MADISON, WIS. -- Wisconsin's home games against Northwestern have been fairly close during the Paul Chryst era dating back to the 2015 season. Until Saturday's contest inside Camp Randall Stadium, that is.

UW found complementary, offensive balance, while the defense created key takeaways and tackles for loss during its 35-7 win over Pat Fitzgerald's program. Wisconsin (7-3 overall, 5-2 Big Ten) will need to continue those ways against an underachieving yet feisty Nebraska team next weekend that has won only one conference game this year.

Before turning the page, BadgerBlitz.com presents its grades and game balls after the win over Northwestern (3-7, 1-6).

The offense gained 497 yards and put 35 yards on the scoreboard. The unit was balanced for the second consecutive week with 268 yards rushing and 229 yards passing. It moved the chains on 6-of-11 third downs, hitting the 50% or more mark in that category for the second consecutive game.

Quarterback Graham Mertz finished the day 18-of-23 passing for 216 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. True freshman Braelon Allen set career highs with 25 carries for 173 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Nine different players caught receptions on the day, led by tight end Jake Ferguson (four receptions, 43 yards, one touchdown) and wide receiver Danny Davis III (three, 46, one). UW's offensive line asserted itself with rushers gaining 6.1 yards per carry, and Northwestern did not register a sack on the day.

The one area where the grade falls is with turnovers. UW won the turnover margin battle on Saturday (+1), but along with the aforementioned Mertz pick, reserve tailbacks were responsible for two fumbles in the fourth quarter. Defensive back A.J. Hampton Jr. scooped up Julius Davis's fumble and returned it 49 yards for a touchdown, accounting for Northwestern's lone score of the game.

Wisconsin gave up 239 yards to Northwestern overall -- 125 passing and 114 rushing -- and the Wildcats gained 3.4 yards per carry. The Badgers allowed only 3-of-13 on third-down conversions.

Jim Leonhard's defense registered three sacks and tallied 12 tackles for loss overall in the victory. Eight different players recorded at least 0.5 tackles for loss.

Northwestern put together two drives that almost led to points, one possession in each half where a fluke play assisted its path down the field. However, its offense came away with no points on the scoreboard after each series.

Wisconsin registered four interceptions on the day -- three by contributing secondary members Caesar Williams, Dean Engram and John Torchio -- that led to 21 points the other way.

Chris Haering's units held their own on Saturday. Punter Andy Vujnovich averaged 55 yards per boot though one went for a touchback. Placekicker Collin Larsh converted all five of his extra points on the day. He also held kickoff duties against the Wildcats, and though none of the attempts resulted in touchbacks, Northwestern's Raymond Niro III averaged 24 yards on two returns.

Danny Davis III returned punts today, but only received one attempt for zero yards. He also took a kickoff for four yards, while Chimere Dike brought back another for 22 yards. We will see if that continues into these last two conference games.

Mertz completed 78.3% of his passes on the day, and that has bumped up his season completion percentage to 58.7%. He registered a 177.1 passer rating -- his second-best of his 2021 campaign (he received a 244.1 rating with his performance at Rutgers).

The redshirt sophomore once again looked like a composed quarterback in the pocket, directing the offense down the field.

Allen went over the 100-yard mark for the sixth straight contest. The 6-foot-2, 238-pound freshman phenom leads the team with 834 rushing yards on 7.1 yards per carry with nine rushing touchdowns.

The Fond du Lac, Wis., native's 33-yard touchdown run near the end of the third quarter showcased his ability to bounce off of would-be tacklers, stay upright and continue moving those legs on way to the end zone.

The duo combined for 24 tackles and six tackles for loss in the win. Chenal once again led the team in tackles (14), and he recorded one sack and three total tackles for loss.

Sanborn finished with 10 stops with three happening behind the line of scrimmage.

The redshirt senior and Burlsworth Trophy semifinalist displayed his presence against the Northwestern offensive line. He recorded three tackles on the day, 1.5 for loss, and recorded a sack in the win.

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