The Badgers dominate on both sides of the ball in a blowout win over Rutgers

The defense was stifling. The offense made some splash plays and turned them into touchdowns. Both sides had complete control of the ball from start to finish. This was another overwhelming victory for the Badgers football team.

Tawee Walker ran for 198 yards and three touchdowns, Braedyn Locke threw for 240 yards and a touchdown and the Badgers defeated Rutgers 42-7 on Saturday afternoon at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, New Jersey.

And it all started with the Badgers' (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) opening drive. After stopping Rutgers (4-2, 1-2) on its first drive, Wisconsin marched 89 yards down the field in eight plays, the last of which was a 16-yard touchdown fade from Locke to Will Pauling in right Corner of field end zone. Pauling got off to a great start, catching four passes for 49 yards and the touchdown, but left the game in the first half and was later sidelined with an upper-body injury.

Locke threw an interception on the Badgers' next drive, but the defense held the Scarlet Knights to 34 yards on 11 plays during their first three drives and Wisconsin quickly recovered from the pick. Late in the first quarter, the Badgers engineered a seven-play, 53-yard touchdown drive capped by a 2-yard scoring sprint by Walker that made it 14-0.

The Scarlet Knights punted on their next three drives, turned the game over on the drive after that, punted again and Jai Patel blocked a field goal just before halftime as the Badgers took a two-touchdown lead into halftime.

Things only got better for Wisconsin in the second half.

During a four-play, 89-yard touchdown drive midway through the third quarter, Locke hit Vinny Anthony II for a 47-yard gain to the Rutgers 2-yard line, and Darrion Dupree made it 21-0 by the end -Leadership of the Badgers.

Preston Zachman picked off Rutgers quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis – who completed just 12 of 32 passes for 103 yards and the interception – on the Scarlet Knights' ensuing possession, and Wisconsin then converted on six plays on the short 31-yard field, with Walker ran in for his second touchdown of the day from 9 yards to make it 28-0.

The Badgers held the Scarlet Knights to just 271 yards of total offense.

Rutgers averaged just 3.2 yards per pass, 4.8 yards per rush and went 5 for 17 on third down.

The Badgers totaled 549 yards on offense. Locke went 20 for 28 for 240 yards, the touchdown and the interception, Walker ran for 198 yards and three scores on 24 carries and Dupree had 10 carries for 26 yards and the score. Cade Yacamelli added four carries for 72 yards, including a 45-yard run in the fourth quarter.

The Scarlet Knights finally put together an 80-yard, 13-play touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, including a 13-yard touchdown run by standout running back Kyle Monangai that totaled 72 yards.

But the Badgers weren’t done yet. They immediately marched right down the field on their next drive when Walker broke loose for a 55-yard touchdown run, extending the lead to 35-7. If the game wasn't over, the dagger certainly was.

And to top it all off, Locke capped a nine-play, 80-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter.

The Badgers have now won comfortably for two weeks in a row, and they will carry a lot of momentum into next week's game against Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois. Kick-off next Saturday is scheduled for 11 a.m