Colton Joseph passed for 362 yards and three scores as Wisconsin rolled to a 54-10 non-conference victory over visiting Eastern Michigan on Saturday in Madison, Wis.
Joseph, a senior transfer from Old Dominion who was the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year last season, completed 23 of 33 passes with touchdowns of 75, 13 and 7 yards and ran for another score.
Tyrell Henry had a single-game school-record 14 receptions for 160 yards and one touchdown for Wisconsin (2-1, 0-0 Big Ten).
Eastern Michigan (1-3, 1-0 MAC) has lost three straight after a 28-17 season-opening win over Sacramento State.
Wisconsin overcame a sluggish start to take a 31-7 lead at the half, including four second-quarter touchdowns. Joseph completed 16 of 24 passes for 302 yards and two scores in the first half.
Wisconsin went in front 10-7 midway through the second when Joseph scored on a four-yard keeper to cap an 11-play, 74-yard scoring drive.
Eastern Michigan punted on its next possession and on Wisconsin’s first play, Joseph connected with Chris Brooks Jr. on a 75-yard touchdown pass to put the Badgers up 17-7 with 6:44 left in the half.
Wisconsin picked off Eagles quarterback Noah Kim on each of the next two possessions, leading to a 10-yard touchdown run by Darrion Dupree and a 13-yard scoring reception by Henry to make it 31-7.
The onslaught continued when Kim was sacked and fumbled on the third play of the second half and linebacker Cooper Catalano returned it 10 yards to make it 38-7.
Rudy Kessinger had a 41-yard field goal for Eastern Michigan in the fourth quarter.
Joseph’s 7-yard pass to Emmett Bork capped a 65-yard drive that made it 48-10 with 4:44 left.
Wisconsin’s Donovan Dunmore returned a blocked field goal 55 yards for a touchdown on the final play of the game.
The Badgers turned the ball over on downs after three straight incompletions by Joseph on the opening series and Eastern Michigan responded with a 67-yard drive, capped by Kim’s 18-yard scoring pass to Nick Devereaux put the Eagles up 7-0.
Gavin Lahm’s 39-yard field goal brought Wisconsin within 7-3 entering the second quarter. Lahm added a 41-yarder in the third quarter.
Wisconsin, which has won two straight since a second-half collapse in a 41-13 season-opening loss to third-ranked Notre Dame, opens Big Ten play next Saturday at No. 14 Penn State.
–Field Level Media
