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Tanner Mordecai added to his nation-leading total in touchdown passes with four more and SMU overcame his three interceptions in a 42-34 victory over TCU on Saturday in the 100th meeting of the Dallas-Fort Worth rivals. Ulysses Bentley IV ran for 153 yards and a touchdown and Danny Gray had 130 yards receiving, including a 68-yard catch-and-run for a score during a torrid start for both teams.

After last year's Iron Skillet game was called off because of COVID-19 issues in TCU's program, the Mustangs earned consecutive victories over the Horned Frogs for the first time since 1992-93. Mordecai was 17 of 28 for 245 yards and is up to 20 TD passes for the season. SMU (4-0) limited TCU to a pair of field goals after interceptions that put the Horned Frogs (2-1) inside the Mustangs' 25-yard line twice. The third pick by Mordecai was in the TCU end zone on a failed fourth-down try from the 3 on the final play of the first half, when coach Sonny Dykes went for the TD instead of a short field goal in a 21-21 game. - SMU/AP College Football

(DS#28 QB) rSr/2024

QB Tanner Mordecai, Wisconsin
News Source: SMU/AP College Football
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09/20/21 - Tanner Mordecai, rSr/2024, Wisconsin, 6-2, 210 (DS#28 QB) + More +

SEPT 20 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Tanner Mordecai, Jr., QB, SMU,...Mordecai passed for 395 yards and a career-high five touchdowns, including a 33-yard score as time expired, to give SMU a 39-37 win at Louisiana Tech. Mordecai was 36 of 48 (75%), turning in the most completions by an American Athletic Conference player this season. His 16 touchdown passes this season are five more than any other FBS player in 2021. - American Athletic Conference Football

(DS#28 QB) rSr/2024

QB Tanner Mordecai, Wisconsin
News Source: American Athletic Conference Football
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09/18/21 - Tanner Mordecai, rSr/2024, Wisconsin, 6-2, 210 (DS#28 QB) + More +

Tanner Mordecai threw a 33-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Roberson Jr. on the final play to give SMU a 39-37 win at Louisiana Tech in a non-conference game Saturday. Austin Kendall fired an 11-yard strike to Marcus Williams Jr. with 5:07 left, then set up a 38-yard field goal by Cesar Barajas to give Louisiana Tech a 37-33 advantage with :36 to play. Mordecai drove the Mustangs 73 yards in six plays for the game winner.

The game featured former Oklahoma quarterbacks as opposing starters. Both Mordecai and Kendall were Sooners in 2018 before both opted to transfer. Mordecai is a fourth-year junior. Kendall is a sixth-year graduate transfer. Mordecai finished 36 of 48 for 395 yards and five touchdowns. Kendall was 24 of 41 for 351 yards and four touchdowns, but was picked off once and ran for a score. SMU (3-0) put up 579 yards of offense and did not turn the ball over. Louisiana Tech (1-2) had 483 yards of offense with a turnover. Both quarterbacks hit first-quarter bombs. Kendall hit Tre Harris for a 62-yard touchdown in the first quarter and found him again in the third from 11-yards out. Mordecai hit Rashee Rice with a 41-yard strike in the first quarter. - SMU/AP College Football

(DS#28 QB) rSr/2024

QB Tanner Mordecai, Wisconsin
News Source: SMU/AP College Football
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09/12/21 - Chez Mellusi, rSr/2025, Wisconsin, 5-11, 212 (DS#999 RB) + More +

Wisconsin tight end Jake Ferguson likes the direction that the Badgers' running backs are going. And, he thinks Chez Mellusi is similar to former Badgers backs. Mellusi ran for 144 yards and a touchdown as No. 18 Wisconsin routed Eastern Michigan 34-7 Saturday night. "Chez is just that new edition," Ferguson said. "He runs hard and reminds me of Garrett Groshek and Jonathan Taylor at the same time - kind of shaking off a couple tackles and getting some extra yards." Wisconsin (1-1, 0-1 Big Ten) piled up 352 rushing yards and also dominated on defense against Eastern Michigan (0-2), which had 92 total yards on offense. The Eagles had three first downs.

