Wisconsin Badgers Game Day Grades: Michigan State

MADISON -- The No. 8 Wisconsin Badgers demolished Michigan State, 38-0, at Camp Randall on Saturday afternoon. Somehow, someway the UW defense looked even better as it shut out a Big Ten opponent for the first time this season.

Junior quarterback Jack Coan had an efficient day, and it was the Badgers' aerial attack that put them in scoring opportunities early on. Wisconsin never looked back after jumping out to a lead, and the program has not trailed so far through six games.

Let's get to our weekly grades, position-by-position.

Coan is not asked to go out and win games for this Badgers team. With arguably the nation's best running back on your side, and an offense structured around grounding and pounding, he has never been asked to do anything extraordinary. What he does have to do is take care of the football and make key throws, specifically on third down. Coan did both of those things Saturday and finished with 180 yards passing and completed 18-of-21 attempts.

Coan's 19-yard touchdown pass wasn't the greatest throw, but he did give wide receiver Quintez Cephus a chance to make a play. Overall, the most important stat for Coan will always be that interception category. A zero in that column continues a season where has only thrown one pick. If that ball security continues, good things will happen for this offense.

Jonathan Taylor had his worst statistical game of the year on Saturday afternoon (26 carries, 80 yards), but credit should go to a strong Michigan State front line that held the star in check. Holding the junior to just over three yards a carry is a win for the Spartans defense, but the stacking of the box opened things up for Coan and the Badgers passing attack.

Redshirt freshman Nakia Watson was solid in limited action as he took his five carries for 34 total yards. His long run of 19 yards was impressive as he exploded through traffic and found space outside to the right. Patience is something to watch with the young back as he sometimes bulls his way into the line before taking time to survey the defense.

The receiving core did its job on multiple third downs for the Badgers. Danny Davis led the way for the Wisconsin passing attack as he racked up four catches for a total of 33 yards. The junior was key on third down as he converted on a 3rd-and-9 to set up a Collin Larsh field goal late in the first half. On the same drive, junior A.J. Taylor had his only catch of the day on a key 4th-and-5 conversion where head coach Paul Chryst rolled the dice.

The catch of the day belonged to Cephus. The Georgia native went upstairs to make an acrobatic grab in the end zone for the only aerial Wisconsin score of the day.

Redshirt junior Kendric Pryor had a signature moment, and it came on a play that counted as a rushing touchdown. The junior took the ball and ran 66 yards to the house. He received a key block from Cephus, who pancaked his defender.

Jake Ferguson had his best game of the year in the blowout win. The redshirt sophomore had a team-high 62 receiving yards on four catches. He should have had much bigger numbers, however, as he tripped himself up at the one-yard line following a fourth-down grab for a gain of 27. That catch led to Wisconsin's first touchdown of the day. Ferguson was also tackled at the one-yard line early in the fourth quarter on a play that led to Taylor's second score.

The Badgers starter was also a key in the run blocking scheme that head coach Paul Chryst put into play.

While the offensive line did a good job of protecting Coan, the huge holes weren't open for Taylor on Saturday. It's hard to blame the line for the lack of production from the star back, given that today they were again able to give Taylor significant pushes on multiple occasions.

What the line did do a perfect job of today was keeping Coan out of harm's way. Multiple members of the group showed up to the post-game press conference wearing shirts that read "Jacky Heisman." They did their part to make him look good this afternoon, as Michigan State did not register a quarterback hurry and only recorded one sack on the day.

It's hard to give any other grade to any piece of this defensive unit. Somehow this group upped their level yet again, as they held a Big Ten opponent scoreless for the first time this season. Redshirt junior defensive end Isaiahh Loudermilk recorded a sack on MSU quarterback Brian Lewerke, and true freshman nose tackle Keeanu Benton was once again impressive. This group keyed a run defense that held running back Elijah Collins, who has had recent success, to just eight carries for 21 yards.

Chris Orr continued his fifth-year victory lap with another gem. The Texas native registered a team-high six total tackles and he was able to hurry the quarterback. He also recorded one of two Wisconsin sacks on the day. Orr's energy has been invaluable to this defense so far.

Sophomore Jack Sanborn continued to impress this year as he recorded five total tackles, three of the solo variety. He also had a big tackle for loss. The second-year 'backer has been on fire to start the year and that continued against the Spartans.

Zack Baun just somehow keeps getting better. It was no surprise to see the senior produce a moment of magic when he intercepted a fourth-quarter pass and took it 34 yards to the house. He has undoubtedly been the leader for this defense that is arguable the best in the nation through Week 6.

Baun also added a tackle for loss to go along with his three total stops, while redshirt junior Noah Burks added a pair of tackles.

Wisconsin only gave up 119 total passing yards on the day, and many of those came when the game was already decided. Sophomore Rachad Wildgoose had an overall solid game that he capped off with an interception in the end zone on Michigan State's last drive of the day. It helped to preserve the goose egg that the Badgers' defense worked to keep against the Spartans.

The usual starting safety duo of Eric Burrell and Reggie Pearson were once again impressive on Saturday afternoon against the Spartans. The former made plays from sideline-to-sideline as his physicality lead to multiple incompletions thrown by the duo at quarterback for Michigan State.

Burrell recorded a tackle and registered a pass break-up. Pearson finished with four total tackles and was a key part in holding Michigan State's quarterbacks to just a combined 12-of-30 passing.

Larsh converted on his only kick of the day, a 29-yard attempt, to make the score 17-0 near the end of the first half. The redshirt sophomore has rebounded well from missing his first two kicks of the season. Anthony Lotti had a solid day punting the football, as the senior pinned two of his four punts inside the 20-yard line.

In the return game, sophomore Aron Cruickshank took the opening kickoff of the game 38 yards to set up Wisconsin with good field position right off the bat.

Unlike last week, this dominant performance came against an opponent of Big Ten quality. This Badgers' defense has firmly made its case for the best in the country as they held a Big Ten opponent scoreless. The unit has now scored the same amount of touchdowns (four) as they have allowed.

Coan was more than a game manager as he converted on two separate fourth downs to set up Wisconsin scores. While Taylor wasn't his usual stat-stuffing self, the offense as a whole looked like a different unit than the one that faced Northwestern.

For Wisconsin, the mindset from the locker room is to treat every week like you have to go 1-0. That's what the Badgers will try to do against Illinois on the road next Saturday.