Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Graham Mertz was named co-Offensive Player of the Week as well as Freshman of the Week by the Big Ten Conference after a five-touchdown performance in his starting debut.
Mertz became the first Wisconsin freshman to start a season opener at quarterback since 1978, going 20-for-21 for 248 yards and five touchdowns. He broke the school record for single-game completion percentage (.952), while tying the school marks with five touchdown passes and 17 consecutive completions, and recorded the third-highest single-game passing yards by a Wisconsin freshman, trailing Darrell Bevell (274 vs. Northwestern in 1992) and Joel Stave (254 vs. Illinois in 2012).
In his first extended action, Mertz earned his first career Big Ten weekly awards. The last Wisconsin Offensive Player of the Week was Jonathan Taylor on November 18 last season, and Taylor was also the last Badger to win Freshman of the Week on November 27, 2017.
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