Wisconsin controlled time of possession for 40 minutes. "Offensively, we couldn't get any kind of breathing room," Eastern Michigan coach Chris Creighton said. "We couldn't get anything going offensively, so our defense was on the field forever." Mellusi, a Clemson transfer, became the first Wisconsin running back to record consecutive 100-yard rushing games in his first two contests since Corey Clement in 2013. The Badgers, typically known for their explosive running, also had breakout performances from Isaac Guerendo and Jalen Berger. Berger, who missed the opener, had 15 carries for 62 yards and one TD. - Wisconsin/AP College Football

(DS#999 RB) rSr/2025

RB Chez Mellusi, Wisconsin
News Source: Wisconsin/AP College Football
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09/12/21 - Tanner Mordecai, rSr/2024, Wisconsin, 6-2, 210 (DS#28 QB) + More +

Tanner Mordecai passed for 312 yards and four touchdowns and SMU dominated the second half for a 35-12 victory over North Texas in nonconference play on Saturday. Neither team had much offense in the first half. North Texas managed two Ethan Mooney field goals to grab a 6-0 lead. The Mustangs (2-0) didn't score until Mordecai found Rashee Rice for a 62-yard TD with 3:50 left in the second quarter. SMU never trailed again. Mordecai fired a 58-yard scoring strike to Danny Gray on the Mustangs' second possession of the third quarter for a 14-6 lead. Jace Ruder had the answer for the Mean Green (1-1) - connecting with Isaiah Johnson for a 23-yard TD - before seeing his two-point pass attempt fall incomplete, leaving North Texas trailing 14-12.

Mordecai stretched SMU's lead to 21-12 by the end of the third quarter with a 29-yard TD strike to Grant Calcaterra. Ulysses Bentley IV took over in the final quarter - scoring on a 19-yard pass from Mordecai before ripping off an 85-yard TD run to cap the scoring. Mordecai completed 21 of 33 passes with two interceptions. Bentley rushed just 10 times and finished with 141 of SMU's 226 yards on the ground. Ruder was 32-of-51 passing for 366 yards with two picks. Roderic Burns had 12 catches for 141 yards, while Jyaire Shorter hauled in six passes for 107. The two teams combined for 1,044 yards of offense. - SMU/AP College Football

(DS#28 QB) rSr/2024

QB Tanner Mordecai, Wisconsin
News Source: SMU/AP College Football
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09/07/21 - Chez Mellusi, rSr/2025, Wisconsin, 5-11, 212 (DS#999 RB) + More +

Wisconsin running back Chez Mellusi devoted his offseason to preparing for a greater workload than he'd ever experienced in two seasons at Clemson. Little did he know just how many more carries he'd end up getting with his new team. Mellusi had more rushing attempts in one game with the Badgers than he did in the entire 2020 season with the Tigers. In his Wisconsin debut, Mellusi ran for 121 yards on 31 carries and scored the Badgers' lone touchdown in a 16-10 loss to Penn State.

It was just the kind of responsibility Mellusi wanted. He transferred from an annual College Football Playoff contender in part because he was intrigued by Wisconsin's tradition of producing top running backs. "It kind of speaks for itself when it comes to the history, with the guys coming through here and the success they've had," Mellusi said. "That kind of drew me in. And being able to run the football a lot kind of gives you the opportunity to showcase your talent." The only Football Bowl Subdivision player with more carries last week was Central Florida's Isaiah Bowser, who ran 33 times for 172 yards in a 36-31 victory over Boise State. Mellusi's emergence has given a new look to No. 18 Wisconsin's ground attack heading into its Saturday night matchup with Eastern Michigan (1-0). - AP College Football

(DS#999 RB) rSr/2025

RB Chez Mellusi, Wisconsin
News Source: AP College Football
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09/06/21 - Tanner Mordecai, rSr/2024, Wisconsin, 6-2, 210 (DS#28 QB) + More +

SEPT 6 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Tanner Mordecai, Jr., QB, SMU,...Mordecai set a school record and tied the American Athletic Conference mark with seven touchdown passes in SMU's 56-9 win against Abilene Christian. Mordecai completed 24 of 30 passes for 317 yards for the game and had five first-half TDs to help stake the Mustangs to a 35-3 halftime lead. - American Athletic Conference Football

(DS#28 QB) rSr/2024

QB Tanner Mordecai, Wisconsin
News Source: American Athletic Conference Football
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09/04/21 - Tanner Mordecai, rSr/2024, Wisconsin, 6-2, 210 (DS#28 QB) + More +

Tanner Mordecai threw a school-record seven touchdowns - five coming in the first half - and SMU broke it open in the second quarter and went on to beat Abilene Christian 56-9 on Saturday in a season opener. A transfer from Oklahoma, Mordecai's seven touchdowns tied the American Athletic Conference record. Mordecai threw scoring passes of 21 and 8 yards to Grant Calcaterra in the first quarter, and early in the second, for a 14-0 lead.

