Skip to content

Wisconsin earns statement victory after dominating Michigan

Stacy Revere / Getty Images Sport / Getty

It was impressive enough when the Wisconsin Badgers started the 2019 campaign by beating South Florida and Central Michigan by a combined score of 110-0. But their Week 4 performance against No. 11 Michigan pushed their start to historic heights.

In a forgettable afternoon for Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh, the 13th-ranked Badgers rode a dominant first half to a 35-14 win over his squad Saturday.

Wisconsin jumped out to a 28-0 halftime lead, bringing its season-opening shutout streak to 10 quarters. It was the best such mark in FBS over the last 15 years and increased the program's season tally to an unimaginable 138-0 through two-and-a-half games.

Michigan broke the shutout streak late in the third quarter but could do little to stop the Badgers' offense or consistently move the ball.

Quarterback Shea Patterson was benched to begin the second half after a rough opening two quarters, but was forced to reenter the game after Dylan McCaffrey took a huge hit to the head on a scramble.

After breaking the freshman rushing record in 2017 and posting a 2,000-plus-yard campaign in 2018, junior running back Jonathan Taylor picked up where he left off to lead Wisconsin's impressive early-season offense.

The reigning Doak Walker Award exploded for 143 yards and two scores - including a 72-yard touchdown dash - in the first half. He finished the game with 208 total yards.

Wisconsin quarterback Jack Coan completed 13 of 16 passes for 128 yards. He added a pair of touchdown runs himself, including a 25-yard score in the second quarter to break the game open.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox