GAME SNAPSHOT
KICKOFF: Saturday, noon ET
SITE: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wis.
TV: FS1
SERIES: Wisconsin leads 41-36-7 and has won eight in a row.
RANKINGS: Wisconsin No. 23
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Illini
–SS Sydney Brown, a freshman, had his first career interception during the third quarter of last week’s loss to Purdue and he also led Illinois with a career-high 12 tackles. “Personally, I do not see any positives. As a team, we just have to get better. It just sucks losing,” he said.
–RB Reggie Corbin has been making big plays. He had a career-high 137 rushing yards on only 11 carries against Rutgers, including a 73-yard touchdown run. That was his first start since 2016. Last week against Purdue, he started again and caught a career-long 52-yard pass that set up a first quarter touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
–CB Jartavius Martin, a freshman, has made six consecutive starts, tying for the eighth-most by a true freshman defensive back in school history. He has three interceptions and this week will be trying to get more against Wisconsin QB Alex Hornibrook, who has been known to be turnover-prone. Illinois is 12th nationally in takeaways (2.17 per game) and has forced at least one turnover in every game this season.
Badgers
–LB T.J. Edwards should be motivated for a big game, his last time against his in-state school. The Illinois native did not receive a scholarship offer from Illinois. He has piled up 17 tackles, five tackles for a loss and three sacks in Wisconsin’s last two games.
–RB Jonathan Taylor is the nation’s second-leading rusher with a per game average of 158.3 yards. Taylor has topped the 100-yard mark in all six games this season and has averaged 184 yards per game at Camp Randall Stadium.
–QB Alex Hornibrook struggled in the loss at Michigan. How he responds in the coming weeks might determine Wisconsin’s chances for a West title. He needs 31 passing yards to become the seventh player in school history to throw for 5,000 yards.
KEYS
TO THE GAME
Illinois treks to Camp Randall Stadium for its second true road game of the season on Saturday, and No. 23 Wisconsin is aiming to get back on track after one of the most humbling setbacks in coach Paul Chryst’s tenure.
Wisconsin, with its banged-up defense, stumbled out of Ann Arbor, Mich., with a 38-13 loss to then-No. 13 Michigan last Saturday.
The Badgers (4-2, 2-1 Big Ten) were without sophomore defensive end Isaiah Loudermilk and senior safety D’Cota Dixon. Loudermilk will miss a second straight game with a left ankle injury suffered against Nebraska.
Dixon, a starter with a right foot injury, was listed as questionable on Monday’s injury report, along with a bevy of players on defense, including freshman safety Scott Nelson (right leg), who didn’t play in the first half against Michigan and was ejected in the third quarter for a targeting penalty.
The Wisconsin offense stumbled woefully at Michigan as sophomore quarterback Alex Hornibrook completed 7 of 10 passes for 100 yards, two interceptions and one touchdown.
Wisconsin sophomore running back Jonathan Taylor remains a bright spot on offense. Taylor, the nation’s second leading rusher, averages 158.3 yards per game. He has rushed for 100-plus yards in six games this season, and averaged 184 yards per game at Camp Randall.
Wisconsin has compiled a 15-2 record in road games during four seasons with Chryst as its head coach. The Wolverines handed the Badgers both losses.
The Illini (3-3, 1-2), with new offensive coordinator Rod Smith, are implementing an up-tempo style with a zone read option out of the shotgun with two wide receivers on each side or three wideouts and a tight end.
The Badgers beat the Fighting Illini 24-10 last season in Champaign, and have won six straight at Camp Randall in the series between the teams.
Chryst said he’s aware of some changes and his staff will take a close look at the Illini’s schemes and personnel.
“We played against a number of these guys last year and know what they did to us and how we had to fight for the yards,” Chryst said. “That’s why we have a ton of respect for them. Our players know it. (Illinois) is a talented football team and I’ve got a ton of respect for (Illini coach) Lovie (Smith) and I know we’re going to be in for a fistfight.”
Illinois’ defense has fought to intimidate opposing quarterbacks in a handful of games in 2018, including its 46-7 home loss against Purdue. The Boilermakers collected 611 total yards on offense, the third team to post 591 yards or more against the Illini.
Smith couldn’t put his finger on one thing in particular in the effort in which he said “we haven’t played this bad in a game.”
He was disappointed in the performance against Purdue, considering there were so many positives in Illinois’ 38-17 win at Rutgers on Oct. 6.
“When you don’t have a lot of answers for what happens, you go back to work, which we’ll do,” Smith said Monday.
“We started that process. Of course, this morning we went to the video. Now for our football team, whether you win or you lose, you have to move on. You can’t let a bad game beat you the next week and that’s not what we’re going to do.”
Illinois is bolstered on offense by senior quarterback AJ Bush Jr., a graduate transfer from Virginia Tech who is a dual threat.
Bush missed 2 1/2 games with a left leg injury but returned three weeks ago. In two Big Ten games — against Rutgers and Purdue — Bush completed 22 of 33 passes for 259 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
In addition, Bush has rushed for 140 yards and three scores, including 116 yards and two touchdowns at Rutgers.
Illinois has several impact players on defense. Sophomore linebacker Jake Hansen leads the team with six tackles for loss. Freshman cornerback Jartavius Martin has three. Linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips has a team-high 50 tackles and is tied for the team lead with three interceptions.
