JJ Watt Sums Up Graham Mertz’s First Start Of The Season

Redshirt freshman Graham Mertz absolutely torched Illinois on Friday night in his first start with No. 15 Wisconsin, leading the team to a 45-7 blowout victory. The young quarterback was nearly perfect, going 20/21 on pass attempts for 248 yards and five touchdowns. Four of those five touchdowns were recorded in the first half.

His stellar performance set a program record for single-game completion percentage and tied the record for passing touchdowns.

Former Wisconsin Badger and star NFL defensive end JJ Watt shared a telling gif and a simple message on his Twitter Friday night, “Mertz.”

Mertz was absolutely on fire, and he needed to be. He was forced to step up this week after starting senior QB Jack Coan suffered a non-contact foot injury in practice on Saturday. Coan underwent a successful surgery on Tuesday but will be out indefinitely, leaving Mertz with more time to prove this game was no fluke.

After losing star running back Jonathon Taylor to the NFL last season, Mertz could be the spark that the traditionally run-heavy Badgers need.

It’s only been one game, but if Mertz is able to continue producing at this pace, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be in the Heisman Trophy conversation. With this young QB at the helm, Wisconsin is certainly a team to watch in the Big 10.

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