Wisconsin used a balanced offense and a suffocating defense to roll to a 42-7 win at Rutgers on Saturday. Game Balls Offense: Tawee Walker Wisconsin made a decision before the Purdue game to start featuring Walker and he has delivered. After running for 94 yards and three touchdowns against the Boilermakers, he posted a career-high 198 yards and three more touchdowns against Rutgers. It included a 55-yard score in the fourth quarter, the longest run by the Badgers this year. Braedyn Locke The quarterback was locked in for a second-straight week, throwing for 240 yards and a touchdown. It included pretty balls to Will Pauling for a score on the opening drive of the game and a 47-yard drop in the bucket to Vinny Anthony. He also ran for a score, the first of his career. The lone mistake was a deep shot to Anthony that got picked off. Offensive line The group allowed just one sack and the Badgers rolled up 309 yards on the ground. Enough said. Defense: S Preston Zachman The senior put together a complete game for the Badgers. He racked up a career-high 10 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and pulled down an interception. The pick was his second on the year and it led to another Wisconsin touchdown in the third quarter. What Went Right Big plays Wisconsin was among the worst teams at creating explosive plays in the first four weeks of the season. But over the last two weeks the Badgers offense has turned into a big play machine. They had five plays of 33+ yards and 11 plays that went 16 or more yards. Wisconsin’s defense The Badgers controlled the line of scrimmage when the game was still in doubt, limiting star running back Kyle Monangai to just 39 yards on his first 15 carries. That made life difficult for quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis, who managed to complete just 12 of his 32 passes for 103 yards and an interception. Rutgers drives on the day included six three-and-outs, twice turning the ball over on downs and nine punts. Over the last eight quarters, Wisconsin has given up just one touchdown. What Went Wrong Punt returning Wisconsin trotted out a third different punt returner this year but it didn’t change the team’s fortunes. That’s because the latest player to get an opportunity, Hunter Wohler, put one on the ground in the first half. It means the Badgers have now muffed a punt in four of their six games. It hasn’t cost the team the last two weeks but in close games it could and has been an absolute killer (see: USC). What They Said HOW ‘BOUT THEM BADGERS?! pic.twitter.com/HT3hhZ6Aa7 — Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) October 12, 2024 In Case You Missed It — Wisconsin played without starting wide receiver Bryson Green. He left the Purdue game with a lower body injury. — Wide receiver Will Pauling was injured late in the second quarter when he took a shot to the head and did not return. — Wisconsin was a 1.5-point underdog on Saturday. It was the first time since 2018 the Badgers won as road underdogs. They had been 0-4 in such games since then. Inside the Numbers 121 — That is how many points Wisconsin has outscored Rutgers by in the three games played in Piscataway 549 — That is how many yards the Badgers piled up on Saturday. Combined with the 579 yards they had last week against Purdue, they topped 500 yards in back-to-back Big Ten games for the first time since 2010. 309 — That is how many yards Wisconsin had rushing. It was the most in a Big Ten game since going for 391 against Illinois in 2021. 42 — That is how many points Wisconsin scored. It’s the first time since 2020 the Badgers have put up 40 points in back-to-back Big Ten games. 71.2 — That was Locke’s completion percentage. That was the best by a Wisconsin quarterback (minimum 15 attempts) since Nov. 13, 2021 What’s Next? Wisconsin (4-2, 2-1) will travel to Northwestern (3-3, 1-2) to face the Wildcats on Saturday.The post Wisconsin 42, Rutgers 7: 2-minute drill first appeared on 96.7FM 1670AM The Zone | WOZN - Madison, WI.