The final score read Wisconsin 48, Tennessee Tech 0 as the game mercifully ended and the Golden Eagles took their paycheck home for their troubles.
However, what Wisconsin did to the Golden Eagles was all sorts of historic in nature. So, what kind of historic? Let us run down the list for you:
SHUTOUT NOTES
The Badgers recorded back-to-back shutouts to open the season for the first time since opening the 1958 season with a 20-0 win at Miami (Fla.) and a 50-0 win over Marquette. The last time UW recorded two shutouts in the same season was 1998 with a 45-0 vs. Ohio on Sept. 12 and a 31-0 win at Iowa on Oct. 24.
The last Big Ten team to open the season with consecutive shutouts was Ohio State in 1963 when it beat Texas A&M, 17-0, and Indiana, 21-0.
Dating back to the 2013 Rose Bowl, UW has not allowed a touchdown in its last 11 quarters.
Wisconsin is the first Big Ten team to post back-to-back shutouts since Ohio State did it in 2009, when the Buckeyes blanked Toledo, 38-0, on Sept. 19 and Illinois, 30-0, on Sept. 26.
TEAM NOTES
UW allowed just 113 total yards on defense, equaling the ninth-lowest total in school history and the Badgers’ best effort since giving up 99 to Northern Illinois (1/20/2007).
The Badgers also surrendered just six total first downs. The school record is five allowed against Temple on Sept. 10, 2005.
Head coach Gary Andersen is just the third coach in the modern era (since 1946) of UW history to begin his career 2-0. The other two coaches were Dave McClain (1978) and Bret Bielema (2006).
Andersen’s career record as a head coach is now 32-31. This is the first time in his coaching career that his record is above .500.
Wisconsin has won 28 consecutive home games against non-conference opponents. That is the second-longest active streak in the country, behind LSU (37 straight wins entering today).
This is the 10th-straight year the Badgers have won their first two home games.
Wisconsin is 12-0 all-time against teams from the FCS.
After not recording a tackle for loss last week vs. UMass, Wisconsin’s defense combined for 5.0 TFLs for a total of 20.0 yards.
Wisconsin has won its last 26 games when rushing for more than 230 yards.
Wisconsin finished with 606 yards of total offense, going over 500 yards in consecutive games for the first time since Sept. 17 (621 vs. Northern Illinois) and 24, 2011 (612 vs. South Dakota).
After having only one game with three 100-yard rushers heading into the 2012 Big Ten Championship Game, the Badgers have had three 100-yard rushers in three of their past four games.
UW has had at least two 100-yard rushers in six of the last 10 games.
Today’s captains were TE Brock DeCicco, LB Nick Hill, LB Conor O’Neill and QB Curt Phillips.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Sophomore QB Joel Stave threw a career-high three touchdown passes, all in the first half. Stave finished the game 24-of-28 for 219 yards, three TDs and an interception. His pass efficiency was 179.6. His 24 completions were also a career high as were his 28 attempts.
Following his interception in the second quarter, Stave completed 13 straight passes, including 10 consecutive on the Badgers’ final drive of the first half that resulted in a touchdown.
In his last six quarters, Stave is pass efficiency rating is 215.5, going 29-for-35 for 380 yds with five touchdowns and one interception.
After rushing for 144 yards last week, sophomore RB Melvin Gordon carried the ball nine times for 140 yards, his third career 100-yard rushing game and second-straight. Gordon has rushed for 551 yards on 40 carries over his last four games, averaging 13.8 per rush in that span and rushing for at least 140 yards in three of those games.
With his 65-yard run in the first quarter, sophomore RB Melvin Gordon now has a 60+ yard run in three of his last four games, and has six career runs of longer than 45 yards. Gordon added a 37-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
Gordon now has 1,003 career rushing yards on 104 carries for a career average per carry of 9.6.
James White entered today’s game as the NCAA's active leader in career rushing touchdowns. He added to that total with a 2-yard run in the third quarter. He now has 34 career rushing TDs and the Badgers are 18-1 when White scores at least one touchdown.
White rushed for 109 yards, his 11th career 100-yard rushing game. Each of his 100-yard games has come in games where UW has had at least two 100-yard rushers. The Badgers are undefeated when White rushes for at least 100 yards.
Freshman RB Corey Clement racked up a career-high 149 yards on 13 carries while scoring a career-best two touchdowns. He has now rushed for at least 100 yards in each of his first two games.
Senior WR Jared Abbrederis caught a 6-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. It was his third TD reception of the season and 19th of his career. That ties him with Jonathan Orr and Al Toon for third all-time in UW history. Lee Evans is the school’s all-time leader with 27.
With a career-high eight receptions, Abbrederis moved into fifth place on UW’s career receptions list (134), passing Chris Chambers and Al Toon.
Playing in his 37th career game, senior TE Brian Wozniak caught his first career TD pass, hauling in a 6-yard scoring strike late in the first half.
Playing in his 42nd career game, senior LB Conor O’Neill made his first career start. O’Neill tallied a career-high nine tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Sophomore CB Darius Hillary forced a fumble on the first offensive play of the game, Hillary’s first forced fumble of his career. Senior SS Dezmen Southward recovered the fumble, his first career fumble recovery.
Though he wasn’t on the field for the Badgers’ first offensive play, sophomore Derek Straus was UW’s starting fullback in place of the injured Derek Watt. He made the most of his opportunity, scoring Wisconsin’s first touchdown on a 3-yard reception. He finished with three catches for 10 yards.
(Courtesy UW Athletic Communications)
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