Wisconsin Defeats Illinois in Stunner: Here’s What Stood Out

Recap of the Badgers 25-21 win over Illinois.

Luke Fickell and the University of Wisconsin football team (5-2, 3-1 B1G) put together a resilient and gritty second-half performance to secure a thrilling victory on the road against Illinois with a score of 25-21 at Memorial Stadium.

Here are a few things that stood out from the Wisconsin Badgers week eight victory over Bret Bielema and the Fighting Illini. 

Wisconsin Rallied Behind Braedyn Locke 

First, let’s talk about Braedyn Locke, the Wisconsin football redshirt freshman quarterback making his first career start in place of the injured Tanner Mordecai. 

I thought his composure was evident as he worked through his progressions, threw some great downfield passes, and showed a strong command of the Badgers offense. 

On the day, Locke completed 21 out of 41 pass attempts, accumulating 240 yards through the air. He threw for two touchdowns with zero interceptions but did have one fumble.

His defining moment came when Wisconsin football faced a third goal on the three-yard line with only 31 seconds left on the clock, deep in Illini territory. Locke’s poise was on full display as he found Nolan Rucci wide open in the endzone corner, securing a game-changing touchdown and a 25-21 lead with just 25 seconds remaining.

The Badgers defense held strong in the final moments, sealing the comeback victory on the road. It was a tremendous moment for Locke, and it’s clear that he has tremendous long-term potential in this offense. 

Badgers Running Game Came Alive in the 2nd Half 

Coming into Saturday’s road contest against Illinois, my expectation was that the Wisconsin football team would heavily rely on their running game to ease the burden on Braedyn Locke making his first start. Well, I wasn’t far off, considering the Badgers ran the ball 35 times on the day.