LAS VEGAS – When Graham Mertz led Wisconsin’s offense back onto the field with a little less than 10 minutes remaining in the Las Vegas Bowl, the members of UW’s defense were hoping for just about anything but another three and out.
“We were gassed,” senior linebacker Noah Burks said.
What the members of Jim Leonhard’s unit got Thursday night at Allegiant Stadium was the rest of the game off.
Eighteen plays.
Ninety yards.
Nine minutes and 57 seconds.
When fullback John Chenal got the final handoff from Mertz, wrapped both arms around the football and gained 3 yards to run out the clock, UW’s 20-13 victory over Arizona State was secure.
“It was a perfect Wisconsin drive to go end it,” Burks said. “Let’s run the football. Let’s eat the clock. And let’s go win this game.”
Mertz said the same in few words.
“That drive,” Mertz said, “that’s what this program is about.”
BOX SCORE: Wisconsin 20, Arizona State 13
The drive was needed because UW (9-4) began the game without four starters – right tackle Logan Bruss, center Joe Tippman, cornerback Faion Hicks and wide receiver Danny Davis – and kickoff returner Stephan Bracey.
They lost wide receiver Kendric Pryor, tailback Brady Schipper and tight end Joe Ferguson to injuries during the game.
Freshman tailback Braelon Allen carried 10 times for 49 yards on the drive and finished with 159 yards on 29 carries and the MVP trophy.
Mertz completed 2 of 2 passes on the drive, both for first downs, for 40 yards.
“We were mentally prepared to go out there again and put it back on our shoulders,” said safety John Torchio, who had a first-quarter interception to set UW’s first touchdown. “But that was awesome what they did. We were cheering them on.”
Play after play, yard after yard and second after precious second.
“They’re scary,” said Arizona State coach Herm Edwards, whose team finished 8-5. "Because when you watch them on tape, that's what they can do, they can chew up some drives. They can chew up a lot of time.
“I kept looking up at that clock, trust me. Every time they made a first down I kept looking at the clock, I said: ‘We’re running out of time.’ ”
The Badgers’ final possession began at their 3 after a 44-yard punt.
UW’s first three series of the second half generated a total of zero yards on 11 plays.
"The second half we struggled offensively,” UW coach Paul Chryst said, “but it was a heck of a drive to finish it out.”
Allen gave UW some breathing room on the final series with runs of 5, 4 and 3.
Then five plays later, on third and 12 from his 24, Mertz made his best throw of the night, arguably of the season.
Mertz was given good protection until Stanley Lambert executed a stunt and came free through the middle of the line. Mertz saw the 6-foot-4, 234-pound defensive end bearing down on him but didn’t flinch.
He knew Chimere Dike, who missed several series earlier after suffering a blow to his back on a reverse, was covered by single defender and trusted the sophomore would work open. Mertz delivered a strike just before being drilled in the midsection for a 30-yard gain to the Sun Devils’ 46 with 5:38 left.
“That play to Chim,” Torchio said, “once they hit that I (said): ‘Oh, my gosh. They might drive this thing all the way down.’”
Chenal picked up another first down two plays later with a 3-yard run on second and 1. Allen, whose 9-yard run set up the second and 1, then powered his way for 14 yards to the Sun Devils’ 20.
Allen gained 7 yards but appeared to be stopped. He stayed on his feet, though, and several UW players, led by wide receiver Jack Dunn, kept the pile moving.
“That was a lot of fun,” right tackle Tanor Bortolini said. “That might be one of my favorite plays of the game.”
Arizona State was penalized for being offside three plays later, with UW facing third and 4 from the Sun Devils’ 14.
With Arizona State out of timeouts, UW ran out the final 2:15.
“We came out with the mentality that we were going to own this drive, make it ours,” Bortolini said. “There was nothing they could do to stop us if we all clicked.
"It was just Wisconsin football.”
The drive conjured memories of the 2006 Capital One Bowl.
UW closed out that game, a 24-10 victory over Auburn, with a non-scoring drive that covered 98 yards in 15 plays and 8:58.
The drive Thursday was equally sweet to the current players.
"That drive is what I think of Wisconsin football," Ferguson said. "It is gritty. It’s hard. It’s going to be tough. You’re going to be hurting. …
"It is the mentality of the offense: We’re going to get this done. We’re going to finish this. It’s in our hands. It is in our control."
