Wisconsin welcomes Rutgers for Homecoming

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – The Wisconsin Badgers (3-1) will play the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-1) at 11 A.M. on Saturday for Wisconsin’s homecoming.

Wisconsin has won their last nine-straight Homecoming games and the Badgers also seeks their 400th Big Ten win. Coming out of the bye, all three of Wisconsin’s wins have come by 21 points.

The Badgers are 4-0 all-time against the Scarlet Knights, with the last win coming in Piscataway in 2021, where Wisconsin won big, 52-3.

In their last outing more than two weeks ago, Wisconsin beat Purdue 38-17 in West Lafayette. Quarterback Tanner Mordecai was 17/27 for 174 yards, one interception, and 44 rush yards and two rushing touchdowns against the Boilermakers, while Braelon Allen ran for 116 yards on 16 carries and a pair of touchdowns.

Mordecai ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 219 yards per game. He and Rutgers quarterback Gavin Wimsatt are the only Big Ten quarterbacks to rush for four touchdowns this year. His 44 rushing yards are the most from a Wisconsin quarterback since Curt Phillips ran for 64 in the 2013 Rose Bowl.

This is the Badgers’ first game without running back Chez Mellusi. The Florida native broke his fibula against Purdue. Forty-seven percent of Wisconsin’s total yards this year have come on the ground and Mellusi made up about 38% of the run game. Cade Yacamelli and Jackson Acker, a Verona grad, look to aid Braelon Allen’s workload.

The Badgers dominate the red zone. They are one of six teams, and only one of four Power 5 teams, to be perfect in the red zone. Wisconsin has score touchdowns on 13 of their 18 trips to the red zone. Their 18 scores in 18 tries trails only Western Kentucky, who is a perfect 19/19 on red zone scoring.

Junior safety Hunter Wohler is second in the Big Ten and 13th in the country in tackles per game at 10.25.

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