Football: Wisconsin earns first conference win of season, lose Mellusi

Mordecai, Allen lead team in quality 38-17 win

September 26, 2023

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The University of Wisconsin football team dazzled in their conference debut Friday, defeating the Purdue University Boilermakers 38-17, thanks to yet another impressive performance in the ground game.

The Badgers appear to have quelled the offensive woes that plagued them through their first two games of the year — putting up over 200 yards on the ground for the second straight week.

Unfortunately for UW, the blowout win was not without strife, as Chez Mellusi was carted off the field after going down with a gruesome leg injury in the fourth quarter. The fifth-year running back played a huge role in the backfield before suffering the injury, averaging six yards a carry and reaching the end zone four times on the young season.

“He’s not just a great football player for us, he’s not just a great tailback,” head coach Luke Fickell said at a post-game media conference. “He’s a bit of a heart and soul of some of the things that we do. All the things he’s gone through, and some of those ups and downs, and the injuries, to have the attitude that he has, he’s a big part. If he can’t play for a while, he’ll still be a really big part of what we do.”

It was revealed Monday that Mellusi suffered a fractured fibula which is set to sideline him for the remainder of the 2023 season.

Despite the loss of Mellusi, the Badger run game has continued to impress as all four of the team’s touchdowns were accounted for on the ground. Braelon Allen racked up two of the scores with Tanner Mordecai, once again, scoring twice — mirroring his impressive performance last week against Georgia Southern.

UW’s defense also played a huge role in the win. Once again, the Badgers won the turnover battle forcing three of them against a Purdue offense that is still trying to find its rhythm under new head coach Ryan Walters.

Sophomore corner Ricardo Hallman shined, picking off Boilermakers’ quarterback Hudson Card twice, as the defense has now picked off opposing quarterbacks a staggering seven times in their past two contests.

While the Badgers continued to make strides in their turnover margin, the defense still surrendered 300+ yards to the Purdue offense. The Badgers currently rank 77th in the NCAA in defensive yards allowed as opposing offenses are 374.5 yards per game versus the Badger defense.

Despite the team’s struggles on defense, UW played well to open their conference schedule as they currently possess the top spot in the Big Ten West. The Badgers will look to build off their conference success as they host Rutgers University at Camp Randall Stadium Oct. 7.

“I think we grew up a little bit more tonight,” Fickell said. “The guys really kind of bowed up and finished well.”