# 2021 Wisconsin Badgers football team

The 2021 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Badgers were led by seventh-year head coach Paul Chryst and competed as members of the West Division of the Big Ten Conference. They played their home games at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.

## Offseason
### 2021 NFL draft

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
| 5 | 156 | Isaiahh Loudermilk | DE | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 6 | 213 | Rachad Wildgoose | CB | Buffalo Bills |
| 6 | 214 | Cole Van Lanen | OT | Green Bay Packers |
| Undrafted | Undrafted | Jon Dietzen | G | Green Bay Packers |
| Undrafted | Undrafted | Eric Burrell | S | New Orleans Saints |
| Undrafted | Undrafted | Mason Stokke | FB | Carolina Panthers |
| Undrafted | Undrafted | Garrett Groshek | RB | Las Vegas Raiders |

### Transfers

Outgoing
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Transfer to |
| Reggie Pearson | #2 | S | 5'10 | 180 | Sophomore | Inkster, MI | Texas Tech |
| Jack Coan | #17 | QB | 6'3 | 190 | Senior | West Sayville, NY | Notre Dame |
| Nakia Watson | #14 | RB | 5'11 | 212 | Sophomore | Austin, TX | Washington State |
| Gabe Lloyd | #46 | TE | 6'5 | 220 | Senior | Green Bay, WI | North Dakota State |
| Madison Cone | #31 | S | 5'8 | 165 | Senior | Kernersville, NC | Appalachian State |
| Dante Caputo | #38 | S | 5'11 | 185 | Freshman | Wexford, PA | Pittsburgh |
| Malik Reed | #53 | LB | 6'2 | 220 | Freshman | Chandler, AZ | Arizona |
| Taj Mustapha | #81 | WR | 6'2 | 175 | Sophomore | West Bloomfield, MI | Kent State |
| Loyal Crawford* | #22 | RB | 6'0 | 190 | Freshman | Eau Claire, WI | Independence CC |
| Antwan Roberts* | #28 | RB | 6'2 | 195 | Freshman | Hendersonville, TN | Independence CC |
| Jalen Berger* | #8 | RB | 6'0 | 205 | Freshman | Ramsey, NJ | Michigan State |
| Devin Chandler* | #86 | WR | 6'0 | 171 | Freshman | Cornelius, NC | Virginia |
| Kayden Lyles* | #76 | OL | 6'3 | 323 | Senior | Middleton, WI | Florida State |
| Donte Burton* | #4 | CB | 5'10 | 174 | Junior | Loganville, GA | Tulsa |
| Quan Easterling* | #43 | FB | 6'2 | 235 | Sophomore | Akron, OH | Duquesne |
| Deron Harrell* | #8 | CB | 6'2 | 175 | Senior | Denver, CO | Wyoming |
| Izayah Green-May* | #50 | OLB | 6'6 | 205 | Senior | Bolingbrook, IL | Northern Illinois |
*Entered NCAA transfer portal midseason or prior to bowl
Incoming
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Prev. school |
| Isaac Townsend | #85 | DE | 6'6 | 235 | Freshman | Arvada, CO | Oregon |
| Chez Mellusi | #27 | RB | 5'11 | 190 | Junior | Naples, FL | Clemson |

## Preseason
### Preseason Big Ten poll

Although the Big Ten Conference has not held an official preseason poll since 2010, Cleveland.com has polled sports journalists representing all member schools as a de facto preseason media poll since 2011. For the 2021 poll, Wisconsin was projected to finish first in the West Division.
Media poll (West Division) :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Wisconsin | 233 (29) |
| 2 | Iowa | 202 (5) |
| 3 | Northwestern | 160 |
| 4 | Minnesota | 146 |
| 5 | Nebraska | 91.5 |
| 6 | Purdue | 72.5 |
| 7 | Illinois | 47 |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 4 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 19 Penn State | No. 12 | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI (Big Noon Kickoff) | FOX | L 10–16 | 76,832 |
| September 11 | 6:00 p.m. | Eastern Michigan* | No. 18 | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | FS1 | W 34–7 | 70,967 |
| September 25 | 11:00 a.m. | vs. No. 12 Notre Dame* | No. 18 | Soldier FieldChicago, IL (Shamrock Series, Big Noon Kickoff, College GameDay) | FOX | L 13–41 | 59,571 |
| October 2 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 14 Michigan | | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI (Big Noon Kickoff) | FOX | L 17–38 | 74,855 |
| October 9 | 2:30 p.m. | at Illinois | | Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL | BTN | W 24–0 | 40,168 |
| October 16 | 7:00 p.m. | Army* | | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | BTN | W 20–14 | 76,314 |
| October 23 | 2:00 p.m. | at No. 25 Purdue | | Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN | BTN | W 30–13 | 61,320 |
| October 30 | 11:00 a.m. | No. 9 Iowa | | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI (Heartland Trophy) | ESPN | W 27–7 | 74,209 |
| November 6 | 2:30 p.m. | at Rutgers | No. 21 | SHI StadiumPiscataway, NJ | BTN | W 52–3 | 40,280 |
| November 13 | 11:00 a.m. | Northwestern | No. 18 | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | ESPN2 | W 35–7 | 73,194 |
| November 20 | 2:30 p.m. | Nebraska | No. 15 | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI (Freedom Trophy) | ABC | W 35–28 | 67,888 |
| November 27 | 3:00 p.m. | at Minnesota | No. 14 | Huntington Bank StadiumMinneapolis, MN (Paul Bunyan's Axe) | FOX | L 13–23 | 49,736 |
| December 30 | 9:30 p.m. | vs. Arizona State* | | Allegiant StadiumParadise, NV (Las Vegas Bowl) | ESPN | W 20–13 | 32,515 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after November 2) - Released prior to gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||

