches with four for 48 yards. It is the ninth time the Illinois native has led Wisconsin in pass catches in just two seasons.
The Badger defense was strong in this win, holding South Dakota to 2 of 11 third down attempts and under 125 rushing yards. Safety Hunter Wohler led the Badgers in tackles for the 10th time in his career and clinched the ball carrier eight times. Transfer from Albany Elijah Hills was instrumental on the defensive line, recording a sack and two tackles for loss. It’s the second straight week that Hills had a sack and a TFL in the game. Hills’ linemate Curtis Neal recorded a career-high in tackles for the second straight week, recording four on Saturday. Christian Alliegro was also active in the backfield and scored 1.5 TFLs, which is a career high, while Edge Darryl Peterson also added a sack.
DIRECT FROM THE FIELD
Head Coach Lukas Fickell
“You never know exactly how things are going to turn out. I had a good idea that we were going to be tested, and in a different way. We were tested the first week, and we were tested again this week. But I’m telling you, those are the things that keep us growing. Those are the things that make you battle-tested.”
Next: The Badgers play their final nonconference game of the season next Saturday against No. 4 Alabama. Kickoff at Camp Randall is set for 11 a.m. on Fox. The Crimson Tide are 1-0 after last week’s 63-0 win over Western Kentucky. They face USF on Saturday at 6 p.m.
