It certainly wasn’t the most exciting game of the season, but the Badgers finally proved how dominant they could be against FCS opponent Austin Peay. In a 70-3 win, the Badgers set a school record for points and revealed how effective their offense can be.

The offensive statistics for the Badgers were simply ridiculous, as they piled up more than 600 yards of offense and 33 first downs. Relying on the running game as usual, running backs John Clay, James White, and Montee Ball combined for 346 yards on the ground and six touchdowns.

Even though all the running backs put up impressive numbers, the star of the game was undoubtedly the freshman White. On just 11 carries, White ran for 145 yards and 4 touchdowns, using his explosive speed and quickness to run around the Austin Peay defenders. In a breakout game, White gave Wisconsin fans something to look forward to once the Clay era is over. The star running back Clay had another impressive game in which he continued his streak of 100-yard rushing games to 10. Ball did a nice job behind Clay and White, adding 64 yards and a touchdown.

Fifth-year senior quarterback Scott Tolzien was very accurate against the Governors’ defense, going 15-for-17 and throwing for 217 yards. He avoided a turnover for the second straight game, a crucial improvement heading into Big Ten play. Redshirt freshman Jon Budmayr saw his first action of the season in the second half, going 6-for-7 and passing for 55 yards and avoiding any major miscues.

Tolzien’s favorite target was once again tight end Lance Kendricks, who put up over 100 receiving yards for the second straight week. Redshirt freshman Jared Abbrederis had a solid game as well, catching three balls for 38 yards and returning several punts. Still missing David Gilreath and Nick Toon due to injury, the Badgers have proved they can still move the ball without these two talented receivers.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Badgers played a strong game, holding the Governors to just three points. However, the Wisconsin secondary had some trouble stopping the passing attack, a problem that has become all too common this season. Although Austin Peay quarterback Jake Ryan passed for only 115 yards, the Governors had their greatest offensive success through the air.

The UW rushing defense did a great job containing Austin Peay’s running game, limiting them to just 42 yards on the ground. With linebacker and reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Year Chris Borland out for the season, this game gave the defense an opportunity to get used to playing without the defensive standout.

Wisconsin’s special teams played a limited role in this game, but looked good when they did play. The special teams offense was almost nonexistent, as the Badgers did not attempt a single field goal. On defense, the special teams did a great job keeping the Governors from making any big plays on kick returns. This was a key development after last week’s game when the special teams defense struggled to take down Arizona State’s kick returners.

Even though it was not very competitive, this game was still an important tuneup for Wisconsin heading into Big Ten play. With a 4-0 record, the Badgers will face their toughest opponent so far when they travel to Michigan State Saturday and take on the No. 24-ranked Spartans.