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Data Scout Notes: 2023: NAC...(+) Coming off Nov 2023 Collarbone INJ...2022: 12-05-22 Transfer from Wisconsin...NAC...PUnitas...2021: NAC...PManning/POBrien...2020: NAC
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Florida quarterback Graham Mertz is coming back for his final year of college eligibility and giving coach Billy Napier some offensive consistency heading into 2024. Mertz, a three-year starter at Wisconsin who transferred to Florida in January, made the announcement on social media Thursday with a short video titled "Unfinished Business." Mertz completed 72.9% of his passes this season for 2,903 yards, with 20 touchdown passes and just three interceptions. He broke his left collarbone during a Nov. 18 loss at Missouri and missed the team's regular-season finale against rival Florida State. - AP College Football
(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025  QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: AP College Football
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Former Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz is transferring to Florida, giving the Gators an experienced starter at a depleted position. Mertz announced his commitment on social media Wednesday. He is expected to enroll at the Southeastern Conference schoo l in January. A three-year starter at Wisconsin, Mertz left the program after the Badgers hired former Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell to head its program. He joins a Florida team that lost Anthony Richardson to the NFL draft and dismissed backup Jalen Kit na following his arrest on child pornography charges. Third-stringer Jack Miller started the Las Vegas Bowl against Oregon State and threw for 180 yards and was sacked four times in a 30-3 loss.The Gators signed four-star quarterback prospect Jade n Rashada on Wednesday as a potential starter in 2023 and could mine the transfer portal for more help at the all-important position, where Florida lost Richardson, Kitna, Emory Jones and Carlos Del Rio-Wilson in a nine-month span. Mertz threw five touch down passes to help Wisconsin beat Illinois 45-7 in his first career start, setting a school single-game record for completion percentage and tying the school single-game record for TD tosses. But he struggled with consistency the rest of his time with t he Badgers. Wisconsin had a different offensive coordinator each of his three seasons as a starter. Mertz has completed 59.5% of his career passes for 5,405 yards, with 38 touchdowns and 26 interceptions. He completed 57.3% of his attempts for 2,136 yard s, with 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season. - AP College Football
(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025 QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: AP College Football
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The Florida Gators recently hosted Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz, indicating coach Billy Napier's need for a plug-and-play starter after Anthony Richardson opted into the NFL draft. Mertz is an interesting recruit not just for his experience – he bat tled through extended runs of inconsistent play as a multiple-year starter for the Badgers – but for being more of a traditional pocket passer. If the Gators sign Mertz or someone with a similar skill set, what would that indicate about how the offense will look in 2023? - USA Today
(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025 QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: USA Today
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Graham Mertz is entering the transfer portal after spending the last three seasons as Wisconsin's starting quarterback. Mertz announced Sunday on social media he was entering the portal "in pursuit of my next opportunity." His move comes one week after W isconsin hired former Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell to head its program. "I am grateful for my time as a Badger," Mertz said in his post. "My time in Madison has taught me lessons that go far beyond the football field." Mertz arrived at Wisconsin as the nation's No. 65 overall prospect in his class, according to composite rankings of recruiting sites compiled by 247Sports.He was the Badgers' first top-100 247Sports Composite signee who didn't play on the offensive line since 2007, when they got r unning back John Clay. Mertz went 20 of 21 and threw five touchdown passes to help Wisconsin beat Illinois 45-7 in his first career start, setting a school single-game record for single-game completion percentage and tying the school single-game record f or touchdown passes. But he struggled with consistency the rest of his time with the Badgers. Wisconsin had a different offensive coordinator each of his three seasons as a starter. Mertz has completed 59.5% of his career passes for 5,405 yards with 38 t ouchdowns and 26 interceptions. He completed 57.3% of his attempts for 2,136 yards with 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season. - AP College Football
(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025 QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: AP College Football
