Wisconsin Football Grades, Takeaways From 25-21 Win Over Illinois
By Dillon Graff
Luke Fickell and the University of Wisconsin football program improved to 5-2 on the season and 3-1 in Big Ten play following an impressive fourth-quarter comeback, leading to a 25-21 victory over Bret Bielema and the Illinois Fighting Illini on the road.
Wisconsin has now won six of its last seven matchups in Champaign, dating back to 2011 — and the holdovers from last season got the revenge they were looking for after last year’s debacle in Camp Randall.
The report card is in, and here are the grades from the Wisconsin Badgers Week 8 win over the Illini.
Wisconsin Football Offense: B-
Braedyn Locke, the redshirt freshman quarterback from Texas, exhibited remarkable poise in his inaugural start.
Aside from a fumble early in the game, his ball security was commendable. Locke stepped up with pivotal passes in the fourth quarter during the comeback. He finished with 240 yards passing and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
Braelon Allen, the junior running back, deserves a special mention for carrying the offense in the second half. He finished with 29 carries for 145 yards and a touchdown while also chipping in two catches for 16 receiving yards.
Notable contributions also came from wide receivers Will Pauling and Skyler Bell, who made significant catches in explosive plays during the crucial final quarter and led the Wisconsin football team in targets.
While the offensive line held its ground, it did accumulate two more false-start penalties — which continues to be frustrating. I also want to credit offensive coordinator Phil Longo for taking some calculated risks, like the inside zone run to Allen on third-and-10, which proved to be a brilliant move, catching the Illini defense off guard.
It was far from perfect, but the Wisconsin Badgers offense rallied and made plays when it mattered. What a storybook ending for Locke in his first collegiate start at quarterback. Bonus points to the offense for throwing the game-winning touchdown to a left tackle.