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Immediate takeaways from Wisconsin Badgers' 27-10 win over No. 21 Illinois

For the second time in three weeks, Wisconsin welcomed a ranked opponent to Camp Randall. And for the second time, Badger fans stormed the field.
Cam Wilhorn|
Nov 22, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Mason Reiger (22) reacts with teammate Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Darryl Peterson (17) to sacking Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (not pictured) during the second quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images
Nov 22, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Mason Reiger (22) reacts with teammate Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Darryl Peterson (17) to sacking Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (not pictured) during the second quarter at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images | Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

MADISON, Wis. -- The Wisconsin Badgers' late-season emergence continued in Week 14 against the No. 21 Illinois Fighting Illini.

The new-look Badgers offense, quarterbacked by true freshman Carter Smith scored multiple touchdowns for the first time in eight games and had 200 rushing yards for the first time since Week 6 of the 2024 campaign.

Wisconsin never trailed in the contest, but it was a one-score game in the fourth quarter until the Badgers blew it open.

Related: Carter Smith gives Wisconsin Badgers hope at QB, showing progress in loss to Indiana

Now 4-7 with a matchup against Minnesota left on the schedule, the Badgers are seemingly on a drastically different trajectory under Luke Fickell than they were a few weeks ago.

Carter Smith is improving, but there's still plenty to clean up

Smith has looked the part of a true freshman during his two-plus games of action with the Badgers. He's hesitated to hit open receivers on occasion and has shown a tendency to hold onto the football for too long. He even opted to run out of bounds for a loss twice Saturday instead of throwing the ball away.

Still, there are reasons for excitement surrounding the freshman signal caller. He looked more comfortable pushing the ball downfield Saturday, delivering a perfect ball to Lance Mason on a wheel route. But, for the most part, Smith didn't need to attack the defense vertically. In fact, he attempted just seven passes after going a perfect 4-for-4 for 40 yards on Wisconsin's 16-play, 80-yard opening touchdown drive.

One of his incompletions came on a reverse flea flicker where he hit Mason on the numbers 30 yards downfield, but a big hit from Illinois defensive back Miles Scott jarred the ball loose.

Smith has made the right reads in the option game, and he didn't put the ball in harm's way. Clearly, that was enough for Wisconsin to come away with a win over the raked Illini.

Seniors made the most of their day

Wisconsin had 31 players participate in its Senior Day festivities ahead of Saturday's contest. The celebrations lingered into the game, with many seniors having standout individual performances.

Vinny Anthony scored the Badgers first touchdown on a reverse, with Jackson Acker serving as the lead blocker.

Darryl Peterson delivered three sacks and two pass breakups. Mason Reiger also brought down Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer during the game. Ben Barten and Sebastian Cheeks got in on the action, with Barten batting a pass down and Cheeks logging a quarterback hurry.

Nathaniel Vakos, who had been in a competition for the starting job with Gavin Lahm throughout the week, went 2-for-2 on field goals, hitting kicks of 47 and 32 yards.

Peterson's third sack forced the Illini to punt, and a bad snap evaded the hands of punter Keelan Cummings. Senior Charlie Jarvis tackled Cummings immediately after Cummings regained control, setting the Badgers up in the red zone, where a Darrion Dupree four-yard rushing score made it a 14-point game with just over eight minutes to play. The touchdown proved to be the dagger.

Jeff Grimes delivers another offensive masterclass

With a sense of continuity and stability at quarterback with Smith, offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes has opened up the playbook. Pre-snap motion was a constant, and Wisconsin gave plenty of different option looks and play fakes.

Unlike the Indiana game, Grimes didn't empty the chamber too early. Wisconsin continued to have offensive success deep into the second half and kept the Fighting Illini defense on their toes.

Darrion Dupree steps up to fill backfield void

The Badgers are running out of bodies at the running back position. Dilin Jones and Gideon Ituka were inactive due to injury, leaving Darrion Dupree -- who's been playing through injury over the past two weeks -- and Cade Yacamelli -- who was available for the firt time since Week 9 -- as the only scholarship running backs. Jackson Acker, who was a running back before being converted into a tight end/fullback ahead of 2025, also saw running back work.

Related: Badgers' 84-yard rushing TD vs Illinois has Wisconsin football back where it should be

Wisconsin needed Dupree to not only be healthy enough to see a full workload but also be successful enough to anchor the offensive attack.

He was both.

Dupree, highlighted by an 84-yard breakaway score, had his first-career multi-touchdown game after punching in a four-yard TD in the fourth quarter. Dupree had just one career touchdown before Saturday's outburst. He rushed 17 times for 131 yards and two scores.

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Cam Wilhorn
CAM WILHORN

Cam Wilhorn is a University of Wisconsin School of Journalism Graduate and Wisconsin native. He's been covering Wisconsin sports since 2023 for outlets like BadgerBlitz.com, Badger of Honor and The Badger Herald.

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