## Personnel
### Coaching staff

Wisconsin football 2021 coaching staff :
| Name | Position | Alma mater | Years at Wisconsin |
| Paul Chryst | Head coach | Wisconsin–Madison | 7th |
| Jim Leonhard | Defensive coordinator / Safeties | Wisconsin–Madison | 5th |
| Joe Rudolph | Associate head coach / run game coordinator / OL | Wisconsin–Madison | 7th |
| Bobby April | Outside Linebackers / defensive run game coordinator | Louisiana at Lafayette | 4th |
| Bob Bostad | Inside Linebackers | Wisconsin–Stevens Point | 5th |
| Gary Brown | Running backs | Penn State University | 1st |
| Chris Haering | Special Teams | West Virginia University | 7th |
| Ross Kolodziej | Defensive line | Wisconsin–Madison | 1st |
| Hank Poteat | Cornerbacks | University of Pittsburgh | 1st |
| Mickey Turner | Tight ends | Wisconsin–Madison | 7th |
| Alvis Whitted | Wide receivers | North Carolina State University | 2nd |
| Shaun Snee | Director of Football Strength and Conditioning | California University of Pennsylvania | 1st |
| Keller Chryst | Graduate assistant | University of Tennessee | 1st |

### Roster

Source:

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | 12 | 18 | 18 | 18 | RV | — | — | — | — | RV | 20 | 19 | 18 | RV | RV | RV |
| Coaches | 15 | 17 | 17 | 15 | RV | — | — | — | — | RV | 24 | 20 | 18 | RV | RV | RV |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 21 | 18 | 15 | 14 | — | — | Not released |

## Game summaries
### No. 19 Penn State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 19 Nittany Lions | 0 | 0 | 7 | 9 | 16 |
| No. 12 Badgers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
at Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
* Date: September 4, 2021
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C); Cloudy; Wind at W6 MPH
* Game attendance: 76,832
* Referee: Jerry McGinn
* TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst) and Jenny Taft (sideline)
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring
Second quarter
No scoring
Third quarter
PSU – Jahan Dotson 49-yard TD pass from Sean Clifford, Jordan Stout kick, 12:08 (Penn State, 7–0)
WISC – Chez Mellusi 3-yard TD run, Collin Larsh kick, 8:01 (Tied, 7–7)
Fourth quarter
WISC – Colin Larsh 43-yard field goal, 13:36 (Wisconsin, 10–7)
PSU – Jordan Stout 24-yard field goal, 11:26 (Tied, 10–10)
PSU – Noah Cain 3-yard TD run, Stout kick missed, 9:17 (Penn State, 16–10)
Top passers
PSU – Sean Clifford – 18/33, 247 yards, TD
WISC – Graham Mertz – 22/37, 185 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
PSU – Noah Cain – 8 rushes, 48 yards, TD
WISC – Chez Mellusi – 31 rushes, 121 yards, TD
Top receivers
PSU – Jahan Dotson – 5 receptions, 102 yards, TD
WISC – Danny Davis – 8 receptions, 99 yards
Top defenders
PSU – Ellis Brooks – 11 tackles, TFL, sack
WISC – Jack Sanborn – 5 tackles, 2 TFL, sack :

