The Wisconsin Badgers take on Bret Bielema and the 21st-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network, and the Illini are 7.5-point favorites.
Last Saturday, the Badgers
stayed competitive against No. 2 Indiana, trailing only 10-7 at halftime. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives end for Wisconsin, as the Hoosiers scored 21 unanswered points to fall 31-7. With that loss, the Badgers secured their second-straight losing season.
What should Badgers fans know about the Illinois Fighting Illini?
Opponent Preview
Illinois was off to a solid 3-0 start and ranked ninth in the nation, but a disastrous 63-10 loss at Indiana derailed the hype train. The Illini rebounded with a 34-32 walk-off win at home against USC and have gone 3-2 the rest of the way with losses to No. 1 Ohio State at home and on the road against Washington.
Luke Altmyer’s third season as Illinois’ starting quarterback looks to be his best season yet since arriving in Champaign. Altmyer has thrown for 2,427 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. His 162.5 quarterback rating to date is his highest since transferring from Ole Miss. One trend to note is that Altmyer has thrown at least one interception in his last four games.
The Illini are not a major rushing team, ranking 13th in the Big Ten with 1,404 rushing yards. Two Illinois running backs have rushed for over 400 yards this season. Kaden Feagin, a power back at 6-foot-3, 250 lbs, has 477 rushing yards. Right behind him is Ca’Lil Valentine, a shiftier running back at 5-foot-11, 190 lbs with 457 rushing yards.
When the Illini have to pass, their go-to target is Hank Beatty, a 2024 Phil Steele Honorable Mention All-American punt returner from last season. Beatty is having a career year at wide receiver with 758 receiving yards, good for fourth in the Big Ten, and three touchdowns. Collin Dixon is Illinois’ second-leading receiver with 423 receiving yards, but leads the team with five touchdown catches.
Senior linebacker Gabe Jacas is a star for the Illini defense. Jacas is tied for third in the Big Ten with seven sacks on the season. Junior defensive back Matthew Bailey leads Illinois with 60 total tackles on the year.
Score Prediction
Once again, this Badgers team is still fighting hard and now has a chance to knock off their second-straight ranked opponent at home under Luke Fickell. Illinois tends to start slow on the road, and Wisconsin could catch the Illini napping if they are not careful. However, the Badgers continue to struggle scoring against Big Ten opponents, averaging 6.7 points per game. Unless the defense can force some turnovers, I do not see this offense doing enough to defeat Illinois.
Prediction: 20-10 Illinois
