Graham Mertz, Wisconsin Top Wake Forest 42-28 in 2020 Duke's Mayo Bowl

Wisconsin closed out 2020 on a high note, taking down Wake Forest 42-28 on Wednesday in the 2020 Duke's Mayo Bowl at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The Badgers have now won five of their six bowl games under head coach Paul Chryst. They also finished with a winning record (4-3) for the 19th straight year.

Wake Forest hadn't played since Dec. 12 but didn't show any rust as it jumped out to a 14-0 lead after its first two drives. The Demon Deacons offense then ground to a halt, which allowed Wisconsin to tie things up at 14 by halftime.

Defense and special teams won the day for the Badgers. They only gained 266 yards but pulled away in the second half by forcing four turnovers.

To answer the question on everybody's mind, the Wisconsin players didn't dump an entire cooler of mayonnaise on Chryst to celebrate the victory.

Notable Performers

Graham Mertz, QB, Wisconsin: 11-of-17, 130 yards, one touchdown

Jack Dunn, WR, Wisconsin: six receptions, 60 yards

Jack Sanborn, LB, Wisconsin: 11 total tackles, two tackles for loss, one interception

Sam Hartman, QB, Wake Forest: 20-of-37, 318 yards, three touchdowns, four interceptions; five carries, eight yards

Wisconsin Offense Plays to Type

Remember when Graham Mertz threw for 248 yards and five touchdowns as Wisconsin hammered Illinois? That feels like a lifetime ago. 

It was apparent when the Badgers recorded a 49-11 win over Michigan that Mertz wasn't a significant improvement over his predecessors. Going up against a Wake Forest defense allowing 265.9 passing yards per game didn't provide any sort of boost.

Big special teams plays helped set up a pair of Badger touchdowns. Jaylan Franklin blocked a punt in the second quarter to give his team a 1st-and-goal situation at the 9-yard line, and a kickoff return by Devin Chandler in the third quarter set up the offense at Wake's 33-yard line.

The defense then did the heavy lifting.

After Sam Hartman's eight-yard touchdown pass to Jaquarii Roberson to put Wake Forest up 21-14, Wisconsin scored 28 unanswered points. Those four scoring drives totaled 70 yards.

When you have an offense that isn't moving the ball well, just give yourself a short field.

Second-Half Turnovers Costly for Wake

Hartman wasn't very efficient during the regular season, completing 58.9 percent of his passes. He did, however, throw just one interception to 10 touchdowns. That helped the Demon Deacons have a plus-13 turnover margin.

The problem with relying on turnovers is that they can be fickle, and that was the case in the second half as Hartman threw interceptions on four straight drives.

Michael Kern replaced Hartman in the fourth quarter. By then, the damage had already been done. Kern also looked overmatched upon entering the game.

Roberson hauled in an impressive 39-yard grab to get the Demon Deacons into the red zone. A run by Kern went for no gain, and three of his passes fell incomplete to turn the ball over on downs.

Christian Beal-Smith got a consolation touchdown with six seconds remaining.  

What's Next?

Wake Forest and Wisconsin open the 2021 season Sept. 4. The Demon Deacons host Old Dominion at Truist Field, while the Badgers jump right into conference play with a home matchup against Penn State at Camp Randall Stadium.