The Wisconsin Badgers preyed on a poor Northwestern Wildcats squad Saturday afternoon for a 42-7 victory in Evanston.

Quarterback Graham Mertz proved himself to be the lauded quarterback he was recruited to be, throwing for 299 yards in five touchdowns in the game. He became the first Badgers quarterback in school history to have multiple five-touchdown performances in his career.

The second quarter proved pivotal, with the Badgers scoring three touchdowns, stretching a 7-0 lead to a 28-0 lead at the break. Overall, the Badgers accumulated 515 yards while limiting to just over 320 yards, most of which came in garbage time during the fourth quarter.

The Badgers head to Michigan State next weekend.