Wisconsin Badgers vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys: Studs and Duds
Jake Maier lists the studs and duds from the Wisconsin Badgers Guaranteed Rate Bowl victory.
The Wisconsin Badgers ended their 2022 football season with a victory in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.
After defeating the Oklahoma State Cowboys 24-17, the Badgers finished their season on a high note. In the first game with Luke Fickell as head coach and Jim Leonhard's final game as defensive coordinator, the Badgers secured their seventh bowl win in the last eight years.
Here are the studs and duds from the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.
Studs
Wisconsin Badgers Run Game
The Badgers dominated the rushing attack on Tuesday night. With significant contributions from their backfield, Wisconsin posted 258 total rushing yards.
Braelon Allen led the way in Wisconsin's run game, rushing for 116 yards and a touchdown on 22 attempts. Chez Mellusi also contributed in a big way, as he posted 77 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Additionally, Julius Davis received some playing time as he rushed twice for eight yards.
Wisconsin stuck to its bread and butter in a game with a new QB under center. As a result, UW's backfield had a big night.
Wisconsin Badgers special teams
The Badgers offense showed up significantly, but the special teams unit also made essential contributions.
Andy Vujnovich had a great game, punting seven times with four punts landing inside the 20. The game's most exciting moment was also from Vujnovich as he executed a fake punt to perfection and ran for a first down in the second quarter.
The returners had a big game as well. Chimere Dike returned three kickoffs for 105 yards, highlighted by a 50 and 30-yard return. Dean Engram also secured the longest punt return of his career with a 24-yard return.
To put the cherry on top, Nate Van Zelst hit the longest three-point try of his career with a 47-yard field goal make.
The special teams unit were the unsung heroes of this game and deserved to be named a stud in 2022's final matchup.
Chase Wolf
I have to tip my cap to Chase Wolf for his performance on Tuesday.
While the senior quarterback didn't put up a remarkable stat line, he didn't need to. In his first career start as a Badger, Wolf put up 116 yards and a touchdown on 16 completions. While he threw an interception, his ability to shake it off and continue to play well was a
After his interception in the first quarter, Wolf delivered some fantastic throws. Although receivers dropped some perfect throws, the senior QB showed poise and confidence with his passes.
Wolf finally got his opportunity to lead the Badgers as a starter. While it wasn't an incredible performance, Wolf did everything necessary to get the Badgers the win.
Duds
Dropped catches
The Badgers had a productive game, but the dropped catches were a disappointment on Tuesday.
The Badgers had multiple missed opportunities, two of which would have been surefire touchdowns. Dean Engram had a drop inside the five-yard line, and Keontez Lewis had the ball go through his hands in the endzone.
It wasn't just on offense, though, as John Torchio jumped a route perfectly but couldn't haul in the interception that would have gone for six points.
The Badgers didn't do much poorly in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, but the multiple drops will come in as a dud.
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