Wisconsin Badgers vs Illinois Fighting Illini game thread

[PinaMadness]

Illinois' rushing defense is horrid.

[nate82]

Is there a reason Berger isn't playing today? Couldn't find anything online

 

Something about an issue that popped up in pre-game that was bothering him previously and won't be playing today.

 

I thought that was Gurendo.

 

Possibly could be. I am always getting those two confused.

[DuWayne Steurer]

I know despite everything, our defense is good. It's maybe even really good, but wow, how did this Illinois team win 2 games?

[yourout]

That clicking sound you're hearing is about half of the badger running backs on the roster filling out there transfer portal applications.

[DuWayne Steurer]

They covered the spread. Defense played predictably well. Run game played well, but hard to gauge because Illinois is bad. Graham Mertz continues to be very bad.

[JosephC]

but hard to gauge because Illinois is bad.

 

Might as well add in "didn't show up to play" along with the "bad" factor. Why bother even showing up if you are going to play like that?

 

I think Mellusi did show better balance and power in this game than he had previously. Seems like the Badgers really want Allen to be that guy which might have lit a fire under Mellusi. Would love to think the OLine is starting to come together, but Illinois defensive front just looked awful.

 

The one weak spot with the defense is becoming a glaring lack of ability to create the turnover. Really should have had about 4 interceptions in this game.

[MrTPlush]

Kind of a who cares game. Doesn't take much to beat an incompetent offense and then run the ball every play. Mertz continues to suck and that really won't cut it against good teams and against decent teams it may not cut it. Guessing next week will be similar showing where we don't really learn much about how the more meaty part of the upcoming schedule goes.

[LouisEly]

I think Mertz isn't 100% yet after last week and they ran the ball as much as they could so that he could be put in a position to get hit as little as possible. On the read option play he ran in the 2nd half he ran out of bounds as soon as he got the first down; historically he has not shied away from contact.