Wisconsin Football Grades, Takeaways From 25-21 Win Over Illinois

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Oct 21, 2023; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell talks to his players during the first half against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

Wisconsin Football Defense: C+

The Wisconsin football team’s run defense encountered continued issues, and the most vexing problem was their struggle against yet another mobile quarterback.

Luke Altmyer’s designed runs and scrambles caused noteworthy issues, with the Illinois quarterback racking up 100 yards on the ground. Conversely, Wisconsin’s pass defense only allowed Altmeyer to throw for 100 yards, passing on 21 pass attempts.

Nevertheless, Mike Tressel’s defensive unit significantly improved in the second half and managed to pitch a shutout in the fourth quarter, allowing the Wisconsin Badgers offense to do their part.

There are still plenty of imperfections and kinks to work out defensively, but the defense did enough to keep Wisconsin in the game long enough to mount a comeback — and closed the door after the Badgers took the lead.

Special Teams: C-

Wisconsin football special teams had an unfortunate moment that occurred on a failed field goal attempt when holder Gavin Meyers mishandled the snap in the second quarter. The Badgers offense was struggling at that point and failed to put points on the board as a result, which could have been costly.

Thankfully, this mishap didn’t come back to bite them.

Nathaniel Vakos connected on a 41-yard field goal attempt that hit the upright and took a favorable bounce. Meanwhile, Australian punter Atticus Bertrams punted the ball four times for a total of 163 yards (40.8-yard average), with one landing inside the 20.

However, there were tough conditions for fielding kicks and punts, which must be acknowledged. Chimere Dike had a fine game as a returner.

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