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Graham Mertz scored on a 2-yard quarterback sneak with 35 seconds left to complete Wisconsin's comeback from an 11-point deficit entering the fourth quarter, and the Badgers beat Nebraska 15-14 Saturday for their ninth straight win in the series. The Bad gers earned their grinding victory on a raw afternoon at Memorial Stadium after losing their top defensive player, Nick Herbig, to a targeting penalty in the third quarter and its top offensive player, Braelon Allen, to a leg injury on their second-to-la st possession. Wisconsin (6-5, 4-4 Big Ten) became bowl-eligible for a 21st straight year and kept the Freedom Trophy, which has been awarded to the winner since 2014. Nebraska (3-8, 2-6) lost its fifth straight.Mertz's 10-yard TD pass to Skyler B ell cut Nebraska's lead to 14-9 early in the fourth quarter. Mertz was off target with his 2-point pass, leaving the Badgers down five with 10 minutes left. Wisconsin started its final drive from midfield with 3:11 left. Mertz passed to Isaac Guerendo fo r 27 yards to set up a first-and-goal at the 7, and three plays later Mertz crashed over the goal line for the Badgers' first lead. Nebraska's Casey Thompson, who missed the previous two games with an elbow nerve injury, threw two touchdown passes to Tre y Palmer and finished 12 of 20 for 106 yards. Thompson was the Huskers' leading rusher, picking up 33 yards on 11 carries. Chez Mellusi led the Badgers with 98 yards on 21 carries. Mertz was 8 of 18 for 83 yards on a day when the feels-like temperature w as 16 degrees with a gusty north wind. Herbig, the Big Ten sacks leader, was ejected for targeting when he hit a sliding Thompson in the head. By rule, Herbig must miss the first half of next week's rivalry game against Minnesota. - Wisconsin/AP College Football
(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025 QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: Wisconsin/AP College Football
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Graham Mertz threw for a career-high 299 yards and matched one with five touchdowns, Chimere Dike set personal bests with 185 yards receiving and three TD catches, and Wisconsin dominated in interim coach Jim Leonhard’s first game, pounding struggling Northwestern 42-7 on Saturday. Braelon Allen added 135 yards rushing. He also threw a 23-yard touchdown late in the second quarter, and the Badgers (3-3, 1-2 Big Ten) raced out to a 28-0 halftime lead on the way to an easy win in their first game since c oach Paul Chryst was fired. Wisconsin decided to make a leadership change following losses to Ohio State and Illinois, led by former coach Bret Bielema, by a combined 55 points. Chryst was let go in his eighth season and replaced by Leonhard, a former Al l-America safety in his sixth year as defensive coordinator and seventh on staff at his alma mater. Mertz completed 20 of 29 passes.Dike had touchdown catches of 52 and 21 yards in the first half as well as a 6-yarder in the fourth quarter. He cau ght 10 passes and easily surpassed his previous high of 106 yards. Wisconsin racked up 515 yards in all and finished with 193 on the ground after being held to 2 yards rushing on 24 carries for its lowest total since 2015. Northwestern (1-5, 1-2) lost it s fifth straight since opening with a win over Nebraska in Ireland. The Wildcats are 6-16 since beating Wisconsin at home in 2020 on the way to winning the Big Ten West. Ryan Hilinski threw for 147 yards and was intercepted twice. - Wisconsin/AP College Football
(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025 QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: Wisconsin/AP College Football
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Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst didn't say much at the podium Wednesday, but he did praise quarterback Graham Mertz's progress as a leader. "I've appreciated the way that Graham has approached this offseason," Chryst said. "He's taken ownership of the things he needs to do and does a great job of communicating and working with the rest of the players. "I think a good leader shows you how to lead by example but also how you can help others be the best that they can be. I've seen him do that." - Lincoln Journ al Star
(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025 QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: Lincoln Journal Star
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Graham Mertz studied history earlier this summer, Wisconsin football history. His teachers: Former UW quarterbacks Scott Tolzien, who started a total of 26 games in 2009 and 2010; and Brooks Bollinger, who started a total of 42 games from 1999 through 20 02. "The coolest part of them is that both of them wanted to start like a quarterback fraternity," Mertz said Wednesday on Day 2 of the Big Ten preseason meetings. "That is one thing I really want to do when I leave here is be connected to the guys young er than me." Mertz has 20 starts on his UW résumé, seven in the COVID-affected 2020 season and 13 last season.The Badgers are 13-7 in those 20 games and Mertz will be the first to tell you he needs to make more plays and commit fewer turnovers. According to Mertz, he was able to meet with Tolzien for nearly two hours. He chatted less formally with Bollinger throughout Braelon Allen's charity softball game in Fond du Lac. "Their biggest thing was: 'Whatever you need, whenever you need it, hit us up,'" Mertz said. "The biggest thing was that they wanted to get to know me and I wanted to get to know them. It was great." - Journal Sentinel
(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025 QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: Journal Sentinel
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Graham Mertz threw a season-high three touchdown passes and Wisconsin won its fifth straight game and become bowl eligible for the 20th straight year with a 52-3 victory over Rutgers on Saturday. Chez Mellusi, Braelon Allen and Jackson Acker each ran for a touchdown and cornerback Caesar Williams highlighted a dominant performance by the Badgers' top-ranked defense by returning an interception 29 yards for a TD. Mertz's touchdown passes covered 1-yard to John Chenal, 25 yards to Kendric Pryor and 72 yar ds to Danny Davis as the Badgers had their biggest point production since scoring 61 against Central Michigan early in 2019.Coupled with No. 20 Minnesota's loss to Illinois, Wisconsin (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) will have a share of first place in the conf erence's West Division after opening the season with a 1-3 start, its worst since 1990. Rutgers (4-5, 1-5) lost for the fifth time in six games in seeing its hopes for a first bowl bid since 2014 take another hit after a 3-0 start. The 52-points tied Ohi o State for most allowed by the Scarlet Knights this season. Wisconsin never trailed in beating Rutgers for the fourth time in as many games. - Wisconsin/AP College Football
