Wisconsin kept rolling on Saturday, beating Michigan State 31-3 to move to 4-1 and give itself a real chance to show up in Sunday’s AP Top 25. The Badgers didn’t just win comfortably - they controlled the game from the opening stretch, scoring on each of their first three drives and leaning on a defense that smothered the Spartans all afternoon.
The most encouraging development was the ground game, and more specifically what Colton Joseph did with his legs. After two weeks of talk that the quarterback run game was ready to break loose as Big Ten play settled in, it finally happened.
Joseph led Wisconsin with 141 rushing yards and a touchdown, and the Badgers piled up 228 rushing yards at 5.4 yards per carry. That kind of production gave the offense a clear identity.
Wisconsin ran the ball 42 times overall and went run-heavy early, calling 13 runs against five passes in the first quarter on its two touchdown drives.
Joseph wasn’t crisp as a passer. He had misses and flirted with a couple near interceptions.
But for the second straight week, the Badgers found a way to win anyway because he made plays elsewhere and the rest of the offense backed him up. That’s the formula Wisconsin will keep needing while the passing game sorts itself out.
The bigger concern is keeping Joseph healthy, especially after he got dinged up in Week 1, but on Saturday his touches were efficient and the run game started to churn.
Up front, Wisconsin handled its business on both sides of the ball. The offensive line held up well enough for the Badgers to keep leaning into the run, even after some changes in the lineup.
Kevin Heywood started at left tackle and Emerson Mandell at right tackle, with PJ Wilkins going to the bench. When starter Austin Kawecki was injured, Wisconsin still stayed in control at the line of scrimmage.
Defensively, the Badgers were even more imposing. They limited Michigan State to 2.8 yards per carry and just 3.2 yards per pass attempt, and they made the Spartans earn everything on the rare occasions they moved the ball at all.
Wisconsin got two sacks and six quarterback hits, with Sebastian Cheeks again turning in a strong pass-rushing effort. Cooper Catalano and Mason Posa also made their presence felt, combining for 19 tackles.
The biggest swings came on money downs, where Wisconsin kept Michigan State from ever getting comfortable. The Spartans went just 5 of 18 on third down, despite facing an average distance of less than 5.0 yards.
On fourth down, the Badgers were even more ruthless, forcing five turnovers on downs. Alessio Milivojevic finished 15 of 32 for 103 yards, and Wisconsin’s secondary added eight pass breakups to the mix.
For a team that has now put together another strong start, this was the kind of complete performance that stands out. The offense found a new gear on the ground, the defense won the trenches, and Wisconsin kept taking away the Spartans’ chances whenever the game tightened.
In Other News...
Luke Fickell Just Said What Wisconsin Fans Wanted To Hear
After Wisconsins 31-3 win over Michigan State, the Badgers headed into their bye week at 4-1 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play with a little more clarity than they had a few weeks ago. One of the biggest takeaways from the victory was the offensive line shuffle, and Luke Fickell pointed to Ryan Corys work at center in place of the injured Austin Kawecki as a promising sign for a group that has been trying to settle in and protect the offenses rhythm.
Fickell also made it clear the Badgers are treating the run of recent success as more than just a couple of good Saturdays. He talked about the teams focus, leadership and momentum, the kind of language fans want to hear in early October when the season starts to show who is ready to separate from the pack. With the bye week here, Wisconsin has a chance to build on that momentum, but the bigger question is how much of this sharpened identity carries forward once the games resume. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Fickells Bold O-Line Shakeup May Have Fixed Wisconsins Run Game
Luke Fickells decision to shake up the offensive line paid off in a way Wisconsin has been waiting to see. By moving Kevin Heywood into the starting left tackle spot and benching PJ Wilkins, the Badgers got their best five linemen on the field for a unit that looked far more settled against Michigan State, protecting the quarterback without allowing a sack and opening enough space for a rushing attack that finally found some rhythm.
The move was about more than one game, too. Fickell framed it as a push for Wilkins as much as a reward for Heywood, a reminder that competition still matters up front for a program built around physical football. If the new alignment can hold up, Wisconsin may have found a cleaner path to the kind of run game it wants, even if the long-term answer at left tackle still leaves one important question hanging. [Read more 🡒]
Luke Fickell Just Framed Wisconsins Fast Start The Way Fans Needed
Wisconsins 4-1 start has given the program some early breathing room, and Luke Fickell sounded like a coach who knows it. The Badgers have already flashed the kind of convincing performance that can steady a season, including a 31-3 win over Michigan State, but Fickell made clear he views the first month as more of a checkpoint than a destination. With a bye week in hand before UCLA, the timing gives Wisconsin a chance to reset while still carrying momentum into the Big Ten stretch ahead.
Fickell also pointed to the bigger picture inside the program, where the culture change he has been pushing remains a work in progress. Part of that next step involves continued growth from quarterback Colton Joseph, whose development matters as the schedule tightens and the stakes rise. The Badgers have reason to feel good about where they stand, but the message coming out of Madison is that the real test is still in front of them. [Read more 🡒]