MADISON — The No. 23 Wisconsin Badgers took care of business on homecoming weekend, upending the Illinois Fighting Illini 49–20 at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday.
The offense ran for 357 yards and tallied 545 total against a not-so-great Illini defense, but it also committed two key turnovers.
Defensively, Jim Leonhard’s unit responded after the loss to Michigan with five big takeaways that squashed Illinois’s offense in the first half and helped lead to 21 points.
With a defensive backfield not at full strength, some first-year Badgers stepping up, and some thoughts on Alex Hornibrook’s throws, here’s what I learned from today’s win:
The secondary stepped up once again despite injuries
Illinois was not going to beat Wisconsin through the air, as it came in averaging only 155.