The Wisconsin football team did what they were supposed to do against Rutgers. They took care of business at Camp Randall Stadium, pulled away in the second half and secured bowl eligibility with a 31-10 victory.
There was plenty to like about how Luke Fickell and the Badgers responded following their beatdown by Iowa, particularly considering Wisconsin was turning to true freshman quarterback Ryan Hopkins for his first career start. The Badgers finished with 363 yards of total offense, averaged 6.8 yards per play and outscored Rutgers 18-0 after halftime.
It wasn’t a perfect performance. Wisconsin struggled to finish drives in the red zone, put the ball in harm’s way a few times, had trouble sustaining its rushing attack, and needed a few explosive passing plays to create separation. But the defense was outstanding, the special teams delivered, and the offense showed a dimension that had been missing.
Wisconsin is now 6-3 overall and 4-2 in Big Ten play, has won seven consecutive home games, and is officially headed back to the postseason.
With that as the backdrop, let’s hand out some grades.
