MADISON, Wis. -- Don't let the scoreboard fool you. Wisconsin may have beaten Western Michigan 28-14 on Friday, however it was anything but a comfortable victory.
The Badgers capitalized on a muffed punt to reverse a one-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
Tyler Van Dyke completed 21 of his 36 passes for 192 yards in his Wisconsin debut and rushed for a touchdown. He also lost a fumble. Chez Mellusi and Tawee Walker tallied one rushing touchdown each, and combined for 140 rushing yards.
Will Pauling led the Wisconsin receiving corps with 6 catches for 60 yards.
The Badgers were able to find early success without having to take big risks. Mellusi and Walker found short-but-solid gains on the ground, while Van Dyke relied on short passes when moving the ball through the air.
However, Wisconsin's first drive of the game stalled at the edge of the red zone and Nathanial Vakos' 36-yard field goal was pushed well wide. The miss meant that the Badgers went scoreless in the first quarter of the season opener for the first time since 2021.
The Camp Randall faithful would not have to wait too long to see their team find paydirt, however. Wisconsin's second drive went for 93 yards, capped off by a 9-yard touchdown carry from Mellusi with 11:48 left in the half.
Just like in their opening drive, the Badgers got their gains in short spurts. Cade Yacamelli and Mellusi picked up solid chunks with the running game while Van Dyke's longest pass went for just 10 yards. Wisconsin was also helped by a targeting call against Broncos linebacker Jacob Wahlberg, who was ejected.
After punting on their first two drives, Western Michigan finally got rolling following the Wisconsin touchdown. The Broncos used a speedy no-huddle offense to gallop downfield, with quarterback Hayden Wolff finding Jaden Nixon and Jalen Buckley for strong gains.
Nixon and Buckley caused problems for the Badgers on the ground as well, as they helped march their team all the way up to the goal line. Wisconsin almost found the answer when it mattered most, making three consecutive goal line stands, but fourth time proved the charm as Buckley pushed through the line for the game-tying touchdown.
Wisconsin got the ball back with about 3 minutes left in the half, looking to take some momentum into the locker room. After Walker tallied 4 consecutive carries for 23 total yards, Van Dyke was given the reigns.
The transfer from Miami completed back-to-back tosses to Will Pauling and Bryson Green for 24 yards, then found Trech Kekahuna a few plays later to get the Badgers into the red zone. However, they had to settle for a 33-yard field goal which Vakos converted.
Wisconsin was far more aggressive in the passing game to begin the second half. In some ways it paid off, like a 17-yard strike to Pauling and a 14-yard gem to Kekahuna, but in the end it really didn't. On 3rd and goal from the six-yard line Van Dyke nearly threw an interception and the Badgers had to settle for a field goal.
Wisconsin would get another chance in the third quarter after the Broncos missed a field goal, however it was a nightmare drive for Van Dyke. He was sacked for a loss of 9, then threw an incompletion, then was hit and fumbled the ball. Tyson Lee fell on it for the Broncos.
Needing a response, the Wisconsin defense seemed to step up and hold the Broncos to a field goal, however Palmer Domschke faked the attempt and took the ball 26 yards, nearly scoring a touchdown. Buckley would punch it in a few plays later to take the 14-13 lead with 14:12 left in the game.
Wisconsin's next drive quickly stalled, however they caught the luckiest of bounces. Atticus Bertrams' punt bounced off the foot of a Bronco and Xavier Lucas fell on it to give the Badgers the ball back in the redzone.
Keeping the ball on the ground, the Badgers took full advantage of the extra chance. Walker and Van Dyke combined for four consecutive carries, with Walker punching his way into the endzone to take a 19-14 lead. A two-point conversion sweetened the deal and put Wisconsin up by a touchdown with 10:33 to play.
The Badger defense came up with a huge stand on the ensuing drive, stopping the Broncos on fourth down at midfield. That gave Van Dyke and the offense a chance to shore up the lead, and bleed some precious minutes off of the clock.
They did just that, crafting an 8-play drive that lasted over 4:30 and ended with Van Dyke running into the endzone. The Badgers found success on the drive by returning to what worked earlier in the game: strong runs by Mellusi and Walker with clean, short passes by Van Dyke.
The Broncos were left with just over 3 minutes to play with, needing two touchdowns but holding all three timeouts. They wouldn't use a single one.
Wisconsin was able to shut the door right around midfield, benefiting from a holding penalty and a 9-yard sack. On 4th and 14, in need of a miracle, Wolff tried a pass but Xavier Lucas came up with a magnificent interception to seal the win for the Badgers.
The Badgers' escape marks the third consecutive year that they've won the season opener. They'll be back in action next Saturday to take on South Dakota at Camp Randall Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT
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