(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025 QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: Wisconsin/AP College Football
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Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz wants to make sure he doesn't let his struggles in a season-opening loss impact the rest of his year. Mertz threw two interceptions in the final 2 1/2 minutes as the 12th-ranked Badgers failed to convert numerous scorin g opportunities and fell 16-10 to No. 19 Penn State. He spent the rest of his weekend breaking down game film and is ready to move forward, starting with Saturday night's game against Eastern Michigan (1-0). "There's a lot of games ahead and we know what we're going to do with them," Mertz said Monday. "Take advantage of every rep in practice and every game we get, and have fun doing it. For us, nothing's changed. We're still rolling." Wisconsin could be rolling several spots down the AP Top 25 after it s loss, but the Badgers still can compete for a Big Ten Conference title if they bounce back. They just need to avoid repeating the mistakes that caused them to lose a contest in which they controlled possession for over 42 minutes and ran 95 plays from scrimmage, their highest single-game total since at least 1990. Mertz accepted responsibility after the game and vowed to get better. Coaches and teammates say they like the way he's responded. - AP College Football
(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025 QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: AP College Football
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Graham Mertz posted All-American numbers in his first college start. Leading Wisconsin against Illinois in the 2020 opener, Mertz completed his first 17 passes before a drop by tailback Garrett Groshek ended his streak, and he went on to finish 20 of 21 for 248 yards and five touchdowns. His completion rate of 95.2% was a program record and he tied the mark for most touchdown passes in a game. Mertz's numbers over the final six games were less than stellar as he completed 98 of 172 attempts (57.0%) for an average of 165.0 yards per game, with four touchdowns and five interceptions. There were mitigating circumstances to help explain the dramatic difference in the numbers. Mertz tested positive for COVID-19 the day after the opener, wide receivers Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor were both sidelined by injuries and the running game without Jonathan Taylor was plodding.Mertz volunteered in April that a shoulder injury he suffered required weekly cortisone shots during the season. Yet all that matter s as Mertz prepares for camp as the No. 1 quarterback is that he must play better than he did last season when UW finished 3-3 in the Big Ten and 4-3 overall. "I'm not one to sit here and make excuses," he said. "Having a little banged up shoulder doesn' t justify losing three games and playing like that..."You go back and look at the stats, you look at the record. It's sub-par. It's not good. That's not how I want to play ball and that's not how we play ball here. "I took that personally and I'm working to make sure that never happens again." - Journal Sentinel
(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025 QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: Journal Sentinel
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University of Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz has been the program's leading face in drawing sponsorships for his name, image and likeness (NIL), and he added one of the top names in sports memorabilia to his portfolio Wednesday. Mertz, along with Mia mi quarterback D'Eriq King and Mississippi quarterback Matt Corral, announced exclusive deals with Panini America to sell signed memorabilia. A release from Panini said the company will organize public signings for Mertz and have signed products availabl e for purchase on its website. Mertz is wearing a vintage Brett Favre Packers T-shirt in the video announcing the partnership - UW athletes can't wear or use school logos in NIL activities without licensing them. - Wisconsin State Journal
(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025 QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: Wisconsin State Journal
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University of Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz jumped into the NIL waters Monday, unveiling a trademark symbol. Mertz - a redshirt sophomore who became the team's starter last season - tweeted the image with the caption "Coming soon..." College athlete s are set to begin earning money on their name, image and likenesses this week as state laws go into effect. NCAA President Mark Emmert told member schools last week that "interim solutions" to allow all student-athletes to profit from NIL opportunities will be in place by July 1 as the organization waits for a federal law to govern to be passed on the matter. Mertz has a Twitter following of nearly 25,000 users and an Instagram following of over 51,000 accounts. He'll be a test case for how Badgers ath letes can profit from NIL sponsorships and endorsements when they're allowed later this week. - Wisconsin State Journal
(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025 QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: Wisconsin State Journal