### Eastern Michigan

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Eagles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| No. 18 Badgers | 7 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 34 |
at Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
* Date: September 11, 2021
* Game time: 6:00 p.m.
* Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C); Sunny; Wind at SW3 MPH
* Game attendance: 70,967
* Referee: Reggie Smith
* TV announcers (FS1): Dan Hellie (play-by-play) and Robert Smith (analyst)
Game information :
First quarter
WISC – Chez Mellusi 6-yard TD run, Collin Larsh kick, 4:39 (Wisconsin, 7–0)
Second quarter
WISC – Collin Larsh 33-yard field goal, 13:39 (Wisconsin, 10–0)
WISC – Jalen Berger 6-yard TD run, Collin Larsh kick, 7:02 (Wisconsin, 17–0)
WISC – Isaac Guerendo 82-yard TD run, Collin Larsh kick, 4:40 (Wisconsin, 24–0)
Third quarter
WISC – Larsh, 39-yard field goal, 8:02 (Wisconsin, 27–0)
Fourth quarter
EMU – Chase Wolf pass intercepted for a TD, Chad Ryland kick, 9:38 (Wisconsin, 27–7)
WISC – Braelon Allen 1-yard TD run, Collin Larsh kick, 4:16 (Wisconsin, 34–7)
Top passers
EMU – Preston Hutchinson – 6/13, 53 yards, INT
WISC – Graham Mertz – 14/17, 141 yards
Top rushers
EMU – Preston Hutchinson – 3 rushes, 12 yards
WISC – Chez Mellusi – 20 rushes, 144 yards, TD
Top receivers
EMU – Zach Westmoreland – 2 receptions, 35 yards
WISC – Kendric Pryor – 4 receptions, 54 yards
Top defenders
EMU – Scott Woo – 3 tackles, 2 TFL, sack
WISC – John Torchio – 3 tackles, TFL, 0.5 sack :

### No. 12 Notre Dame

| Pregame line | Over/under |
| WIS –6 | 43.5 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 12 Fighting Irish | 0 | 10 | 0 | 31 | 41 |
| No. 18 Badgers | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 13 |
at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
* Date: September 25, 2021
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C); Sunny; Wind at SW3 MPH
* Game attendance: 59,571
* Referee: Michael Cannon
* TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst) and Jenny Taft (sideline)
Game information :
First quarter
WISC – Collin Larsh 37-yard field goal, 11:48. Wisconsin 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 26 yards, 1:54.
Second quarter
ND – Jonathan Doerer 51-yard field goal, 8:44. Tied 3–3. Drive: 16 plays, 45 yards, 6:29.
ND – Kevin Austin Jr. 36-yard pass from Jack Coan (Jonathan Doerer kick), 4:48. Notre Dame 10–3. Drive: 5 plays, 51 yards, 2:18.
Third quarter
WISC – Kendric Pryor 8-yard pass from Graham Mertz (Collin Larsh kick), 9:53. Tied 10–10. Drive: 4 plays, 56 yards, 2:01.
Fourth quarter
WISC – Collin Larsh 27-yard field goal, 14:14. Wisconsin 13–10. Drive: 9 plays, 30 yards, 3:44.
ND – Chris Tyree 96-yard kickoff return (Jonathan Doerer kick), 14:01. Notre Dame 17–13.
ND – Kevin Austin Jr. 16-yard pass from Drew Pyne (Jonathan Doerer kick), 9:34. Notre Dame 24–13. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 2:40.
ND – Jonathan Doerer 37-yard field goal, 3:20. Notre Dame 27–13. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:45.
ND – Jack Kiser 66-yard interception return (Jonathan Doerer kick), 2:13. Notre Dame 34–13.
ND – Drew White 45-yard interception return (Jonathan Doerer kick), 1:01. Notre Dame 41–13.
Top passers
ND – Jack Coan – 15/29, 158 yards, 1 TD
WISC – Graham Mertz – 18/41, 240 yards, 1 TD, 4 INT
Top rushers
ND – Kyren Williams – 18 rushes, 33 yards
WISC – Chez Mellusi – 18 rushes, 54 yards
Top receivers
ND – Kevin Austin Jr. – 6 receptions, 76 yards, 2 TD
WISC – Kendric Pryor – 6 receptions, 69 yards, 1 TD :

