The 2023 college football season has arrived and the Badgers are now five days from their opener against Buffalo on Sept. 2 at Camp Randall. There have been three quarterbacks who have combined to throw five touchdowns in a single game four times in Wisconsin history.
Darrell Bevell was the first guy to do so, tossing five scores in the Badgers’ 35-17 win versus Nevada on Sept. 4, 1993. That team went on to post a 10-1-1 record and win the program’s first Rose Bowl 21-16 over UCLA.
Jim Sorgi became the second signal-caller to throw for five touchdowns, finding wide receiver Lee Evans for a Wisconsin-record five receiving scores in a 56-21 win over Michigan State on Nov. 15, 2003.
Finally, Graham Mertz did it twice in his time with the Badgers. In quite the debut under center, he went 20-for-21 with 248 yards and five touchdowns in a 45-7 victory against Illinois on Oct. 23, 2020.
He later did it again in his final season with Wisconsin, becoming the first quarterback to do it twice when the Badgers beat Northwestern 42-7 in Jim Leonhard’s first game as head coach on Oct. 8, 2022.
Could Tanner Mordecai be the next man to do so?
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