Wisconsin Football: 3 takeaways from home defeat to Penn State

3. Graham Mertz is still easing back into form for Wisconsin

In last year’s season opener, Graham Mertz was nearly perfect. The newly anointed starter went 20-of-21 for 248 passing yards and five touchdowns through the air. For the rest of a COVID-wracked season, Mertz chased in vain after the elusive performance from his inaugural start.

Entering 2021, Mertz was fully healthy once again and hoping to recapture his early promise. Penn State wasn’t about to let Mertz put up another otherworldly performance in a season opener, and when push came to shove the quarterback failed to win the game when the opportunity was in his hands.

The Nittany Lions held the Wisconsin quarterback to just 185 passing yards on 22-of-37 passing, as Mertz put up a decent completion percentage but dinked and dunked his way to five passing yards per attempt. Mertz proved incapable of finding the endzone, and on Wisconsin’s last two drives he lobbed up red-zone interceptions when he had the chance to be the hero.

In addition to the interceptions, Mertz struggled to hand off the ball cleanly and almost turned it over two plays before the pick. The young quarterback will surely recover and still has the potential to be a special quarterback. But on Saturday in Madison, he was unable to make the difference in a game the Badgers dominated through the first half.