Wisconsin Football: 3 takeaways from shocking upset loss to Illinois

1. Jonathan Taylor got back into endzone

For a player as prolific as Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor, it is always strange whenever he fails to get in the endzone over the course of an entire game. Last week against Michigan State, the Spartans held Taylor below 100 rushing yards and prevented him from putting any points on the scoreboard.

In the first half against Illinois, Taylor was once again kept out of the endzone. He finally broke through in the second half, scoring in the third quarter. He ended the game with 132 yards on 28 carries, but was never able to punch in a second touchdown that would have shut down the game.

There were certainly opportunities. Take their goal-line charge that ultimately resulted in Wisconsin’s last field goal of the game. After getting the handoff on the first-down play at the Illinois 3, Taylor was never given another chance to carry the ball. Paul Chryst called the next two plays for his fullbacks, and the Heisman hopeful was neutralized by the play calling rather than the opponent.

Ultimately, the end result was the biggest disappointment yet of the season both for Taylor and for the Badgers as a team. Though he topped triple digits and got back into the endzone, Taylor will be left to wonder what might have been if his coaches had put more confidence in his ability to get one more yard in the shadow of the goal line. Thanks to that lack of confidence, the Badgers took three points when they could have put six or seven on the scoreboard in a game they lost by just one point.