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Once it was over, Graham Mertz took time to reflect after his first college football season as a starter. It hadn't gone how he wanted - after a record-setting starting debut in which he threw five touchdown passes, challenges started to pile up for the sophomore. He contracted COVID-19, testing positive the day after the Illinois game as part of an outbreak that derailed the University of Wisconsin's season for nearly three weeks. He struggled as his timing and accuracy were sporadic over the final six games of the year and UW finished 4-3. Mertz said as he evaluated the season, he looked inward first, asking himself how he needed to get better in each aspect of his game. He also took stock of how he needed to improve his approach off the field. "I to ok a couple of days just to kind of take that approach. 'How can I be the best Graham during the season?'" Mertz said Friday. When Mertz did begin studying tape, he broke his play down into particular elements and spent days watching each snap with an ey e on that component. From his drop-backs to his understanding of scheme and recognition of defenses, Mertz took note of the strides he needed to make. He didn't specify when it happened, but Mertz also sustained a shoulder injury and had to get a cortiso ne shot one week. He rejected the idea that it was an explanation for his struggles. "I'm not one to sit here and make excuses for how I played, and having a little banged up shoulder doesn't justify losing three games (in a row) and playing like that," he said. "So I'm not going to sit here and make that an excuse, because it's not." - Wisconsin State Journal
(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025 QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: Wisconsin State Journal
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Redshirt freshman Graham Mertz struggled to find consistent rhythm after a record-setting performance in his starting debut. Mertz completed just under 57% of his passes, threw four touchdowns and five interceptions the rest of the season after completin g 20 of 21 passes against Illinois, tying a program record with five touchdowns. Cutting down on turnovers - Mertz also lost two fumbles last season - is the first step, but doing so will be the result of establishing better timing in the pocket. A major ity of Mertz's interceptions last seasons were due to holding the ball too long or trying to throw a pass too late and the window of opportunity closing. Coach Paul Chryst's track record of coaching quarterbacks at UW includes the heights of Russell Wils on's stellar season in 2011 and a through line of consistent, smart play. Spring practices are the time to meld that coaching with Mertz's talent so the quarterback can take a big step forward this fall. - Wisconsin State Journal
(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025 QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: Wisconsin State Journal
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Graham Mertz accounted for three touchdowns and Wisconsin turned four second-half interceptions into 21 points to beat Wake Forest 42-28 in the Duke's Mayo Bowl on Wednesday. Mertz, a redshirt freshman, threw for 130 yards and ran for two short touchdown s as Wisconsin (4-3) finished a rocky season on a high note. With the game tied at 21 late in the third quarter, Noah Burks intercepted Wake Forest's Sam Hartman on a pass in the flat when the intended receiver failed to turn his head around. Burks retur ned the ball 41 yards to set up a 14-yard scoring strike from Mertz to Mason Stokke on a wheel route, giving the Badgers their first lead.Hartman, who had thrown only one interception all season, was picked off on the next three possessions as wel l. Scott Nelson had a 60-yard interception return and Collin Wilder returned a pick 72 yards to set up short TD runs that gave the Badgers a 42-21 lead, resulting in Hartman getting benched. Jack Sanborn had 11 tackles and an interception and was named M VP of the game. - AP College Football
(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025 QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: AP College Football
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After dealing with little to no on-the-field adversity while leading the University of Wisconsin football team to victories in his first two career starts, the redshirt freshman quarterback's inexperience showed Saturday afternoon against a terrific defe nse. Mertz turned the ball over four times - three interceptions and a fumble - in the No. 10 Badgers' 17-7 loss to No. 19 Northwestern at Ryan Field. It didn't help matters that Mertz didn't have his two best wide receivers on the field with him, and th ere was plenty of blame to go around on a UW offense that couldn't get out of its own way. But on a day when the Badgers needed their young star to be great, he instead took a step back. "I do believe what drives him is doing all he can for this team, an d when you're not able to do that or do it enough, it's a growing situation," UW coach Paul Chryst said. "This one was painful for a lot of us, and we've got to learn from it. We've got to take away what you can from it and go forward."I don't kno w if there's many quarterbacks that play that don't go through those highs and those lows. You've got to find a way to continue to work through and be consistent when things are going well and when things aren't going well." Mertz completed 74.4 percent of his passes during his first two starts - sandwiched around a positive COVID-19 test that sidelined him for two weeks - but he went just 23 of 41 for 230 yards against the Wildcats (5-0). He attempted 64 passes without throwing an interception dating t o his debut last season, but his first career pick came in the second quarter and that was followed by two more. "Northwestern's a great, veteran defense," Mertz said. "They knew what was coming with our progressions, so obviously there were some that I' d like to get back. But now it's just taking it as a learning experience and grow from it." - Journal Sentinel
(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025 QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: Journal Sentinel
