GAME NOTES: Wisconsin 24, Illinois 0

Game Notes provided by the University of Wisconsin Athletic Department.

TEAM NOTES

• Wisconsin has won 11 of its last 12 (and 15 of its last 17) meetings with the Illini.
• The Badgers improved to 33-8 (.805) vs. the Big Ten West since the league moved to its current divisional alignment in 2014.

• Paul Chryst improved to 58-22 (.725) in his seventh season as Wisconsin’s head coach, ranking fourth on UW’s all-time wins list.
• Under Chryst, Wisconsin is:

o 38-15 (.717) in Big Ten Conference play

o 28-7 (.800) vs. the Big Ten West Division

o 21-8 (.724) in road games

o 6-1 (.857) vs. Illinois

• Wisconsin recorded its first shutout since blanking Michigan State, 38-0, on Oct. 12, 2019. The Badgers’ last road shutout of a Big Ten team came in a 31-0 win at Minnesota on Nov. 25, 2017.
• The Badgers out-gained Illinois, 491 to 93, boasting their largest yardage advantage in a Big Ten game (398) since out-gaining Nebraska by 447 yards (627 to 180) on Nov. 15, 2014.
• UW tallied a season-high 391 rushing yards, its most since running for 403 vs. Purdue in 2019 and its most in a Big Ten road game since churning out 546 rushing yards at Indiana on Nov. 10, 2012.

• Wisconsin topped the 300-yard rushing mark for the second time this season (also 352 vs. Eastern Michigan).
• The Badgers posted a season-high 30 first downs, the team’s highest mark since racking up 31 vs. Purdue in 2019.
• UW held the ball for a season high 42:43 to just 17:17 for Illinois. That marks the Badgers’ highest T.O.P. since possessing the ball for 42:47 in a 31-13 loss at Ohio State on Oct. 10, 2009.
• Wisconsin limited Illinois to 93 total yards of offense. The last time the Badgers held a Big Ten foe below 100 total yards came in a 38-14 win over Iowa on Nov. 11, 2017.
• UW held the Illini to just 26 rushing yards and 67 yards passing.
• As a team, the Badgers broke up 10 passes on defense.
• The Badgers opened the game with an 18-play, 67-yard scoring drive that ended with a 25-yard field goal by Collin Larsh. It marked the Badgers’ longest drive of the season in terms of plays, and was their fourth drive of 15-plus plays this season.
• UW added its longest drive of the season in terms of yards — 79 on 14 plays — en route to a 1-yard touchdown run by FB John Chenal in the second quarter to increase its lead to 10-0.
• In Braelon Allen and Chez Mellusi, the Badgers had a pair of 100-yard rushers in a game for the first time since Jonathan Taylor (159) and Taiwan Deal (111) topped the century mark vs. Illinois on Oct. 20, 2018.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Junior RB Chez Mellusi ran for a career-high 145 yards on 21 carries, including a 15-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Mellusi now has three 100-yard rushing games on the season.
• Freshman RB Braelon Allen set career highs with 131 yards on 18 carries, surpassing his previous bests of 30 yards and seven carries. Allen scored his second-career touchdown on a 23-yard run in the third quarter.

• Senior FB John Chenal ran a career-high nine times for 28 yards, scoring the fourth rushing touchdown of his career — and first of the season — in the second quarter.
• Senior TE Jake Ferguson pulled in one pass for 13 yards. Ferguson has caught at least one pass in each of his 39 career games, breaking WR Lee Evans’ school record for consecutive games with a catch (38, 1999-2003) and extending the nation’s third-longest active streak:

CONSEC. GAMES WITH RECEPTION, FBS (ACTIVE)

1. Justin Hall, Ball State *48

2. JD Spielman, TCU *40

3. Jake Ferguson, Wisconsin *39

4. Emeka Emezie, NC State (WR) 37

5. Jahan Dotson, Penn State (WR) 34

* Every game played in career

• Senior OLB Noah Burks led UW with six tackles, including 1.5 TFLs and 0.5 sack.
• Junior ILB Leo Chenal recorded his first sack of the season — and fifth of his career — by combining with Noah Burks to drop Illinois QB Brandon Peters in the first quarter.
• Sophomore OLB Nick Herbig broke up a career-high three passes. He had two career PBUs entering the day.
• Senior K Collin Larsh connected on his only field goal try of the day, knocking in a 25-yarder in the first quarter. He is now 7-for-9 on the season and 24-for-34 in his career. He also handled kickoffs for the first time in his career.
• Senior P Andy Vujnovich had just one punt on the afternoon, booting a 56-yarder. He has now racked up 8 50-yard punts on season after boasting a total of three such boots in seven games last season.