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MADISON, Wis. — When you get beat as soundly as Wisconsin did at home on Saturday, it’s hard to come up with the words to describe it.
Michigan may have won 38-17, but the game wasn’t really even that close. Though the Badgers threatened at the end of the first half by marching down the field in 15 seconds to cut the score to just three points, the Wolverines came out in the second and defensively dominated as it had started the game.
After the game, Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst didn’t have much to say other than the obvious.
“First of all give credit to a good Michigan football team,” Chryst said. “They beat us. And, you know, what do we do and how we go forward, that’s on us.”
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Though Michigan certainly handled the vaunted Badger defense — they gave up season highs in both passing and rushing allowed — it was the Wolverine defense that made things particularly impossible for Wisconsin.
Michigan allowed just 43 rushing yards to the Badgers, not only a season-low thus far, but the lowest allowed since they went -26 yards against Northwestern in 2015. Wisconsin turned the ball over multiple times, again, as the defense racked up six sacks, knocking QB Graham Mertz and TE Jake Ferguson out of the game.
Chryst continued to give credit where it was due and noted just how different this Wolverine defense looks under Mike Macdonald compared to Don Brown.
“Well, I think they’re a really good defense right now,” Chryst said. “And I think they’re playing — I think they got a good team and that — let’s face it, that helps our — you know, our defense, I think we’ve got a good defense. But not often are they able to play with a lead.
“You know, that changes the whole dynamic, as well, there. But they’ve got really good football players. And I certainly think what they do is good football schematics. But they got good players.
“You know, each year is different. We did not go in thinking that we were playing last year’s team or the one before. And we’re different. Our team’s different, too.
“So those never kind of enter into your mind. You know, this is —we’re not playing the helmets, we’re playing the individuals. And a lot of respect for who they are as players and coaches, their unit.”
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