Wisconsin

Mellusi rushes for 2 TDs and Wisconsin beats South Dakota 27-13

Published

1 year ago

September 8, 2024

Mellusi rushes for 2 TDs and Wisconsin beats South Dakota 27-13

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Chez Mellusi’s grandfather died on Friday, but he didn’t tell Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell until the conclusion of Saturday’s game.

By that point, Mellusi had delivered a performance that would have made his grandfather proud.

Mellusi rushed for two touchdowns, Tyler Van Dyke threw for another and Wisconsin beat South Dakota 27-13. Mellusi told a few people earlier this week – but not many – about his grandfather’s situation.

What You Need To Know

Chez Mellusi rushed for two touchdowns, Tyler Van Dyke threw for another and Wisconsin beat South Dakota 27-13

Van Dyke completed 17 of 27 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown for the Badgers

Chez Mellusi had 16 carries for 60 yards and Cade Yacamelli rushed for a team-high 73 yards on eight attempts

Wisconsin raced to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on a Mellusi 9-yard touchdown and a 50-yard scoring strike from Van Dyke to CJ Williams

“I didn’t want any sympathy,” Mellusi said. “I need to do a better job letting my guys know what I’m going through. That’s on me.”

Van Dyke completed 17 of 27 passes for 214 yards and a touchdown for the Badgers (2-0). Mellusi had 16 carries for 60 yards and Cade Yacamelli rushed for a team-high 73 yards on eight attempts.

Mellusi said that he was close to Cesare Mellusi and took the situation hard. Mellusi’s father Mario Mellusi didn’t attend Saturday’s game.

“It’s life,” Chez Mellusi said. “I know what he would’ve wanted for me is to play the best version of myself. And I have to be better. Today, I did all right. I left some things on the field, for sure.”

Fickell said that this season, in particular, Mellusi’s impact has grown within the program.

“It’s the best I’ve seen him — as a leader, as a guy that can provide some energy and provide some spark,” Fickell said. “It’s a great reminder to us, especially us that understand this landscape of college football is changing, that even the older players can truly grow.”

Cade Yacamelli rushed for a team-high 73 yards on eight attempts.

Wisconsin raced to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on a Mellusi 9-yard touchdown and a 50-yard scoring strike from Van Dyke to CJ Williams.

South Dakota (1-1) cut the lead to 17-13 in the third quarter but couldn’t get any closer.

Nathanial Vakos’ 50-yard field goal made it 20-13 late in the third period. Mellusi’s 1-yard touchdown run with 7:35 remaining put the game out of reach at 27-13.

Vakos also had a 24-yard field goal in the second period.

South Dakota’s Charles Pierre Jr. rushed for 83 yards on 12 carries and Aidan Bowman completed 12 of 23 passes for 114 yards. Keyondray James-Logan scored South Dakota’s lone touchdown with a 35-yard run early in the third quarter.

South Dakota creeped into contention in the third after a muffed punt by Wisconsin’s Vinny Anthony. But the Coyotes failed to get a touchdown and settled for Leyland’s 32-yard field goal to cut Wisconsin’s lead to 17-13.

South Dakota coach Bob Nielsen said that the Coyotes couldn’t keep up with the Badgers in the fourth quarter.

“We left a lot of points on the board,” Nielsen said. “And against a team like (Wisconsin), you can’t leave points on the board. They wore us, they leaned on us a little bit. We had one drive with the three penalties, and they did a good job of scoring late in the game to make it a two-score game.”

The takeaway

Wisconsin: The Badgers had four gains of at least 22 yards in the first half, an encouraging sign after they had no plays longer than 17 yards in their season-opening 28-14 victory over Western Michigan. The biggest plays were Williams’ 50-yard touchdown and a 32-yard catch by Anthony.

South Dakota: The Coyotes lost the game but made some big plays on defense and special teams. Nyle Dickel recovered a Wisconsin muffed punt in the third quarter. Mi’Quise Grace and Mosai Newsom got one sack each against Van Dyke.