### No. 14 Michigan

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 14 Wolverines | 7 | 6 | 7 | 18 | 38 |
| Badgers | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
* Date: October 2, 2021
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C); Sunny; Wind at S7 MPH
* Game attendance: 74,855
* Referee: John O'Neill
* TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (analyst) and Jenny Taft (sideline)
Game information :
First quarter
MICH – Cornelius Johnson 34-yard pass from Cade McNamara (Jake Moody kick), 4:17. Michigan 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 3:01.
Second quarter
MICH – Jake Moody 26-yard field goal, 13:17. Michigan 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, -3 yards, 1:33.
WISC – Collin Larsh 34-yard field goal, 2:32. Michigan 10–3. Drive: 15 plays, 78 yards, 7:04.
MICH – Jake Moody 47-yard field goal, 0:27. Michigan 13–3. Drive: 9 plays, 36 yards, 2:05.
WISC – Chimere Dike 18-yard pass from Graham Mertz (Collin Larsh kick), 0:07. Michigan 13–10. Drive: 3 plays, 63 yards, 0:20.
Third quarter
MICH – J. J. McCarthy 1-yard TD run, (Jake Moody kick), 8:26. Michigan 20–10. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 5:29.
Fourth quarter
MICH – Jake Moody 48-yard field goal, 12:21. Michigan 23–10. Drive: 3 plays, 3 yards, 1:50.
MICH – Cornelius Johnson 13-yard pass from Cade McNamara (Cade McNamara Pass to Cornelius Johnson for Two-Point Conversion), 9:34. Michigan 31–10. Drive: 5 plays, 35 yards, 2:39.
MICH – Daylen Baldwin 56-yard pass from J. J. McCarthy (Jake Moody kick), 5:07. Michigan 38–10. Drive: 5 plays, 67 yards, 2:57.
WISC – Cade Cundiff 25-yard pass from Chase Wolf (Collin Larsh kick), 0:32. Michigan 38–17. Drive: 3 plays, 43 yards, 1:05.
Top passers
MICH – Cade McNamara – 17/28, 197 yards, 2 TD
WISC – Graham Mertz – 8/15, 115 yards, TD
Top rushers
MICH – Hassan Haskins – 19 rushes, 47 yards
WISC – Braelon Allen – 5 rushes, 19 yards
Top receivers
MICH – Cornelius Johnson – 2 receptions, 47 yards, 2 TD
WISC – Chimere Dike – 2 receptions, 54 yards, TD
Top defenders
MICH – David Ojabo – 7 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks, forced fumble, QB hurry
WISC – Jack Sanborn – 14 tackles :

### Illinois

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Badgers | 3 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
| Fighting Illini | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois
* Date: October 9, 2021
* Game time: 2:30 p.m.
* Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C); Sunny; Wind at n/a MPH
* Game attendance: 40,168
* Referee: Mark Kluczynski
* TV announcers (BTN): Mark Followill (play-by-play) and Matt Millen (analyst)
Game information :
First quarter
WISC – Collin Larsh 25-yard field goal, 4:14. Wisconsin 3–0. Drive: 18 plays, 67 yards, 9:44.
Second quarter
WISC – John Chenal 1-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 5:27. Wisconsin 10–0. Drive: 14 plays, 79 yards, 6:50.
Third quarter
WISC – Chez Mellusi 15-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 8:38. Wisconsin 17–0. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:22.
WISC – Braelon Allen 23-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 1:00. Wisconsin 24–0. Drive: 5 plays, 86 yards, 2:45.
Fourth quarter
No scoring
Top passers
ILL – Artur Sitkowski – 8/27, 55 yards
WISC – Graham Mertz – 10/19, 100 yards, INT
Top rushers
ILL – Chase Brown – 8 rushes, 35 yards
WISC – Chez Mellusi – 21 rushes, 145 yards, TD
Top receivers
ILL – Isaiah Williams – 4 receptions, 23 yards
WISC – Kendric Pryor – 2 receptions, 47 yards
Top defenders
ILL – Tarique Barnes – 12 tackles, forced fumble, QB hurry, pass breakup
WISC – Noah Burks – 6 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 0.5 sack, 3 QB hurries :

