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Braelon Allen racked up 131 rushing yards and also scored for the Badgers (2-3, 1-2 Big Ten), whose three losses were suffered by ranked teams.
Wisconsin had little trouble with the Fighting Illini (2-5, 1-3).
The Badgers racked up 491 yards in total offense, while its defense – which started the weekend first in the nation against running and third in total defense – kept Illinois at 93 yards overall (26 rushing, 67 passes). The Illini had just 40 total yards after three quarters.
Badgers quarterback Graham Mertz completed 10 of 19 passes for 100 yards and one interception.
Joseph Kerby eliminated Mertz on the Illini 3-meter line. Kerby also recovered a fumble in the third quarter.
The Badgers led 10-0 in the first half and picked up straight away to start the third quarter, scoring 75 yards on 13 games and chewing 6:22 on the clock. Mellusi capped the practice with a 15-yard touchdown run.
Later in the quarter, Allen sprinted 23 yards into a corner of the end zone on a faster drive, covering 86 yards in just five games.
Illinois coach Bret Bielema, who coached in Wisconsin for seven seasons before leaving for five seasons in Arkansas, saw his former team win the possession game 36:02 to 5:17 pm. Five of Illinois’ first nine tries came on penalties.
The Illini didn’t advance into Wisconsin Territory until midway through the fourth quarter.
Alternate quarterback Artur Sitkowski completed 8 of 27 passes for 55 yards for the Illini. He came in after Brandon Peters completed 3 of 7 passes for 12 yards in the first three possessions.
The Badgers scored the only first-half touchdown on their second long practice of the game. They held the ball for almost seven minutes as they covered 79 yards in 14 games.
John Chenal, who converted a fourth held game on the way, dug one yard for a 10-0 lead.
Wisconsin had 206 total yards in the first half compared to just 33 for Illinois, and two of the Illini’s first three downs came via penalties.
The Badgers had scored in their first possession of the game, consuming 9:44 covering 67 yards on 18 plays. The drive stalled on Illini’s 7-yard line and Collin Larsh registered a 17-yard basket.
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