Wisconsin Football: Report Card From Blowout Loss to Illinois

Madison, Wis. – Head coach Paul Chryst and the Wisconsin Badgers (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten), who entered the game seven-point favorites, lost their second straight contest in embarrassing fashion on Saturday. 

UW was blown out 34-10 at Camp Randall Stadium, where I can comfortably say they were out ‘Wisconsined’ by Illinois. 

Getting manhandled by the Buckeyes on the road is one thing, but losing to Bret Bielema and Illinois at home, nonetheless, is downright unacceptable. It will undoubtedly force Badger fans to reevaluate the program’s expectations for this season and beyond.

The programs are essentially carbon copies of one another, at least stylistically, so it was rather disheartening to see the Illini beat Wisconsin at their own game. So convincingly, I might add.

Let’s be honest with ourselves; the Badgers have been outscored by its opponents 89-31 in Big Ten play – so it’s hard to find many positives right now. 

Below, Badgerswire grades Wisconsin’s performance, or lack thereof, against Illinois: 

Offense: F

Oct 1, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; The Wisconsin Badgers line up for a play during the first quarter against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Quarterback Graham Mertz quickly got into a rhythm on the first drive. He came out firing, going 4-for-4 on his pass attempts for 54 yards, finishing it off with a beautiful 21-yard touchdown throw to senior running back Isaac Guerendo.

Things were looking good. Little did I know, that’s where the positives were going to end. Wisconsin had a terrific opening drive, and that was essentially it.

Bobby Engram’s offense managed just 208 total yards (206 passing, 2 rushing) – the Badgers’ lowest offensive output since 2016.

The offensive line, in my opinion, looked overmatched all day and was bullied by the Illini’s front seven – giving up six total sacks. Credit to Bielema’s defense, they played great, but it’s concerning that one of Wisconsin’s perceived strengths could be so utterly dominated.

Mertz cooled off after his hot start and finished the game 17-of-31 for 206 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He made several errant throws and was clearly not the best version of himself.

Defense: D+

MADISON, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 02: Wisconsin defensive coach Jim Leonhard looks on in the fourth quarter against the Michigan Wolverines at Camp Randall Stadium on October 02, 2021 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)

Jim Leonhard’s defense was dealt a tough hand several times because of turnovers that gave Illinois a short field – and ultimately handed the Illini several scoring opportunities.

However, the Badgers’ young defense made a lot of the same mistakes we’ve seen up to this point: poor tackling, getting pushed around in the trenches, and failure to create pressure of any kind.

Wisconsin allowed an efficient 307 yards of offense (167 passing, 137 rushing) and was picked apart all day long.

There are not as many negatives as the offense, but it’s hard to find many positives other than Keeanu Benton playing with his hair on fire at times and having one of his best games of the season.

Coaching: F

Sep 3, 2022; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Paul Chryst looks on during warmups prior to the game against the Illinois State Redbirds at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Out-coached, out-played, out-manned, no matter which way you slice it, Paul Chryst was absolutely embarrassed by Bret Bielema and company.

As Michael Scott once said, “Sometimes I’ll start a sentence, and I don’t even know where it’s going. I just hope I find it along the way.”

That’s what it felt like Chryst was doing on Saturday with his game plan.

There was no creativity or imagination in his game plan whatsoever. UW played undisciplined football and continues to make the same mistakes week in and week out.

For a head coach known for his quarterback development, being an intelligent offensive play caller, and playing sound fundamental football – you could argue those have been his three most significant weaknesses in 2022.

It’s hard to feel good about where the football program is trending.

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Story originally appeared on Badgers Wire