### Army

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Black Knights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Badgers | 0 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
at Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
* Date: October 16, 2021
* Game time: 7:00 p.m.
* Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C); Sunny; Wind at W6 MPH
* Game attendance: 76,314
* Referee: Jerry McGinn
* TV announcers (BTN): Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play), James Laurinaitis (analyst) & Rick Pizzo (sideline)
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring
Second quarter
WISC – Braelon Allen 33-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 12:58. Wisconsin 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 95 yards, 6:28.
WISC – Graham Mertz 5-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick blocked), 3:22. Wisconsin 13–0. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 6:14.
Third quarter
No scoring
Fourth quarter
ARMY – Tyhier Tyler 5-yard TD run, (Cole Talley kick), 11:22. Wisconsin 13–7. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 3:41.
WISC – Graham Mertz 1-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 2:43. Wisconsin 20–7. Drive: 1 plays, 1 yards, 0:12.
ARMY – A.J. Howard Jr. 6-yard TD run, (Cole Talley kick), 0:38. Wisconsin 20–14. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 1:59.
Top passers
ARMY – Jabari Laws – 5/6, 87 yards
WISC – Graham Mertz – 8/15, 112 yards
Top rushers
ARMY – Tyhier Tyler – 17 rushes, 90 yards, TD
WISC – Braelon Allen – 16 rushes, 108 yards, TD
Top receivers
ARMY – A.J. Howard Jr. – reception, 36 yards
WISC – Jake Ferguson – 4 receptions, 58 yards
Top defenders
ARMY – Marquel Broughton – 11 tackles, TFL, pass breakup
WISC – Leo Chenal – 17 tackles, 2.5 TFL, sack, forced fumble :

### No. 25 Purdue

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Badgers | 7 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 30 |
| No. 25 Boilermakers | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
at Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana
* Date: October 23, 2021
* Game time: 2:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 61,320
* Referee: Ron Snodgrass
* TV announcers (BTN): Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play) and Matt Millen (analyst)
Game information :
First quarter
WISC – Braelon Allen 4-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 2:49. Wisconsin 7–0. Drive: 13 plays, 92 yards, 7:37.
Second quarter
PUR – Payne Durham 10-yard pass from Aidan O'Connell (Mitchell Fineran kick), 14:16. Tie 7–7. Drive: 4 plays, 39 yards, 1:47.
WISC – Collin Larsh 37-yard field goal, 8:54. Wisconsin 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 5:22.
PUR – George Karlaftis 56-yard fumble return (Mitchell Fineran kick missed), 6:13. Purdue 13–10. Drive: 3 plays, -8 yards, 1:32.
WISC – Collin Larsh 23-yard field goal, 2:06. Tie 13–13. Drive: 4 plays, -3 yards, 0:56.
Third quarter
WISC – Chez Mellusi 20-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 6:06. Wisconsin 20–13. Drive: 3 plays, 94 yards, 1:01.
Fourth quarter
WISC – Braelon Allen 14-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 10:13. Wisconsin 27–13. Drive: 6 plays, 72 yards, 2:55.
WISC – Collin Larsh 43-yard field goal, 4:06. Wisconsin 30–13. Drive: 4 plays, -4 yards, 2:32.
Top passers
PUR – Aidan O'Connell – 24/32, 200 yards, TD, 3 INT
WISC – Graham Mertz – 5/8, 52 yards
Top rushers
PUR – King Doerue – 9 rushes, 20 yards
WISC – Chaz Mellusi – 27 rushes, 149 yards, TD
Top receivers
PUR – Payne Durham – 9 receptions, 112 yards, TD
WISC – Jake Ferguson – 2 receptions, 23 yards
Top defenders
PUR – Jaylan Alexander – 15 tackles, TFL, forced fumble
WISC – Leo Chenal – 9 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks :

### No. 9 Iowa

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 9 Hawkeyes | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Badgers | 7 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 27 |
at Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
* Date: October 30, 2021
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C); Cloudy; Wind at N 10 MPH
* Game attendance: 74,209
* Referee: Michael Cannon
* TV announcers (ESPN): Bob Wischusen (play-by-play), Dan Orlovsky (analyst), and Kris Budden (sideline)
Game information :
First quarter
WISC – Jake Ferguson 4-yard pass from Graham Mertz (Collin Larsh kick), 3:08. Wisconsin 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 65 yards, 3:59.
Second quarter
WISC – Collin Larsh 29-yard field goal, 12:18. Wisconsin 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 3:23.
WISC – Graham Mertz 1-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 7:40. Wisconsin 17–0. Drive: 1 plays, 1 yard, 0:04.
WISC – Collin Larsh 32-yard field goal, 2:51. Wisconsin 20–0. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:27.
Third quarter
IOWA – Spencer Petras 1-yard TD run, (Caleb Shudak kick), 8:21. Wisconsin 20–7. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yard, 2:28.
Fourth quarter
WISC – Graham Mertz 1-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 12:54. Wisconsin 27–7. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yard, 5:52.
Top passers
IOWA – Spencer Petras – 9/19, 93 yards
WISC – Graham Mertz – 11/22, 104 yards, TD
Top rushers
IOWA – Tyler Goodson – 13 rushes, 27 yards
WISC – Braelon Allen – 20 rushes, 104 yards
Top receivers
IOWA – Sam LaPorta – 3 receptions, 44 yards
WISC – Danny Davis III – 5 receptions, 59 yards
Top defenders
IOWA – Jack Koerner – 11 tackles
WISC – Nick Herbig – 6 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks, forced fumble :

