Wisconsin Football Report Card From 25-21 Win Over Illinois

The Wisconsin football team earned a thrilling 25-21 win over the Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday afternoon. The Badgers put together a strong second-half performance to rally back and improve to 5-2 on the season.

Here are some grades for Wisconsin’s offense, defense, and special teams from the stunning win.

Wisconsin Football Offense Grade: B-

Braedyn Locke made his first career start on Saturday afternoon, and the redshirt freshman put together a solid performance.

He had an early fumble, but Locke shook it off and went on to finish with 240 yards and two touchdowns while completing 21 of his 41 pass attempts. The redshirt freshman was responsible for the two biggest highlights of the day, with a perfect throw to Skyler Bell for a big gain and the game-sealing touchdown pass to 6-foot-8, 300-pound offensive tackle Nolan Rucci (you just have to be so happy for the big guy). Locke put up some solid tape, and there are some apparent building blocks for the young signal-caller. 

The play you’ve all been waiting for. Nolan Rucci TUDDY. pic.twitter.com/obPS3o2Av3

— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) October 21, 2023

The Wisconsin football run game stood out in this one, but it took some time to get there. Still, Braelon Allen came alive in the second half, finishing the day with 145 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries. From my eye test, Allen seemed to be back in his natural form. The junior tailback was running as physically as ever and was able to slice through the Illini run defense with ease. It was good to see UW lean on the run when necessary, and Allen was dependable when his number was called.

Sadly, I have to drag the grade down due to penalties and yet another slow start. It’s been a relatively common theme for Wisconsin so far: a slow start on offense before finding a groove in the second half, and it’s still as frustrating as ever. That won’t fly against Ohio State next weekend, so something must be done to clean it up. 

Overall, the Badgers offense was undisciplined at moments but still did enough to come away with a victory — tip of the cap to Phil Longo. 

Wisconsin Football Defense Grade: C

I sound like a broken record more and more as the season goes on, but the Wisconsin football run defense was once again a lowlight. Quarterback Luke Altmyer was the leading rusher for the Fighting Illini, as he rushed for 100 yards on 16 carries. UW also let up an additional 123 rushing yards to Illinois tailbacks. Wisconsin is still in search of a solution for the run defense, and one can only hope it’s found before the upcoming matchup against Ohio State. 

It was good to see Maema Njongmeta back out on the field as he filled in for the injured Jordan Turner. The junior linebacker had a statement game, registering 12 tackles with two tackles for loss and a sack. He should see plenty more playing time after this one. 

Although the run defense was disappointing, I have to tip my cap to Mike Tressel‘s crew for shutting out the Fighting Illini in the fourth quarter, allowing the offense to score 18 unanswered points. They kept the offense in it; that’s about all you can ask for. 

Wisconsin Special Teams Grade: C+

A couple of gaffs by the special teams unit are dragging this grade down. 

The biggest one was the botched hold on the field goal attempt by Gavin Meyers, causing the Badgers to remain in a 7-0 hole early. Luckily, his second hold was much better, as Nathanial Vakos connected from 41 with a kick off the upright. The other gaff came on another kickoff that sailed out of bounds, though that could largely be attributed to the wind. Still, Wisconsin football has sent five kicks out of bounds through seven games. Not great, Bob.

It was a relatively quiet night for Chimere Dike, who returned two kickoffs for 27 yards and one punt for three yards. Considering the conditions, Dike deserves his flowers for not making any mistakes and being decisive in his return opportunities.

The Wisconsin football program will now shift gears to the biggest matchup of the season, as the Badgers are set to take on No. 3 Ohio State at Camp Randall next Saturday.

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