MADISON, Wis. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University football team scored the first points of the game on an over-the-shoulder grab in the end zone by Nick Devereaux, but the University of Wisconsin ran off 41 consecutive points to take a 54-10 decision at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., Sept. 19. The loss dropped the Eagles to 1-3 on the year while the Badgers improved to 2-1.
How It Happened
Wisconsin took the ball on its opening drive and moved into Eastern territory before going for it on fourth down, where the Eagles forced an incomplete pass to take over on downs. From there, the Eagles drove 67 yards in eight plays before Noah Kim (Centreville, Va./Westfield/Michigan State/Coastal Carolina) found Nick Devereaux (Troy, Mich./Brother Rice/Davenport) in the back corner of the end zone to give EMU a 7-0 lead. The touchdown marked only the second score in the five-game series with the Badgers and the Eagles’ first on offense as its first score came in the 2021 contest on a 98-yard pick-six by David Carter, Jr. On the ensuing series, the Eagles picked off a pass as Rayquan Adkins (Miami, Fla./Northwestern/Cincinnati/Iowa Western) grabbed his first career interception. The Badgers drove down the field and settled for a 39-yard field goal to send the game into the second quarter with the Eagles up 7-3.
Wisconsin took the lead midway through the second quarter as the Badgers drove 74 yards in 11 plays before punching it in from four yards out to take the lead, 10-7. After an EMU punt, UW extended its lead on its next drive with a single-play, 75-yard touchdown pass to put the hosts up, 17-7, with 6:44 remaining in the half. Eastern had a solid drive moving forward on its next possession, but Kim was intercepted before the Badgers, who recorded their first takeaway of the season, cashed in on a two-play, 42-yard touchdown drive to extend their lead to 24-7 with 2:52 to play in the half. EMU’s drive saw Kim have one of his passes intercepted with 1:19 to play, before a 13-yard scoring pass was first ruled incomplete; replay changed the call on the field to a touchdown, sending the teams into halftime with UW ahead 31-7.
After the break, Wisconsin added to its lead as Kim was sacked and fumbled the ball, which was scooped up and ran back 10 yards for a defensive touchdown, making it 38-7. The Badgers added a 41-yard field goal midway through the third stanza to take a 41-7 lead through three quarters. In the fourth, Rudy Kessinger (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) was true from 38-yards out to halt a 41-point scoring run of the Badgers and brought the score to 41-10 with 11:16 to play in the game. UW added a touchdown late in the game before closing the game by running back a blocked field goal attempt to bring the score to a final, 54-10.
Game Notes
» On its first drive of the game, Eastern Michigan drove 67 yards in eight plays with Noah Kim finding Nick Devereaux in the back corner of the end zone to not only give the visitors an early 7-0 lead but also mark the first offensive touchdown the Eagles had scored in the five-game series. EMU’s only other touchdown came in 2021, when David Carter, Jr., scored on a 98-yard interception. Before that, Eastern had tallied three goals in the previous three games.
» Antonio Floyd (Atlanta, Ga./Lovejoy) finished the game with career-high four catches for 35 yards. He entered the game with one career catch for six yards, which he recorded against another ‘Power 4’ foe at Kentucky on Sept. 13, 2025.
» Joey Mattord (Hartland, Mich./Hartland) carried the ball nine times for 36 yards in the game to set a career-high for carries, surpassing the eight totes he posted Nov. 30, 2024, at Western Michigan. In that game with the Broncos, he tallied 37 yards for his career-best total, one ahead of his total against the Badgers.
» Nick Devereaux scored on an 18-yard reception in the first quarter to mark his second touchdown of the season and his ninth career score. He finished the game with three grabs for 38 yards.
» Jace Stuckey (Fairland, Ind./Triton Central) saw his first collegiate game action in the fourth quarter and finished with 14 yards on 2-of-2 passing while adding three carries for four yards, including a long of 11 yards.
» First-year player Decorie Johnson (Orlando, Fla./Winter Park) saw his first carries as an Eagle as he came in on the final drive of the game and finished with 18 yards on four carries.
» Rayquan Adkins recorded his first interception as he picked off a Wisconsin pass on the Badgers’ second offensive possession of the game. Adkins, who entered the game without an interception or a pass breakup, recorded one of each in the contest while adding a pair of tackles.
» Elgin McDuffey (Jackson, Miss./Callaway/East Central CC) finished the game with six tackles, including five solo stops. After not recording a tackle through the first two games of the year, he finished with a career-high six at Michigan State last week before matching his career-best total against Wisconsin.
» Dalin Wilkins (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) appeared in his fourth career game and earned his first career start as he lined up at wide receiver for the team’s first play.
Historical Notes
» With the loss, Eastern Michigan fell to 1-3 overall in 2026 while Wisconsin improved to 2-1.
» Eastern fell to 3-43 all-time against the current 18-team roster of the Big Ten and 0-2 this year after last week’s 35-7 road loss at Michigan State. The Eagles also fell to 0-5 all-time against the Badgers, with all five contests being played inside Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis.
» The 10 points scored by the Eagles are the highest in the five-game series played with the Badgers, surpassing the seven scored in a 34-7 loss in the previous meeting, Sept. 11, 2021. It also marked only the second time Eastern has scored multiple times in the same contest with Wisconsin after kicking a pair of field goals in the 21-6 loss, Sept. 28, 1991, the first meeting in the series.
Up Next
Following two consecutive road games against Big Ten opponents, Eastern Michigan will return to The Factory inside Rynearson Stadium Saturday, Sept. 26. The Eagles’ final non-conference game of the year is slated for a 1 p.m. kick, will be streamed live on ESPN+. Tom Helmer and Rob Rubick will have the call on WEMU (89.1 FM), the Varsity Network app, and SiriusXM radio.
