Mertz working through progressions
QB learning from his mistakes in 2020 season
MADISON - Graham Mertz posted All-American numbers in his first college start.
Leading Wisconsin against Illinois in the 2020 opener, Mertz completed his first 17 passes before a drop by tailback Garrett Groshek ended his streak, and he went on to finish 20 of 21 for 248 yards and five touchdowns.
His completion rate of 95.2% was a program record and he tied the mark for most touchdown passes in a game.
Mertz's numbers over the final six games were less than stellar as he completed 98 of 172 attempts (57.0%) for an average of 165.0 yards per game, with four touchdowns and five interceptions.
There were mitigating circumstances to help explain the dramatic difference in the numbers. Mertz tested positive for COVID-19 the day after the opener, wide receivers Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor were both sidelined by injuries and the running game without Jonathan Taylor was plodding.
Mertz volunteered in April that a shoulder injury he suffered required weekly cortisone shots during the season.
Yet all that matters as Mertz prepares for camp as the No. 1 quarterback is that he must play better than he did last season when UW finished 3-3 in the Big Ten and 4-3 overall.
“I'm not one to sit here and make excuses,” he said. “Having a little banged up shoulder doesn't justify losing three games and playing like that. …
“You go back and look at the stats, you look at the record. It's sub-par. It's not good. That's not how I want to play ball and that's not how we play ball here.
“I took that personally and I'm working to make sure that never happens again.”
Circumstances favor a better overall season for Mertz.
Head coach Paul Chryst is back coaching the quarterbacks in the wake of the departure of assistant Jon Budmayr, who was named Colorado State offensive coordinator. Budmayr is a bright young coach, but Chryst's edge in experience no doubt will help Mertz and fellow quarterbacks Chase Wolf, Danny Vanden Boom and freshman Deacon Hill.
Both Davis and Pryor decided to return in 2021 and UW's younger receivers appeared in the spring to be more dependable.
If UW can run the ball more effectively than it did last season (164.6 ypg), the overall offense should be more balanced and explosive.
Then it will be up to Mertz to see open receivers more quickly, make the right reads and protect the football.
“To start with, I love the way that he's approached everything and it's coming from a great spot,” Chryst said of Mertz's work in the spring. “He will work. It's important to him. Not just his play, but how can he be the best teammate that he can be. He understands the whole role.
“His first spring, I don't think he really had a clue what was going on.”
According to Mertz, Chryst used the spring to focus on details of playing the position.
The No. 1 issue Mertz had to address was exhibiting more efficient footwork whether he was under center or in the shotgun.
“You put on the tape and it all comes down to footwork,” Mertz said. “For me, being able to control the speed of my drop. …
“I felt there was a ton of stuff I could have cleaned up coming out of the season that I wish I would have during it. The only thing that can do is motivate you.”
The final six games of the season and UW's 4-3 mark combined to make 2020 a bit humbling for Mertz, who passed for a combined 7,570 yards and 96 touchdowns in his final two seasons at Blue Valley North High School in Kansas.
“That was really my first dose of going through a season like that,” he acknowledged. “It was great to go through something like that and realize that's another side of it and a place where you never want to be again.”
Senior tight end Jake Ferguson, who caught two of the five touchdown passes in the opener against Illinois, noted Mertz arrived at UW in 2019 surrounded by an unrealistic amount of hype because of his high school résumé.
He needed time to settle in as a redshirt freshman last season.
“It's hard to be a freshman, an 18-year-old kid and people expect you to win the Heisman,” Ferguson said. “His head was probably racing.
“But I think he has really stepped into that leadership role and calmed down a little bit and gained a lot of confidence. He is ready to have a good year.
“You can tell he wants to battle. He wants to compete.”