### Rutgers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 21 Badgers | 7 | 24 | 21 | 0 | 52 |
| Scarlet Knights | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at SHI Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey
* Date: November 6, 2021
* Game time: 2:30 p.m.
* Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C); Cloudy; Wind at E 5 MPH
* Game attendance: 40,280
* Referee: Reggie Smith
* TV announcers (BTN): Brandon Gaudin (play-by-play) and James Laurinaitis (analyst)
Game information :
First quarter
WISC – Chez Mellusi 14-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 9:06. Wisconsin 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 15 yards, 0:42.
RUT – Valentino Ambrosio 24-yard field goal, 4:34. Wisconsin 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 4:32.
Second quarter
WISC – Collin Larsh 29-yard field goal, 8:04. Wisconsin 10–3. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 5:19.
WISC – John Chenal 1-yard pass from Graham Mertz (Collin Larsh kick), 5:18. Wisconsin 17–3. Drive: 5 plays, 29 yards, 2:37.
WISC – Caesar Williams 29-yard interception return (Collin Larsh kick), 5:04. Wisconsin 24–3. Drive: 1 play, 29 yards, 0:12.
WISC – Kendric Pryor 25-yard pass from Graham Mertz (Collin Larsh kick), 0:36. Wisconsin 31–3. Drive: 5 plays, 53 yards, 0:37.
Third quarter
WISC – Braelon Allen 1-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 8:31. Wisconsin 38–3. Drive: 9 plays, 86 yards, 4:49.
WISC – Danny Davis 72-yard pass from Graham Mertz (Collin Larsh kick), 6:44. Wisconsin 45–3. Drive: 1 play, 72 yards, 0:14.
WISC – Jackson Acker 18-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 3:22. Wisconsin 52–3. Drive: 6 plays, 82 yards, 3:22.
Fourth quarter
No scoring
Top passers
RUT – Noah Vedral – 8/16, 81 yards, 2 INT
WISC – Graham Mertz – 11/16, 240 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
RUT – Isiah Pacheco – 9 rushes, 55 yards
WISC – Braelon Allen – 15 rushes, 130 yards, TD
Top receivers
RUT – Bo Melton – 6 receptions, 61 yards
WISC – Kendric Pryor – 4 receptions, 72 yards, TD
Top defenders
RUT – Olakunle Fatukasi – 10 tackles
WISC – Jack Sanborn – 9 tackles, TFL, sack :

### Northwestern

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| No. 18 Badgers | 0 | 21 | 14 | 0 | 35 |
at Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
* Date: November 13, 2021
* Game time: 11:00 a.m.
* Game weather: 35 °F (2 °C); Cloudy; Wind at NW 11 MPH
* Game attendance: 73,194
* Referee: John O'Neill
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Clay Matvick (play-by-play) and Rocky Boiman (analyst)
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring
Second quarter
WISC – Braelon Allen 2-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 14:53. Wisconsin 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 91 yards, 4:46.
WISC – Danny Davis III 13-yard pass from Graham Mertz (Collin Larsh kick), 9:08. Wisconsin 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 3:20.
WISC – Braelon Allen 3-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 5:13. Wisconsin 21–0. Drive: 6 plays, 49 yards, 2:58.
Third quarter
WISC – Jake Ferguson 11-yard pass from Graham Mertz (Collin Larsh kick), 3:26. Wisconsin 28–0. Drive: 3 plays, 14 yards, 1:18.
WISC – Braelon Allen 33-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 0:43. Wisconsin 35–0. Drive: 2 plays, 39 yards, 0:49.
Fourth quarter
NU – A.J. Hampton Jr. 49-yard fumble return (Charlie Kuhbander kick), 11:38. Wisconsin 35–7.
Top passers
NU – Andrew Marty – 10/18, 100 yards, 3 INT
WISC – Graham Mertz – 18/23, 216 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
NU – Stephon Robinson Jr. – 2 rushes, 54 yards
WISC – Braelon Allen – 25 rushes, 173 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
NU – Stephon Robinson Jr. – 8 receptions, 80 yards
WISC – Jake Ferguson – 4 receptions, 43 yards, TD
Top defenders
NU – Brandon Joseph – 7 tackles, 0.5 TFL, INT
WISC – Leo Chenal – 14 tackles, 3 TFL, Sack, QB Hurry :

### Nebraska

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cornhuskers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| No. 15 Badgers | 14 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
at Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin
* Date: November 20, 2021
* Game time: 2:30 p.m.
* Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C); Cloudy; Wind at W 7 MPH
* Game attendance: 67,888
* Referee: Jerry McGinn
* TV announcers (ABC): Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Dusty Dvoracek (analyst), Tom Luginbill (sideline)
Game information :
First quarter
WISC – Stephen Bracey 91-yard kickoff return (Collin Larsh kick), 14:47. Wisconsin 7–0.
NEB – Markese Stepp 1-yard TD run, (Chase Contreraz kick), 12:41. Tie 7–7. Drive: 5 plays, 74 yard, 1:59.
WISC – Braelon Allen, 71-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 1:59. Wisconsin 14–7. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:23.
Second quarter
NEB – Samori Toure 4-yard pass from Adrian Martinez (Chase Contreraz kick), 6:35. Tie 14–14. Drive: 8 plays, 33 yards, 3:02.
Third quarter
WISC – Kendric Pryor 17-yard pass from Graham Mertz (Collin Larsh kick), 11:35. Wisconsin 21–14. Drive: 4 plays, 33 yards, 2:01.
NEB – Adrian Martinez 1-yard TD run, (Chase Contreraz kick), 6:24. Tie 21–21. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yard, 5:11.
WISC – Braelon Allen 3-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 1:30. Wisconsin 28–21. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:54.
Fourth quarter
NEB – Marvin Scott III 3-yard TD run, (Chase Contreraz kick), 6:27. Tie 28–28. Drive: 7 plays, 68 yard, 3:52.
WISC – Braelon Allen 53-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 3:50. Wisconsin 35–28. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:37.
Top passers
NEB – Adrian Martinez – 23/35, 351 yards, TD, 2 INT
WISC – Graham Mertz – 12/18, 145 yards, TD
Top rushers
NEB – Marvin Scott III – 9 rushes, 29 yards, TD
WISC – Braelon Allen – 22 rushes, 228 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
NEB – Austin Allen – 7 receptions, 143 yards
WISC – Jake Ferguson – 8 receptions, 92 yards
Top defenders
NEB – Garrett Nelson – 6 tackles, TFL, Sack, Pass breakup
WISC – Leo Chenal – 11 tackles, 0.5 TFL, QB Hurry :

### Minnesota

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 14 Badgers | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| Golden Gophers | 3 | 3 | 14 | 3 | 23 |
at Huntington Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
* Date: November 27, 2021
* Game time: 3:00 p.m.
* Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C); Sunny; Wind at NW 12 MPH
* Game attendance: 49,736
* Referee: Ron Snodgrass
* TV announcers (FOX): Tim Brando (play-by-play) and Spencer Tillman (analyst)
Game information :
First quarter
UMN – Matthew Trickett 28 yard field goal, 7:29. Minnesota 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 65 yards, 7:31.
Second quarter
WISC – Collin Larsh 25-yard field goal, 12:37. Tie 3–3. Drive: 15 plays, 85 yards, 9:52.
WISC – Scott Nelson 25-yard interception return (Collin Larsh kick), 12:22. Wisconsin 10–3.
UMN – Matthew Trickett 31-yard field goal, 8:19. Wisconsin 10–6. Drive: 10 plays, 53 yards, 4:03.
Third quarter
UMN – Ky Thomas 2-yard TD run (Matthew Trickett kick), 13:24. Minnesota 13–10. Drive: 2 plays, 28 yards, 0:39.
WISC – Collin Larsh 28-yard field goal, 6:35. Tie 13–13. Drive: 11 plays, 66 yards, 6:49.
UMN – Chris Autman-Bell 27-yard pass from Tanner Morgan (Matthew Trickett kick), 1:56. Minnesota 20–13. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 4:31.
Fourth quarter
UMN – Matthew Trickett 36-yard field goal, 6:08. Minnesota 23–13. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 5:36.
Top passers
UMN – Tanner Morgan – 11/16, 199 yards, TD, INT
WISC – Graham Mertz – 21/38, 171 yards, INT
Top rushers
UMN – Ky Thomas – 18 rushes, 55 yards, TD
WISC – Braelon Allen – 17 rushes, 55 yards
Top receivers
UMN – Brevyn Spann-Ford – 3 receptions, 62 yards
WISC – Danny Davis III – 5 receptions, 60 yards
Top defenders
MIN – Jack Gibbens – 10 tackles, TFL
WISC – Leo Chenal – 14 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 0.5 Sack :

