MADISON (Interstat) — Colton Joseph accounted for four touchdowns and Wisconsin’s defense controlled the game as the Badgers beat Michigan State 31-3 on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium in a Bowl Division game. Joseph threw three touchdown passes and ran for another, helping Wisconsin improve to 4-1. Michigan State dropped to 2-3. The Spartans never found an offensive rhythm against a Wisconsin defense that generated pressure throughout. Wisconsin scored on both of its first-quarter touchdown drives and added a field goal in the second quarter. The Badgers led throughout and put the game away in the second half. Wisconsin’s defense limited Michigan State to 103 passing yards and kept the Spartans out of the end zone.

Wisconsin opened the scoring with 8:16 remaining in the first quarter when Joseph connected with Jacob Harris on a 20-yard touchdown pass. Gavin Lahm’s extra point made it 7-0. With 1:01 left in the first, Joseph and Harris hooked up again, this time for 15 yards, and Lahm’s kick extended the lead. In the second quarter, Lahm made a 30-yard field goal with 3:56 remaining. Michigan State got on the board before halftime when Liam Boyd converted a 31-yard field goal with nine seconds left. Wisconsin took a 17-3 lead into the break.

Joseph broke free for a 47-yard touchdown run with 10:35 remaining in the third quarter, pushing the lead to 24-3. In the fourth, he capped the scoring with a 46-yard touchdown pass to Malachi Coleman with 7:56 left. Lahm added the extra point. The Spartans could not answer. Wisconsin’s defense limited Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic to 103 passing yards and kept the Spartans out of the end zone. Michigan State’s only points came on Boyd’s field goal. Wisconsin finished with 31 points and kept Michigan State from sustaining drives.

Joseph, a quarterback from Newport Beach, California, completed 9 of 20 passes for 145 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran 13 times for 141 yards and one touchdown. In Wisconsin’s previous game, a 24-20 win over Penn State, Joseph completed 18 of 38 passes for 235 yards and ran 13 times for 39 yards. Milivojevic completed 15 of 32 passes for 103 yards for Michigan State and carried four times for 7 yards. Jacob Harris caught two passes for 35 yards and two touchdowns. Eugene Hilton Jr. had one catch for 17 yards. Chris Brooks Jr. had one catch for 10 yards. Emmett Bork had one reception for 3 yards. For Michigan State, Rodney Bullard Jr. caught one pass for 13 yards, KK Smith had one catch for 11 yards and Kai Rios had one catch for 5 yards.

Wisconsin’s defense was led by Cooper Catalano, who made 10 tackles. Mason Posa finished with nine tackles and one quarterback hurry. Matthew Jung added seven tackles and one quarterback hurry. Javan Robinson and Justus Boone each recorded five tackles, with Robinson also adding a quarterback hurry. Bryce West made four tackles. Tyreese Fearbry, Jon Jon Kamara, Nolan Vils, Junior Poyser and Thomas Heiberger each had two tackles, with Heiberger adding a sack. Sebastian Cheeks had one tackle and two quarterback hurries. Charles Perkins had one tackle and one sack. Hammond Russell IV had one tackle and one quarterback hurry. Wisconsin also got one tackle apiece from Aaron Witt, Marvin Burks Jr., Liam Danitz, Harrison Bortolotti, Cairo Skanes, Drew Braam, Donovan Dunmore, Micheal Garner, Matthew Traynor, Jai’mier Scott, DeNigel Cooper, Carson Van Dinter, Dillan Johnson, Jacob Anderson and James Roe.

Michigan State’s Dion Crawford made eight tackles. Devin Vaught had seven. Brady Pretzlaff added six. Kenny Soares Jr. had three tackles and one quarterback hurry. Charles Brantley finished with three tackles. Tre Bell and Nikai Martinez each made two tackles. Keahnist Thompson had two tackles. Wisconsin punter Sean West had five punts for 191 yards. Liam Boyd made a 31-yard field goal for the Spartans. Gavin Lahm handled extra points and made a 30-yard field goal for the Badgers.

The win moved Wisconsin to 4-1 overall. The Badgers had beaten Penn State 24-20 in their previous game. Michigan State fell to 2-3. The Spartans had lost to Nebraska 31-13 in their previous game. Wisconsin opened the season with a 41-13 loss at Notre Dame, then beat Western Illinois 36-9, Eastern Michigan 54-10 and Penn State 24-20. Michigan State opened with a 30-20 win over Toledo, beat Eastern Michigan 35-7, lost at Notre Dame 27-10 and lost to Nebraska 31-13. Michigan State is scheduled to host Illinois, Northwestern, Washington and Oregon and to visit UCLA, Michigan and Rutgers. Wisconsin is scheduled to visit UCLA, Iowa, Maryland and Purdue and to host Southern California, Rutgers and Minnesota.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Wisconsin 33, Michigan State 25 before the game. Interstat’s ELO system gave Wisconsin an 87.8 percent probability to win. Michigan State had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of +8.5. The total score of 34 went over the over/under line of 43.5.