There have been some pretty disheartening Illinois football games over the years, but this might be the cream of the crop.
The Illini looked like they didn’t want to be there on Saturday. Wisconsin didn’t have anything to lose, so they went out and played some inspiring football. Illinois, on the other hand, clearly wanted to be anywhere but the football field on Saturday night.
Despite the bad first half showing, Illinois still was in striking distance at the half, down just 10-7. There were so many opportunities for the Illini to take the lead and control the game, but they let every one of those opportunities slip away.
Mistake after mistake led to Wisconsin taking a two-score lead in the third quarter. The Badgers would never look back, as Illinois failed to score a touchdown in the second half. Illinois ended up falling to Wisconsin, 27-10.
Here are five frustrating observations from the Illinois football loss to Wisconsin
1. Illinois has zero running back strategy
I think the Illinois football team has lost its way. The game on Saturday was beyond disappointing, and there are many areas you can point to with that disgust.
The running back situation in Champaign right now is awfully confusing. Illinois finally has three running backs carrying the rock, but there is no consistency in the offense.
Ca’Lil Valentine drew the start for the Illini. He had six carries for 17 yards. Aidan Laughery is clearly Illinois’ best running back, but he only got five carries. The workhorse Kaden Feagin only touched the ball three times in the backfield.
Illinois wasn’t out of this game until late in the contest. Yet, our running backs only had a combined 14 carries for the entire game. You have to get the running backs involved in some form to get the offense more balanced. Wisconsin was just able to sit back and camp while Luke Altmyer tried to throw into tight windows. The lack of a running back strategy bit us in the butt.
2. The Illini defense gave up 27 points to a horrendous offense
Illinois has had some bad defenses in the past, but I think the 2025 Illini defense might go down as the worst I have seen in my lifetime. This group is pretty bad.
Giving up 27 points to Wisconsin isn’t a horrible thing most seasons, but this isn’t your father’s Badgers program. Wisconsin has one of the worst offenses in the country.
Entering the game on Saturday, the Badgers were averaging 13.4 points per game, which ranked No. 132 in the nation. Only Ball State, Charlotte, Oklahoma State, and UMass were behind them.
Somehow, Illinois still managed to allow 27 points to this awful Wisconsin team. And, on top of that, it was to a true freshman quarterback.
Carter Smith was 9-of-11 for 75 yards through the air. It was the Wisconsin running game that killed the Illinois defense. We couldn’t figure out how to keep contain on the end of the line, and Wisconsin would run wherever they wanted to on Saturday.
Illinois played uninspired football on both sides of the ball. The defense was just putrid, though. There was no discipline, and Wisconsin going for 44 carries for 209 yards and three touchdowns is just unacceptable. It was like Illinois didn’t even game plan for what the Badgers were going to do.
3. Bret Bielema has to address the Illini offensive line
One of the most disappointing aspects of the Illinois football team this season is easily the offensive line. I would imagine the Illini dumped a lot of NIL dollars into the offensive line, and that has not paid off in the slightest.
JC Davis is a decent blocker, but he was burned multiple times on Saturday. He couldn’t handle a simple rush from someone who was quicker than him. The Wisconsin defensive end or edge rusher would easily get around Davis with a simple swipe down of the arms.
As for the rest of the Illinois offensive line, woof. It is an ugly scene right now. The right side was so bad against the Badgers. Melvin Priestly can’t block anyone at the DI level. Brandon Henderson is the only returning offensive lineman next season, and he is a turnstile.
No matter how bad Illinois has been in the past, we have always had solid offensive lines. Those are the players who get drafted into the NFL despite Illinois having bad records. That is not the case this time around. Illinois’ offensive line is awful, and with two games left, I don’t expect anything different. Bret Bielema needs to address this in a big way.
4. From the opening kick-off, Illinois wasn’t engaged
You could tell that Illinois didn’t have the focus they needed to from the opening kickoff. I think after the first series, I tweeted out that this Illini squad was playing some sloppy football.
It’s still super early, but Illinois looks really sloppy right now. Not too organized. #Illini
— Writing Illini (@WritingIlliniFS) November 23, 2025
Throughout the game, I continued to post that same sentiment. It was a sloppy, unorganized mess that ended up turning into a three-score defeat at the hands of a three-win Wisconsin team.
No one looked like they wanted to be there on Saturday night. Luke Altmyer continued to drop back, only to have a defensive player bearing down on him each and every play. When he did have time, he was actually able to make decent passes.
There was one time that Justin Bowick ran a slant in the red zone and was wide open. He didn’t turn around, though. It looked like Bowick went to block his man, as the ball zipped right behind him for what would have been a touchdown.
Illinois would give the horrible offensive line some help with a tight end or running back in for pass protection. On multiple occasions, someone like Feagin would get blown up by the rushing defender, which led to a sack.
I don’t even need to mention the defense. Illinois giving up 27 to Wisconsin is like giving up 80 points to Ohio State. It’s just awful.
Illinois acted like they didn’t want to be there. They acted like the season was over, and they were just all waiting until a free trip to a bowl game or to move on to greener pastures. What a disheartening showing.
5. A running back Illinois lost in recruiting burned us
There were so many bad things to come out of the Illinois loss to Wisconsin. I mentioned quite a few in the first four observations.
The icing on the cake was who tore Illinois up the most on Saturday. Wisconsin running back Darrion Dupree was sensational. The Illini defense couldn’t stop him, among others, on Saturday night.
Dupree ended up going for 17 carries for 131 yards and two touchdowns. He also had one reception for eight yards. So, he gained 139 yards and had two scores. That is a big day for any running back.
What made it more painful was the fact that Illinois was in the running for Dupree at one time. I remember the Illini recruiting Dupree, as he is from Chicago. He was a four-star running back who took a few official visits, one being to Champaign.
Instead of staying home, Dupree picked Wisconsin. While the Badgers aren’t going to a bowl game, that decision was a good one for at least one game. Dupree tore up the Illini, and it was the icing on what ended up being a pretty embarrassing cake.