49. Wisconsin 24, Illinois 10 (2017)

This was another kinda snoozefest. The Badgers were undefeated, going into Champaign at 7-0, having beaten their opponents by an average of 23.3 points per game. Bucky came out sluggish against a Fighting Illini team that came in 0-4 in the Big Ten and 2-5 overall and had given up nearly 36 points per game in their previous five contests.

Wisconsin came away with a 24-10 win to remain undefeated, which was never in doubt, but it was not exactly a work of art put together by the Badgers. If you only remember one thing from this game, it would be the final touchdown scored by UW. With the Badgers in front 17-3 late in the fourth, Alex Hornibrook rolled out to the right and the left-handed quarterback threw back across the field to offensive tackle Michael Deiter, who rumbled four yards to the left corner of the end zone for the game-sealing touchdown.

I mentioned the Badgers looked sluggish to begin. Well, they went 3-and-out in their first two offensive possessions. They even began their second drive at the Fighting Illini 40 after a Derrick Tindal interception.

After Illinois drove to the Wisconsin 40 thanks in large part to a Cam Thomas 21-yard pass to Malik Turner, the Badgers defense stiffened and forced a punt from Blake Hayes. Starting at their own 8, Badgers embarked on a 92-yard drive that took more than eight minutes off the clock. Jonathan Taylor, who had a 29-yard run to move Bucky into the red zone, was stopped on a 3^rd-and-Goal at the 2. He moved to the 1 and Paul Chryst kept the offense on the field. Hornibrook handed the ball to fullback Alec Ingold, who plowed into the end zone for the first score of the day.

Wisconsin scored another touchdown right before halftime on a 2-yard rush by Garrett Groshek to put the Badgers in front 14-0. Tyler Johnson’s sack and forced fumble set up the visitors at midfield. Bucky received more help, as a personal foul on Illinois’ James Knight moved Wisconsin to the red zone after a 13-yard completion from Hornibrook to Quintez Cephus.

The teams traded field goals to end the half, including Wisconsin’s Rafael Gaglianone booting through a 52-yard field goal as time expired, which was a career-long for the junior.

In the second half, the Fighting Illini had chances to cut into the deficit, but could not dent the scoreboard. They traveled 51 yards in nine plays, but had to settle for a field goal from usually reliable Chase McLaughlin missed a 48-yarder that would have cut it to 11. Turner had another long reception on the drive. The future Green Bay Packer had two catches for a game-high 58 yards.

On Illinois’ following possession, the Illini made the red zone, but a holding penalty pushed them back and forced Cam Thomas to throw. Thomas, known more for his feet than his arm, was picked off by safety Joe Ferguson, who returned it to the Wisconsin 43.

Wisconsin quickly moved down the field for its only score of the second half. The Badgers moved 55 yards in four plays to the doorstep. Hornibrook was 2-for-2 for 35 yards on the game-sealing drive. Groshek ran 18 yards to move them down to the 3. Three plays later, Bucky faced a third down. They ran a play they had not ran in a game before.

Hornibrook’s pass across the field was technically behind the line of scrimmage, so it was credited as a run, but it was a beautifully executed play. Deiter had a big smile on his face as he crossed the goal line and his teammates mobbed him in the back of the end zone.

It was the most exciting part of what was a ho-hum victory. The score made it 24-3 and put it out of reach. The Illini scored on a Kendrick Foster 3-yard run that made it a bit closer with less than a minute left, but Wisconsin went to 8-0.

Wisconsin went on to win its final four games of the regular season as well to finish a perfect 12-0 in the regular season. While Bucky fell in the Big Ten Championship to Ohio State, Wisconsin rebounded with a victory in the Orange Bowl over Miami and earn its 13^th victory of the season, a program record.