### Arizona State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Badgers | 14 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Sun Devils | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 13 |
at Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada
* Date: December 30, 2021
* Game time: 9:30 p.m.
* Game weather: Indoors
* Game attendance: 32,515
* Referee: David Smith
* TV announcers (ESPN): Beth Mowins (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (analyst) and Dawn Davenport (sideline)
Game information :
First quarter
WISC – John Chenal 8-yard TD run, (Collin Larsh kick), 11:40. Wisconsin 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 36 yards, 1:34.
ASU – Cristian Zendejas 38 yard field goal, 4:21. Wisconsin 7–3. Drive: 14 plays, 55 yards, 7:19.
WISC – Jake Ferguson 7-yard pass from Graham Mertz (Collin Larsh kick), 1:37. Wisconsin 14–3. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:44.
Second quarter
ASU – Cristian Zendejas 36 yard field goal, 11:13. Wisconsin 14–6. Drive: 7 plays, 17 yards, 2:46.
WISC – Collin Larsh 48 yard field goal, 5:42. Wisconsin 17–6. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 5:31.'
WISC – Collin Larsh 35 yard field goal, 0:02. Wisconsin 20–6. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 4:41.'
Third quarter
ASU – Daniyel Ngata 3-yard TD run (Cristian Zendejas kick), 8:52. Wisconsin 20–13. Drive: 5 plays, 64 yards, 2:39.
Fourth quarter
No scoring
Top passers
ASU – Jayden Daniels – 11/21, 159 yards, INT
WISC – Graham Mertz – 11/15, 137 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
ASU – Jayden Daniels – 19 rushes, 40 yards
WISC – Braelon Allen – 29 rushes, 159 yards
Top receivers
ASU – Ricky Pearsall – 4 receptions, 65 yards
WISC – Jake Ferguson – 3 receptions, 33 yards, TD
Top defenders
ASU – Timarcus Davis – 9 tackles, 0.5 TFL, INT
WISC – Nick Herbig – 7 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 2 Sacks, QB hurry :

## Awards and honors

Weekly Awards :
| Player | Award | Date awarded |
| Braelon Allen | Big Ten Freshman Player of the Week | October 18, 2021 |
| Leo Chenal | Walter Camp National FBS Players of the Week | October 24, 2021 |
| Leo Chenal | Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week | October 25, 2021 |
| Collin Larsh | Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week | October 25, 2021 |
| Braelon Allen | Big Ten Freshman Player of the Week | November 8, 2021 |
| Braelon Allen | Big Ten Co-offensive Player of the Week | November 15, 2021 |
Individual Awards :
| Player | Award |
| Leo Chenal | Butkus/Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year |
| Leo Chenal | First Team All-Big Ten Defense (Coaches/Media) |
| Josh Seltzner | First Team All-Big Ten Offense (Coaches)/Second Team All-Big Ten Offense (Media) |
| Jack Sanborn | First Team All-Big Ten Defense (Coaches)/Second Team All-Big Ten Defense (Media) |
| Jake Ferguson | First Team All-Big Ten Offense (Coaches)/Second Team All-Big Ten Offense (Media) |
| Braelon Allen | Second Team All-Big Ten Offense (Coaches/Media) |
| Logan Bruss | Second Team All-Big Ten Offense (Coaches/Media) |
| Keeanu Benton | Second Team All-Big Ten Defense (Coaches)/Honorable Mention Defense (Media) |
| Matt Henningsen | Third Team All-Big Ten Defense (Coaches/Media) |
| Tyler Beach | Third Team All-Big Ten Offense (Coaches)/Honorable Mention Offense (Media) |
| Caesar Williams | Third Team All-Big Ten Defense (Coaches)/Honorable Mention Defense (Media) |
| Noah Burks | Honorable Mention Defense (Coaches/Media) |
| Nick Herbig | Honorable Mention Defense (Coaches/Media) |
| Faion Hicks | Honorable Mention Defense (Coaches/Media) |
| Isiah Mullens | Honorable Mention Defense (Coaches/Media) |
| Scott Nelson | Honorable Mention Defense (Coaches/Media) |
| Collin Wilder | Honorable Mention Defense (Coaches/Media) |

## Players drafted into the NFL

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL Club |
| 3 | 103 | Leo Chenal | ILB | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 3 | 104 | Logan Bruss | OG | Los Angeles Rams |
| 4 | 129 | Jake Ferguson | TE | Dallas Cowboys |
| 6 | 206 | Matt Henningsen | DT | Denver Broncos |
| 7 | 232 | Faion Hicks | CB | Denver Broncos |