Badgers grades: Cade Yacamelli made the most of his opportunities

Yacamelli played just six snaps and finished with four carries for 72 yards.

Wisconsin running back Cade Yacamelli (25) gains yards after catch as Rutgers defensive back Shaquan Loyal pursues during the second half at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, N.J., on Oct. 12, 2024. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

They say make the most of your opportunities. Cade Yacamelli certainly did. 

The redshirt sophomore running back from Trafford, Pa., played just six snaps, ran the ball on four of those snaps and finished with 72 rushing yards, including a 45-yard scamper on a nine-play, 80-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter of Saturday afternoon's 42-7 blowout win over Rutgers at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, N.J.

Yacamelli was the Badgers football team’s highest-graded player by Pro Football Focus with an 85.0 offensive grade. 

The four highest-graded players for Wisconsin were all on the offensive side of the ball. Quarterback Braedyn Locke was the second-highest graded Badgers player with an 82.0 offensive grade after completing 20-of-28 passes for 240 yards, a touchdown and a pick. Tawee Walker was unsurprisingly the third-highest graded Badgers player with an 80.2 offensive grade after rushing for 198 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries while also hauling in one reception for three yards.

It’s the highest grade Walker has received from PFF this season. 

Right tackle Riley Mahlman was responsible for opening some of those rushing lanes for Walker and Yacamelli, and he was the Badgers’ fourth-highest graded player with a 76.8 offensive grade, posting the team’s highest run-blocking grade at 78.9. Wide receiver Will Pauling was also off to a hot start before his exit due to an upper-body injury, receiving a 73.5 grade after hauling in four passes for 49 yards and a touchdown. 

Among players who played at least 10 snaps — linebackers Tyler Jansey and Sebastian Cheeks were the Badgers’ two highest-graded defensive players but played just one and nine snaps, respectively — cornerback Xavier Lucas was the highest-graded defensive player at 72.9. Lucas had two tackles and allowed two receptions for 10 yards on six targets. 

Defensive tackle Elijah Hills also received a 72.9 defensive grade after finishing his day with a pair of tackles and posting a 70.9 run-defense grade. One surprising grade for the defense came to safety Preston Zachman, who recorded a team-high 10 tackles — 1.5 for loss — and had an interception, which was the Scarlet Knights' lone turnover of the game.

But Zachman was given a 63.0 defensive grade by PFF despite posting the team's best run-defense (77.6) and tackling (85.2) grades. Where Zachman earned a low mark was his coverage grade (53.3) that suffered because he allowed three receptions on four targets, though those three receptions only added up to 14 yards for Rutgers.

Despite what the grades say, the Badgers only allowed 103 passing yards in the game.