Portage County Gazette

By John Kemmeter

Former Amherst High School standouts Tyler Biadasz and Garrett Groshek both helped the fourth-ranked University of Wisconsin football team to a 34-3 victory over Western Kentucky in the season opener at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison Friday, Aug. 31.

Biadasz started at center for the Badgers and helped pave the way for an offense that racked up 491 yards of total offense in the win, including 234 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 39 carries.

Tyler Biadasz

Groshek entered the game at tailback on the opening series Friday night and primarily served as the third-down back throughout the game for the Badgers, who used a 47-yard touchdown run from sophomore running back Jonathan Taylor with 7:38 to play in the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead.

Wisconsin added a 39-yard field goal from senior kicker Rafael Gaglianone at the 8:44 mark of the second quarter and a 30-yard touchdown run from Taylor with 3:48 to go in the second quarter to extend its lead to 17-0, before sophomore wide receiver Kendric Pryor caught a two-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Alex Hornibrook with eight seconds to play in the first half to give the Badgers a 24-0 lead at halftime.

Western Kentucky kicked a 25-yard field goal on the opening drive of the second half to make it 24-3, and Gaglianone had a 42-yard field goal with 10:10 left in the third quarter give the Badgers a 27-3 lead, which it remained heading into the fourth quarter.

There, Wisconsin faced third-down-and-11 from the Western Kentucky 43-yard line, when Groshek hauled in a screen pass from Hornibrook just past midfield.

Groshek cut inside behind blocks from Biadasz and senior left guard Michael Deiter and broke through a pair of would-be-tacklers near the line of scrimmage, before he broke another tackle at the 30-yard line, and out-raced a pair of defenders into the end zone for a 43-yard touchdown reception that gave the Badgers a 34-3 lead with 13:21 to go and capped the scoring on the 34-3 victory.

Taylor finished with 145 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 18 carries, senior running back Taiwan Deal had 53 yards rushing on eight carries, senior running back Chris James had two carries for 10 yards, and Groshek had one carry for three yards, to go along with one catch for 43 yards and one touchdown.

Wisconsin will be home again to take on New Mexico at Camp Randall Stadium at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, in a game that is set to air on Big Ten Network.