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CHAMPAIGN, Illinois – Even a quarterback change didn’t spark a lifeless attack from Illinois. Wisconsin limited the Illini to 93 total yards in a 24-0 victory over Illinois at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. It was the first time Illinois (2-5, 1-3 Big Ten) totaled less than 100 yards since a 1977 game (78 yards) against Wisconsin.
Artur Sitkowski replaced Brandon peters quarterback in the second quarter for Illinois. Peters went to the injury tent after an ineffective fourth straight start (3 on 7 for 12 yards) as his offensive line struggled to protect him. But once entered, Sitkowski (8-for-27 for 55 yards) threw 12 consecutive incomplete completions (Illinois had 14 consecutive completions in total) before completing his first pass in the last play of the third quarter.
The Illini had nine first downs, five on Wisconsin penalties. Chase Brown led the Illini with 40 total yards (35 rushing on six attempts). Isaiah Williams led Illinois with four receptions for 23 yards.
Wisconsin (2-3, 1-2 Big Ten) ran for 391 yards, paced by At Mellusi (145 yards, 1 TD) and Braelon Allen (131 yards, 1 TD). Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz completed 10 of 19 passes for 100 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception.
Game statistics: Wisconsin won the possession time 42:43 to 17:17 and edged Illinois 491 to 93.
Wisconsin was 7 of 13 in the third tries and 2 for 2 in the fourth. Illinois was 1 of 12 in the third tries and 1 of 3 in the fourth tries.
Illinois didn’t have a single penalty, while Wisconsin was called on nine penalties for 101 yards.
What this means: Illinois has been harassed by a program Bret Bielema once trained – and by a program he hopes to re-cultivate an identity with in Illinois. The result and the offensive struggles are not surprising because Jim Leonhard is a phenomenal defensive coordinator, but the dominance was disconcerting nonetheless, especially given the Illini’s next opponent. The Illini have potentially the worst passing situation and possibly the worst quarterback situation in the country. They have to change that this offseason.
Game Star: Wisconsin’s offensive line hasn’t looked so dominant against the top 25 opponents this season, but it couldn’t be said against Illinois. The Badgers’ five beefy forwards dominated Illini’s defensive front for 6.5 yards per run attempt.
Don’t overlook: Kerby Joseph (9 tackles, one interception, one fumble recovered) continued his emergence as the top playmaker in high school Illini. He covered a lot of ground when he intercepted Mertz in the first half, then recovered a fumble in the second half, the fifth game in a row with a takeaway for Joseph. Junior safety now has three interceptions and three fumble recoveries this season. Devon witherspoon (four tackles, one SEB) also gave Illinois high school a boost after missing the previous two games with injury.
And after: Illinois has a week off before Oct. 23 to travel to Penn State’s No.4. The Nittany Lions (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) have a 20-5 lead over Illinois, including a 10-1 lead at University Park. The Illini last beat PSU 16-14 in 2014 and last won at University Park in 2008 (38-24).
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