The Wisconsin Badgers suddenly have new life Saturday after beating the Rutgers Scarlet Knights 31-10. Freshman quarterback Ryan Hopkins was the big story of the game after he threw for 241 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start for the Badgers.

Hopkins had plenty of help from his teammates. Shamar Rigby, Jacob Harris and Eugene Hilton Jr. were some of the other standouts for Wisconsin against Rutgers.

Shamar Rigby Didn't Need a Touchdown to Make an Impact

Shamar Rigby was the top receiver for the Badgers on Saturday, pulling down four passes for 71 yards.

In the third quarter, with the Badgers up 16-10, Hopkins hit Rigby for a 26-yard gain that moved the ball to the Rutgers 11-yard line. On the next play, Hopkins connected with Ryan Schwendeman for an 11-yard touchdown pass. The Badgers added a two-point conversion to make the score 24-10.

Rigby gave the freshman quarterback someone to look for on key plays in the game. His four receptions didn't exactly set the world on fire, but the 26-yarder was crucial in helping Wisconsin pull away from Rutgers. What's more, he did it on just 12 snaps; Rigby's involvement will be fascinating to watch down the stretch.

Jacob Harris Made His Two Catches Count

Jacob Harris had only two catches for 70 yards on the day, but one of those was the longest play of the game for Wisconsin.

With the Badgers leading 24-10 in the fourth quarter, Hopkins found Harris on a 66-yard touchdown pass. Harris caught the ball, ran down the sideline and was not caught by any Rutgers defender.

Harris finished with 70 yards, just one yard short of Rigby's total of 71 yards on four receptions.

This game was a great example of the Badgers' passing game finally making some plays. Harris showed that Wisconsin has another tight end capable of making a big play when given the opportunity.

Eugene Hilton Jr. Was Everywhere

Eugene Hilton Jr. had four catches for 44 yards and a touchdown, but he also rushed for 39 yards on three carries.

His 21-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter got things started for the Badgers, and then in the third quarter, he caught the two-point conversion after Schwendeman's 11-yard touchdown catch.

He's a receiver, but he had more rushing yards than any Wisconsin running back on Saturday. This is the type of player who can make things happen on the field and can be used in many ways by the coaching staff.

Hopkins is the talk of the town after his first start. But without Rigby, Harris and Hilton Jr. on the field, the Badgers might not have won on Saturday.