Jack Sanborn

Just days after winning the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, the Badgers found out three key veterans would be returning for their senior seasons at UW. Redshirt junior tight end Jake Ferguson, junior linebacker Jack Sanborn and redshirt junior cornerback Faion Hicks all announced that they are returning next season.

Ferguson led the Badgers with 30 receptions for 305 yards and four touchdowns. Sanborn led UW in tackles with 41 1/2 and Hicks had four passes defensed and 10 tackles.

The Badgers will lose a running back after Nakia Watson became the second player to enter the NCAA’s transfer portal. He joins QB Jack Coan. Watson started four games and played in five games this season.

The Badgers have three returning tailbacks on their roster, Jalen Berger, Julius Davis and Isaac Guerendo. They added three more during the early signing period in December.

Paul Chryst

It wasn’t looking good early for the Wisconsin Badgers, who fell behind Wake Forest 14-0 in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Wednesday in Charlotte. The Badgers had two empty possessions, while the Demon Deacons put two scores on the board just 7:39 into the game.

The Badgers (4-3) settled down from there and scored 14 points in each of the next three quarters to go on and beat Wake Forest 42-28.

Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman had thrown just one interception coming into the game, but he threw four picks against the Badgers, who finished the season with a two-game winning streak. The Badgers got interceptions from Noah Burks, Scott Nelson, Jack Sanborn and Collin Wilder. Sanborn finished with 10 tackles, two tackles for loss and the pick.

Wisconsin improved to 5-1 in bowl games under coach Paul Chryst. The 42-points scored is the highest scoring output for the Badgers in a bowl game, surpassing the previous record of 38 against Utah in the 1996 Copper Bowl.

The Badgers improved to 17-15 in bowl games overall and have won 6 of their last 7 bowls, dating back to the 2014 season.

Quarterback Graham Mertz finished 11 of 17 for 130 yards and a touchdown. He also scored on a pair of 1-yard runs.

Hartman finished 20 of 37 for 318 yards and three touchdowns for Wake Forest (4-5).