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A COVID-19 outbreak has put the University of Wisconsin football season on hold after just one game. The Badgers will pause football activities for at least seven days after a dozen people in the program, including coach Paul Chryst and starting quarterb ack Graham Mertz, tested positive for COVID-19 in the past five days. The Badgers, ranked No. 9 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, decided they cannot play their scheduled game Saturday at Nebraska. A Big Ten Conference spokesman said the game will not count toward either team's record. The 12 people who tested positive include six players and six staff members. The program is in the process of providing hotel rooms for seven days in order to separate players who live together to combat the virus' sp read. UW athletic director Barry Alvarez said the program does not know what caused the outbreak. Additional test results are pending, meaning there are potentially more cases within the program. - Wisconsin State Journal
(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025 QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: Wisconsin State Journal
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No. 9 Wisconsin has canceled its game at Nebraska on Saturday and paused all team activities for at least seven days after a dozen people within the program including coach Paul Chryst tested positive for COVID-19. School officials said athletic director Barry Alvarez and chancellor Rebecca Blank made the decision in consultation with Big Ten officials. The game with Nebraska won't be rescheduled. Wisconsin said six players and six staff members had tested positive over the last five days. The announcem ent followed reports that starting quarterback Graham Mertz had tested positive twice – which would require him to sit out at least 21 days under Big Ten protocols - and that backup quarterback Chase Wolf had tested positive at least once. - AP College Football
(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025 QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: AP College Football
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OCT 26 BIG TEN CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER AND FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: Graham Mertz, Wisconsin, Fr., QB, Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley North,...Became the first Wisconsin freshman to start a season opener at quarterback since 1978, going 20-for-21 for 248 yards and five touchdowns...Broke the school record for single-game completion percentage (.952), while tying the school marks with five touchdown passes and 17 consecutive completions...Recorded the third-highest single-game passing yards by a Wisconsin fresh man, trailing Darrell Bevell (274 vs. Northwestern in 1992) and Joel Stave (254 vs. Illinois in 2012)...Earns his first career Big Ten weekly awards...Last Wisconsin Offensive Player of the Week: Jonathan Taylor (Nov. 18, 2019)...Last Wisconsin Freshman of the Week: Jonathan Taylor (Nov. 27, 2017). - Big Ten Football
(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025 QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: Big Ten Football
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Wisconsin says nobody who played in the season opener Friday night tested positive for COVID-19 or reported having any symptoms beforehand, amid weekend reports that quarterback Graham Mertz has tested positive. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and Wiscons in State Journal reported Mertz would be taking a second test to determine whether his first test was a false positive. The Journal-Sentinel reported Mertz's positive test came Saturday, one day after the Badgers' 45-7 home victory over Illinois. School officials say they won't release any testing information regarding individual athletes due to privacy concerns. Big Ten protocols say that athletes who test positive through point-of-contact daily testing must take a polymerase chain reaction test to con firm the first result. If that second test confirms a positive result, the athlete can't play again for at least 21 days. The ninth-ranked Badgers visit Nebraska, host Purdue and travel to No. 13 Michigan in their next three games. - AP College Football
(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025 QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: AP College Football
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Graham 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 to open the pandemic-delayed Big Ten football season. Mertz set a school record for comple tion percentage on 20-of-21 passing, finishing with 248 yards. The lone incompletion was a pass that running back Garrett Groshek dropped midway through the third quarter. The redshirt freshman quarterback delivered a buzzworthy performance during the Bi g 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.While mos t other conferences began playing last month in front of partially filled stadiums, Wisconsin had cutouts in the stands and piped-in crowd noise Friday as it began its nine-game schedule. But his prime-time outburst still earned raves on social media fro m a wide range of players including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and former Wisconsin star J.J. Watt. Mertz became the first-team quarterback after returning starter Jack Coan underwent foot surgery on Oct. 7, leaving him out indefinite ly. He wasted no time making the most of his opportunity. The only previous Wisconsin quarterbacks to throw five touchdown passes in a game are Darrell Bevell against Nevada in 1993 and Jim Sorgi against Michigan State in 2003. Mertz was 14 of 14 for 190 yards and four touchdowns in the first half alone as Wisconsin built a 28-7 halftime lead. Three of his five touchdown passes went to tight end Jake Ferguson, who had seven catches for 72 yards. - AP College/Wisconsin Football
(DS#27 QB) rSr/2025 QB Graham Mertz, Florida
News Source: AP College/Wisconsin Football
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