Marvelous Mertz Amazes in First Career Start
One could have predicted that Graham Mertz would shine under the lights of Camp Randall Stadium in his first start at quarterback.
Few, however, could have anticipated the way Mertz burst onto the scene Friday evening.
Mertz tied or set three single-game school records, showcased his arm that propelled an aerial arsenal with a variety of throws. And, most importantly, he put points on the board in leading No. 14 Wisconsin to a 45-7 win over Illinois.
The redshirt freshman completed 20 of 21 passes for 248 yards and five touchdown passes. He did not commit a turnover, whether by fumble lost or interception, as he guided UW (1-0, 1-0 Big Ten) to six scores in the conference victory.
"The kid's smooth. The kid’s definitely smooth," tight end Jake Ferguson told reporters after the game. "He was smiling cheek-to-cheek after the first touchdown, and he knew and everybody in that huddle knew that we were rolling. It's awesome to see that out of him.
"First game, golly, kid can play. He's in there [in the huddle] cracking jokes, and we ran the same play like four times in a row, and he's just like, ‘Guess what it is, fellas?’ And we just went back to back, and it's good to see that he's got that confidence. Like I said, man, he's smooth for sure.”
Mertz set the school record for single-game completion percentage (95.2%), breaking Alex Hornibrook's 2017 mark at BYU. He also tied UW's single-game marks for touchdown passes (five) and consecutive completions (17).
Did Mertz's evening surprise cornerback Rachad Wildgoose?
“No, nothing at all," the defensive back said. "He does it every day in practice. Nothing he did surprised me. Nothing he did was shocking. Everything he did was expected, and I already knew he was going ball out today.”
All the personal accolades and praise aside, Mertz looked at the broader picture.
“In the end, I just want to get a W, and I'm most proud of that, and I'm most proud of this team," Mertz said. "This week of preparation was great for everybody. I felt like the O-line played great, and our playmakers just kept making plays.
"My expectations were to win the game. Exceeded my expectations, but I'm happy we won that.”
After playing in two games and throwing 10 total passes in mop-up time all of last season, Mertz took the reins of the offense after a right foot injury sidelined Jack Coan. He displayed the skillset that made him a four-star recruit, the No. 42 player overall and No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the nation for the 2019 class.
Mertz connected with six different receiving targets on the evening, leaning Ferguson for seven receptions for 72 yards and three touchdowns. He also showed some touch and accuracy near the goal line with touchdown passes to Barry Alvarez's grandson and also to fullback Mason Stokke.
Honing in on the three scores to Ferguson, Mertz also dished out a 14-yard strike over the middle of the field in the second quarter to answer Illinois's defensive touchdown to put UW back up by two scores. The tight end mentioned how the young signal caller helped "lift" him up after the former fumbled, which allowed their Big Ten West opponents to score their only points of the conference contest.
Then when given the opportunity with the time winding down in the first half, Mertz also aired it out deep to senior Danny Davis for a 53-yard touchdown and a 28-7 advantage. Though that throw was not the proverbial nail in the coffin for Lovie Smith's program, it gave the Badgers a commanding lead and momentum heading into the locker room.
In the first two quarters alone, Mertz completed all 14 of his throws for 190 yards and four touchdowns.
"I thought he had good poise," Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst said after the game. "I thought he saw the field well. You just never know quite how someone's going to react in their first start. I thought he was himself, and that you appreciate.
“I thought there was a good plan for him by the offensive coaches, and he was able to execute it.”
The second-year player believed the Badgers "had a great week of prep" but also believes there could be improvements.
"I owe it to Coach [Jon] Budmayr and Coach Chryst," Mertz said. "We took a ton of time in one-on-one meetings and just really sorted of the game plan out and we knew what we're doing, and I felt confident my ability to go execute. I think that there's definitely some stuff that we need to clean up."
Even when redshirt senior running back Garrett Groshek dropped a third down pass in the third quarter, breaking his streak of 17 straight completions, Mertz looked to himself in self-critique.
"I gotta get it to him faster. That one’s on me," Mertz stated.
Many saw, liked, and retweeted on social media the high praise poured in for Mertz from former Wisconsin defensive end and current Houston Texans standout J.J. Watt, along with Kansas City Chiefs start quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Rightfully given, especially with the individual records set or tied in a standout win to kick off this modified 2020 season. Again, however, the young quarterback turned back towards the team.
“I haven't checked my phone, yet," Mertz said during that postgame media availability. "Like it's great to hear from those guys and it means a ton, but I'm just happy that the guys in locker room are pumped right now. Got to keep building on that.”