Later, in the second, he connected with Danny Gray on scoring plays of 30 and 27 yards. Then, with 29 seconds before halftime, Mordecai threw a 30-yard score to Rashee Rice and the Mustangs led 35-3 at intermission. Mordecai completed 24 of 30 pass attempts for 317 yards while seven different ball carriers tallied 171 yards on the ground. Stone Earle threw for 176 yards and a touchdown for the Wildcats. - SMU/AP College Football

(DS#28 QB) rSr/2024

QB Tanner Mordecai, Wisconsin
News Source: SMU/AP College Football
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09/03/21 - Antwan Roberts, So/2025, Wisconsin, 6-1, 195 (DS#999 RB) + More +

Just four days before Wisconsin is set to open its 2021 Big Ten football season, head coach Paul Chryst had to deal with a pair of disciplinary issues. UW officials announced Tuesday that freshman tailback Loyal Crawford has been dismissed from the team and freshman tailback Antwan Roberts has been suspended. Neither player was expected to play in the opener Saturday against Penn State. Crawford on Twitter accused Roberts of breaking into his dorm room and attacking him. "I was treated so unfairly in all of this," he wrote. "I want everyone to know that. They didn't even want to hear my side. He literally broke into my dorm room and tried to jump me while I was sitting on the couch with my back turned to him. He started it all." - Journal Sentinel

(DS#999 RB) So/2025

RB Antwan Roberts, Wisconsin
News Source: Journal Sentinel
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08/21/21 - Danny Davis III, rSr/2022, Wisconsin, 6-0, 188 (DS#114 WR) + More +

Head injuries limited Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor to a combined five games played last season, stripped Wisconsin's wide receiver corps of its top two playmakers and diluted UW's overall offense. Head coach Paul Chryst and his staff will have to function without Davis for an indefinite period of time. UW officials announced Friday that Davis is out because of a head injury.

Davis practiced Wednesday and showed no signs of injury. UW was off Thursday. Although it is difficult to measure the severity of head injuries, it is worth noting that Davis was at practice Friday and was not wearing sunglasses. He rode a stationary bike for a few minutes early in practice and then watched the rest of the day with the other wide receivers. Players who suffer concussions often are told to remain indoors, sometimes in darkened rooms. Davis has 15 starts and 39 games played at UW. He has 99 catches for 1,164 yards and 12 touchdowns. - Journal Sentinel

(DS#114 WR) rSr/2022

WR Danny Davis III, Wisconsin
News Source: Journal Sentinel
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08/17/21 - Keeanu Benton, Sr/2023, Wisconsin, 6-4, 309 (DS#7 DT) + More +

Keeanu Benton doesn't have a taste for alphabet soup. NFL? Yes, Wisconsin's mammoth junior nose tackle started dreaming of playing in that league long before he attended Janesville Craig High School. But for now, Benton is trying to keep that dream in storage. "I just need to keep my head on straight," he said. "I feel I'm on the right route." NIL? Sure, a player with the talent and personality of the 6-foot-4, 317-pound Benton could profit off his Name, Image and Likeness if he chose. But for now, Benton isn't interested. "I'm just really focused on school and football," he said. "All that NIL stuff can wait. We didn't have it in previous years so that doesn't matter now. "I'm not trying to build a brand or anything like that." What he is trying to do is help UW's defense shut down foes and help his team win a Big Ten title. "We (coaches) expect and his teammates expect a ton from him," head coach Paul Chryst said after practice Tuesday. "I think that comes from respect. Huge, huge respect for Keeanu." Benton has started 11 games and played in a total of 20 in his two seasons at UW. Nose tackles aren't necessarily judged by the individual numbers they record but Benton knows he made more plays behind the line of scrimmage in 2019 than he did last season. - Journal Sentinel

(DS#7 DT) Sr/2023

DT Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin
News Source: Journal Sentinel
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08/11/21 - *Nick Herbig, Jr/2023, Wisconsin, 6-2, 240 (DS#7 OLB) + More +

Asked to evaluate his performance as a freshman in 2020, Nick Herbig responded with the same speed and ferocity he displays on the football field. "I was definitely not happy at all with the impact I made on the team last year," the talented outside linebacker said. "I feel like I could have (done) so much more in many ways." Although Herbig's self-scout is surprisingly harsh considering he finished fourth on the team in tackles with 26, the determination to improve bodes well this season for UW, which opened camp Friday. "I need to be better and work harder," he said, "because obviously what I was doing last year wasn't enough. "I had that feeling at the end of the season like I didn't leave it all out there and I kind of let my team down." Herbig impressed his coaches and teammates in camp and started all seven games. He recorded 23 solo tackles, the No. 2 mark on the team behind inside linebackers Jack Sanborn and Leo Chenal. His total of six tackles for loss was tied for the team lead with Chenal.

