Offense – B: The Wisconsin running game played a pivotal role in the Badgers’ 38-28 defeat of the Illini. While Melvin Gordon had “only” 175 yards on the day, he busted off some big runs and found the end zone four times. Fellow running back Corey Clement added 165 rushing yards of his own, including a 72-yard touchdown to start the fourth quarter. The passing game did just enough to keep the defense honest, led by Joel Stave’s 73 passing yards. The two-quarterback system that was expected ended with Tanner McEvoy seeing the field for just one drive, although he was effective going 3-4 with 36 total yards during his lone possession. Tight end Sam Arneson had the most success catching the ball as he hauled in four passes for 48 yards.
Defense – B: While Illinois’ 14 first quarter points can hardly be pinned on the defense since they started both drives in Wisconsin territory, the UW defense held Illinois to only 288 total yards. Despite starting quarterback Wes Lunt missing the game with a broken leg, the defense still kept the Big Ten’s top-ranked passing offense in check with 135 passing yards. With injuries to the defensive unit, young players such as Leon Jacobs and Ben Ruechel stepped up while veterans Michael Caputo, Derek Landisch and Vince Biegel had big games for the defense as well.
Special Teams – D: Anytime the head coach goes out of his way to call out a unit after a game, they likely didn’t play too well. That’s exactly what happened as Wisconsin head coach Gary Andersen flat-out said the special teams unit has to improve. Punter Drew Meyer struggled, averaging only 38.4 net yards per punt, while Illinois controlled the field position battle early on with their special teams’ effort. Illini return man V’Angelo Bentley gashed the UW special teams unit for 131 return yards on only five attempts. Wisconsin kicker Rafael Gaglianone missed another field goal, this time from 44 yards away, but did come back to make one from 47 yards.
Coaching – C+: Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig made the right call in sticking with Stave at quarterback. While his numbers weren’t anything too impressive, he managed the offense well and didn’t turn the ball over. The pass plays were effective as they found a way to get the ball to arguably UW’s best receiving option in Arneson. The one series Ludwig did decide to go with McEvoy, he ran plays that adhered to McEvoy’s dual-threat talents and it was effective. Like always, a healthy dose of run plays were used and the play-action passes from Stave kept the Illinois defense on their toes. On defense, coordinator Dave Aranda did a nice job of keeping pressure on the Illinois quarterbacks, who were sacked six times.
