Wisconsin Badgers: Injury update on quarterback Graham Mertz

The Wisconsin Badgers have uncertainty at quarterback after starter Graham Mertz exited Saturday’s game against Michigan with an apparent chest injury.

Mertz is officially listed as questionable heading into the Illinois game Saturday.

“I was out there today,” Mertz said after practice Monday. “I’ll just go with it day by day.”

Mertz was evaluated at a hospital after the injury occured and Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst said the test results were encouraging, without providing any further information.

“I feel all right,” Mertz added. “I’m just kind of taking it day by day, getting treatment and trying to get better every day.”

Mertz has completed just 56.4% of his passes for six interceptions and just two touchdowns, but he had led two straight scoring drives just before his injury. That included a three-play, 63-yard drive that took just 15 seconds and culminated with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Chimere Dike.

“I felt like we were just clicking, making plays together, playing the ball we want to play as an offense,” Mertz said. “We definitely want to build on that.”

Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst receives major raise

The Board of Regents at the University of Wisconsin approved a raise for Badgers coach Paul Chryst on Monday, per reporter Jeff Potrykus. Chryst will go from making $4.35 million to $5.25 million, an increase of $900,000.

Although the timing of the raise might seem odd, Wisconsin officials said it was originally scheduled to happen last year. However, the pandemic put financial strain on the program and the coach took a 15% pay cut. Under normal circumstances, the compensation package would have been announced in the spring of 2020.

Chryst is in his seventh year leading the Wisconsin Badgers football program. He has compiled a 57-22 record during that span including wins in the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl. Wisconsin claimed Big Ten West division titles under his guidance in 2016, 2017 and 2019.

Despite entering the year at No. 12 in the preseason AP poll, Wisconsin currently sits at 1-3 and 0-2 in the Big Ten. All three of their losses thus far have come against ranked opponents. Chryst is coming off of his worst year with the team, but they still finished 4-3 in 2020.

The year is still young though, and the Badgers’ toughest days are behind them. Aside from a meeting with No. 3 Iowa on Oct. 30, they have no more games against ranked teams.

Chryst and the Badgers will seek their first conference victory against Illinois at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday in Champaign.