No. 14 Wisconsin rout Illinois, 45-7, in Big Ten opener

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin’s Graham Mertz gave a star-making performance on the opening night of the Big Ten’s pandemic-delayed season.

Mertz threw five touchdown passes to match the Wisconsin record in a commanding first career start and the No. 14 Badgers beat Illinois 45-7 on Friday night.

“The kid’s definitely smooth,” said tight end Jake Ferguson, who caught seven passes for 72 yards and three touchdowns. “He was smiling cheek to cheek after the first touchdown. He knew, and everybody in that huddle knew, we were rolling. It’s just awesome to see that out of him.”

Mertz set a school record for completion percentage on 20-of-21 passing, finishing with 248 yards. His lone incompletion was a pass that running back Garrett Groshek dropped midway through the third quarter. The redshirt freshman delivered a buzzworthy performance during the Big Ten’s long-awaited opening night. The Big Ten announced Aug. 11 that it would postpone all fall sports until the spring due to the coronavirus pandemic, then reversed itself Sept. 16 by saying it would begin the season in mid-October.

Mertz’s brilliant night helped Wisconsin gain revenge after losing 24-23 to 30 1/2point underdog Illinois last year in one of the 2019 season’s biggest upsets. The Badgers put this one out of reach by halftime. After Illinois fumbled the ball away on the game’s second play from scrimmage, Mertz hit fullback Mason Stokke for a 10-yard touchdown pass. He found Ferguson wide-open in the back of the end zone for a 5-yard score to make it 14-0.