Up next

South Dakota: At Portland State on Sept. 14.

Wisconsin: Hosts No. 4 Alabama on Sept. 14.

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Wisconsin

Sister Bay, Wisconsin: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards

Published

12 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Sister Bay, Wisconsin: 2026 USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards

Located in scenic Door County, Wisconsin, the town of Sister Bay is a waterfront town directly on Green Bay. Outdoor enthusiasts head to Sister Bay for its access to hiking trails, nature preserves, and water pursuits such as boating, fishing, and ice-skating during winter. The town hosts a number of seasonal festivals including a film fest, marina fest, outdoor concert series, and the Door County Festival of Fine Arts. The annual Roofing of the Goats Parade is a popular event tied to Al Johnson’s, a local restaurant known for goats that graze on its rooftop during summer months.

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Wisconsin

Vote: Who is Wisconsin High School Boys Basketball’s Top Guard of 2025-26?

Published

24 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Vote: Who is Wisconsin High School Boys Basketball’s Top Guard of 2025-26?

With the action-packed Wisconsin high school boys basketball regular season completed and March Madness beginning, it’s time to take a look at some of the outstanding players and cast your vote for the best.

We began by looking at the most prolific individual scoring threats, talented 3-point shooters,strong rebounders, and top free-throw shooters so now it’s time to take a look at the high-caliber guards from throughout the state.

There are hundreds of high-caliber boys basketball players in Wisconsin, and these lists are not intended to be comprehensive.

Voting remains open until March 9 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

(Players are listed in alphabetical order and all nominees are leaders from the 2025-26 season as compiled by Bound.com, and WIAA; the poll is below the list of athletes)

Castillo is averaging 25.4 points per game with 5.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals for Greendale (18-6 overall record).

Collien is averaging 15 points per game with 4.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists for Oakfield (21-3 overall record).

Edwards is averaging 14.1 points per game with 7.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists for D.C. Everest (21-3 overall record).

Gray Jr. was averaging 24.3 points per game with 6.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals prior for West Allis Central (22-2 overall record).

Hereford is averaging 36.4 points per game with 9.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 4.1 steals for Beloit Memorial (22-2 overall record).

Johnson is averaging 27.3 points per game with 8.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 3.6 steals for Milwaukee Juneau (22-1 overall record).

Jones is averaging 23.3 points per game with 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.6 steals for Germantown (15-9 overall record).

Kern is averaging 16 points per game with 6.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists for New Berlin West (21-3 overall record).

Kilgore is averaging 14.6 points per game with 7.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 3.0 steals for Kewaunee (24-0 overall record).

Kohnen is averaging 16.3 points per game with 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.3 steals for Slinger (20-4 overall record).

Knueppel is averaging 17.4 points per game with 7.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.9 blocks, and 1.4 steals for Wisconsin Lutheran (24-0 overall record).

Loose is averaging 18.2 points per game with 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.3 steals for Port Washington (23-1 overall).

Manchester is averaging 35.8 points per game for Mount Horeb (19-5 overall record).

Platz is averaging 19.5 points per game with 7.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists, and 1.4 steals for Brookfield East (19-5 overall record).

Prochnow is averaging 21.3 points per game with 11.1 assists, 4.8 assists, and 3.2 steals for Reedsville (21-3 overall record).

Resch is averaging 21.3 points per game with 3.3 assists and 2.0 steals for Arrowhead (18-6 overall record).

Schultz is averaging 27.4 points per game with 6.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.0 steals for Plymouth (17-7 overall record).

Schwalbach is averaging 15 points per game with 4.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals for Kaukauna (21-3 overall).

Sweeney is averaging 15.5 points per game for Appleton North (20-4 overall record).

Vandenberg is averaging 13 points per game with 2.3 assists and 2.0 rebounds for Freedom (23-1 overall).

About Our Player Poll Voting
High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.

— Jeff Hagenau | jeffreyhagenau@gmail.com

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