No. 12 Notre Dame Beats No. 18 Wisconsin; Brian Kelly Becomes Winningest ND Coach
Notre Dame remained perfect at 4-0 with a 41-13 victory over No. 18 Wisconsin on Saturday at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Brian Kelly now has 106 wins as head coach of the 12th-ranked Fighting Irish, moving him ahead of Knute Rockne for the most in program history.
With the game tied at 10 midway through the third quarter, Notre Dame had to turn to third-string quarterback Drew Pyne. Backup Tyler Buchner has a hamstring injury, and starter Jack Coan had limped back to the locker room.
Pyne attempted just three passes as a freshman, and his inexperience showed on his second drive when he didn't feel Rodas Johnson bearing down on his blind side.
The fumble set up a 27-yard field goal by Collin Larsh at the 14:14 mark of the fourth quarter.
Chris Tyree had registered little impact to that point, accumulating 12 yards from scrimmage. But the sophomore running back made his presence felt by returning the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown.
After Jayson Ademilola's strip-sack three plays later, Pyne hit Kevin Austin Jr. for a 16-yard touchdown pass to help widen Notre Dame's lead to 24-13.
Drew White capped a 31-point fourth quarter for the Irish with a pick-six of Graham Mertz with 54 seconds on the clock. It was Mertz's second pick-six in little more than a minute and the denouement of a brutal outing as the pressure continues to mount on the Wisconsin quarterback.
Notable Performers
Jack Coan, QB, Notre Dame: 15-of-29, 158 yards, TD
Drew Pyne, QB, Notre Dame: 6-of-8, 81 yards, TD
Kevin Austin, Jr., WR, Notre Dame: six receptions, 76 yards, 2 TD
Graham Mertz, QB, Wisconsin: 18-of-41, 240 yards, TD, 4 INT
Chez Mellusi, RB, Wisconsin: 18 carries, 54 yards; two receptions, 39 yards
Notre Dame Defense Making Strides
Coming into Saturday, it was unclear how good the Fighting Irish were. They went to overtime against Florida State (0-3) in their opener, and Toledo pushed Kelly's squad to the brink six days later.
The defense in particular generated questions after allowing 795 yards in those two games under first-year coordinator Marcus Freeman. Now, the unit looks far more comfortable following the transition to Freeman from Clark Lea.
Pyne also exceeded everybody's expectations under difficult circumstances. He was efficient and avoided critical errors after his fumble.
Depending on Coan's health, Kelly may have a quarterback dilemma. One doesn't want to be a prisoner of the moment, but the gap between Coan and Pyne may not be that big.
At the very least, Pyne did nothing Saturday to hurt his standing.
Though putting the Fighting Irish in the College Football Playoff would be premature, their dominant defense and solid quarterback playāthe kind of balance Notre Dame showed against Wisconsināhave made for a winning recipe for Kelly before.
Wisconsin Has a Graham Mertz Problem
To some extent, this game was a referendum on Mertz.
With Mertz entrenched as the starter, Coan chose to transfer to capitalize on his final season of eligibility. The net effect would probably be marginal if Wisconsin could swap Mertz for Coan, but it seems clear Mertz cannot elevate the offense.
The sophomore struggled as the 2020 season went on, and things haven't gotten better.
For years, Wisconsin was perceived to be holding itself back with game managers such as Alex Hornibrook, Joel Stave, Scott Tolzien, John Stocco and Jim Sorgi.
Mertz was a 4-star recruit and the No. 3 pro-style quarterback in the 2019 class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. The Kansas native was supposed to be the elite passer the Badgers had lacked.
Instead, fans might be longing for the days when Wisconsin played to type.
After Austin's second touchdown reception, the Badgers had more than nine minutes to close a two-score gap. But the gulf felt much larger because the offense had failed to move the ball.
Wisconsin finished 1-of-14 on third down. It failed to deliver in critical moments and couldn't maintain drives.
What's Next?
Notre Dame heads back to South Bend, Indiana, for what may be its toughest test of the season against No. 8 Cincinnati. Wisconsin will host No. 19 Michigan in a game that could make or break the Badgers' hopes of winning the Big Ten West.
