Wisconsin Badgers
8-2 , 5-2
Nebraska
4-6 , 2-5
Wisconsin rolls past Nebraska, 37-21
November 16, 2019 | Football
Badgers keep Freedom Trophy with record-breaking day for Jonathan Taylor
LINCOLN, Neb. — Jonathan Taylor ran for 204 yards and two touchdowns, Aron Cruickshank ran back a kickoff 89 yards for a score, and No. 15 Wisconsin beat Nebraska 37-21 on Saturday.
The Badgers defeated Nebraska for the seventh straight time to retain the Big Ten rivalry's Freedom Trophy and kept pace with Minnesota in the West Division race.
Moving his career total to 5,634, Taylor surpassed Georgia legend Herschel Walker's record (5,596) for the most rushing yards by a player through his junior season.
He also became the first Football Bowl Subdivision player since at least 2000 to run for 200 yards three times against the same team and the first Badger to accomplish this feat. He had 221 against the Cornhuskers last year and 249 in 2017.
Taylor also passed two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin for the second-most rushing yards in Big Ten history, trailing only Badgers great Ron Dayne. Taylor averaged 8.2 yards on his 25 carries against the Huskers on Saturday.
The junior recorded his 11th 200-yard game, moving into a four-way tie for most in a career by an FBS player.
The Badgers (8-2, 5-2 Big Ten, No. 14 CFP) quickly erased a 14-10 deficit in the second quarter. Jack Coan threw over the middle to A.J. Taylor, who spun away from two defenders and ran the rest of the way untouched for a 55-yard touchdown. Thanks to a tip from teammate Chris Orr, Wisconsin linebacker Jack Sanborn intercepted the ball on the first play of Nebraska's next series, and Taylor ran in from the 1 to finish a short drive that put the Badgers ahead 24-14.
Nebraska's Dedrick Mills ran for a career-high 188 yards and a touchdown. Adding to the Huskers' run game, quarterback Adrian Martinez picked up 89 yards on 16 carries.
Coan finished the day going 13-for-21 for 162 yards passing and one TD. Cruickshank had Wisconsin's first kick return for a touchdown since 2015 against Maryland. It came in the first quarter, right after the Huskers had taken a 7-0 lead.
Defensively, Wisconsin's Zack Baun collected two sacks, including a key 20-yard loss for the Huskers, while teammate Orr notched one. Reggie Pearson led the Badgers in tackles with 10.
The AP contributed to this article.
Team Stats
WIS 0, NEB 7
NEB - Dedrick Mills 12 yd run (B. Pickering kick), 5 plays, 63 yards, TOP 1:48
WIS 7, NEB 7
WIS - Cruickshank, A. 89 yd kickoff return (Larsh, Collin kick)
WIS 10, NEB 7
WIS - Larsh, Collin 31 yd field goal 10 plays, 53 yards, TOP 4:44
WIS 10, NEB 14
NEB - Adrian Martinez 2 yd run (B. Pickering kick), 5 plays, 73 yards, TOP 1:46
WIS 17, NEB 14
WIS - Taylor, A.J. 55 yd pass from Coan, Jack (Larsh, Collin kick) 5 plays, 86 yards, TOP 2:46
WIS 24, NEB 14
WIS - Taylor, J. 1 yd run (Larsh, Collin kick), 3 plays, 21 yards, TOP 1:25
WIS 27, NEB 14
WIS - Larsh, Collin 24 yd field goal 13 plays, 73 yards, TOP 3:55
WIS 34, NEB 14
WIS - Taylor, J. 11 yd run (Larsh, Collin kick), 9 plays, 76 yards, TOP 5:29
WIS 34, NEB 21
NEB - JD Spielman 23 yd pass from Adrian Martinez (B. Pickering kick) 4 plays, 75 yards, TOP 1:31
WIS 37, NEB 21
WIS - Larsh, Collin 30 yd field goal 10 plays, 72 yards, TOP 5:27