He had three tackles for loss and five total tackles in UW's 49-11 victory at Michigan and had seven solo tackles in the overtime victory over Minnesota. What bothered Herbig most was his inability to get to opposing quarterbacks. He had one sack, in the opener against Illinois, and UW finished with just 11. "I feel like last year the pass rush as a whole wasn't what Wisconsin is about," he said. "At Wisconsin, you're expected to have double-digit sacks. That is a big part of the game I need to focus on and really bring that edge to our team." - Journal Sentinel

(DS#7 OLB) Jr/2023

OLB *Nick Herbig, Wisconsin
News Source: Journal Sentinel
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08/10/21 - Tanner Mordecai, rSr/2024, Wisconsin, 6-2, 210 (DS#28 QB) + More +

SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai believes in the idea that success happens when preparation meets opportunity. It's a simple formula when everything aligns, but that last element - opportunity - has eluded the Oklahoma transfer through his first three collegiate years. With the Mustangs, an opportunity is finally in Mordecai's grasp, and the Waco native plans to make the most of it. Mordecai, a transfer from Oklahoma, started the first day of SMU's fall practice with the first-team offense on Friday. Head coach Sonny Dykes said there will be some rotation between Mordecai, former walk-on Derek Green, and true freshman Preston Stone, but it was Mordecai that got the first nod.

Meaningful? Perhaps, but it doesn't change Mordecai's mission. He committed to SMU hours after he entered the transfer portal last December because this, he believes, is where his preparation will finally meet an opportunity. "It's a quarterback competition, but I'm completely confident in myself that I'll be the starter Week 1," Mordecai said after Friday's practice. "Going with the 1s is who I trained with all summer. There's nothing different. Tomorrow if I go with the 2s I'm going to do the exact same thing and have the exact same approach, so it doesn't matter." - Dallas Morning News

(DS#28 QB) rSr/2024

QB Tanner Mordecai, Wisconsin
News Source: Dallas Morning News
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08/08/21 - Jack Dunn, rSr/2023, Wisconsin, 5-07, 176 (DS#999 WR) + More +

There was a major hole in the wide receiver position when seniors Kendric Pryor and Danny Davis III were injured last season. Enter Jack Dunn, who may not have added much statistically but helped change the narrative of what it means to contribute to the University of Wisconsin football team. Dunn served as the Badgers' main punt returner and had a blocking role in the second unit for most of his career. That was his expected role last season. Dunn instead filled the void created by the absence of Davis and Pryor.

The Madison native has posted career highs in catches and yards the past two games. "We were in a tight pinch last season," wide receivers coach Alvis Whitted said. "He stepped up and showed that he can be the guy and be a leader just by doing what he normally does. He didn't have to do anything special." He entered last season with six receptions - a number that grew significantly with the increased playing time. He averaged 9.1 yards on 28 receptions last season. Dunn's role is going to change again with Davis and Pryor healthy again. He likely won't be a starting wide receiver, but Badgers coach Paul Chryst expects Dunn to accept his new role. - Wisconsin State Journal

(DS#999 WR) rSr/2023

WR Jack Dunn, Wisconsin
News Source: Wisconsin State Journal
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08/08/21 - Chez Mellusi, rSr/2025, Wisconsin, 5-11, 212 (DS#999 RB) + More +

Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst and his staff used the transfer portal judiciously after the 2020 season. UW added three players and it is possible two could contribute this season. The Badgers added tailback Chez Mellusi from Clemson, defensive end Isaac Townsend from Oregon and defensive end/outside linebacker Thomas Brunner from Northern Illinois. Mellusi, who averaged 6.3 yards per carry and 5.6 yards per carry, respectively, in his two seasons as a backup at Clemson, could vie for the starting job at UW.

"I think it is certainly something that you have to be aware of," Chryst said of the transfer portal, "(but) there is a bit of a fine line. You're not looking at someone unless you have availability, a scholarship position. "But then you have to ask whether this player is worth it or do you reward a walk-on? That is where you have to balance it. "Because the immediate eligibility, in my opinion, adds a whole other dimension. You have to know who it is you're getting and they have to know who it is they are joining." - Journal Sentinel

(DS#999 RB) rSr/2025

RB Chez Mellusi, Wisconsin
News Source: Journal Sentinel
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