End of the Game - That does it for your host, Matthew Dixon. Thank you for joining us here at VAVEL USA as the Badgers won 38-28 over the Illini. Thanks again and take care.
End of the Game - Aaron Bailey looked like the best athlete for the Illini in mop up duty during the fourth quarter. He was 2 of 5 for 39 yards and an interception, but had 75 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.
End of the Game - Illinois' Riley O'Toole went 12 of 19 for 96 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also had 29 yards rushing on 11 carries, though he was sacked 4 times to hurt that number.
End of the Game - The Badgers were a poor 10 of 18 for 97 yards passing. The Badgers NEED to fix the passing game going forward if they are to truly contend in the Big Ten West division.
End of the Game - That is it for this game. The clock hits zero and the Badgers won 38-28 over Illinois.
End of the Game - Melvin Gordon ran for 175 yards and 4 touchdowns on 27 carries. Corey Clement had 12 carries for 160 yards and 1 touchdown.
End of the Game - As the Badgers run out the clock, let's take a look at some stats.
Fourth Quarter (1:51 left) - Clement picks up three which is good enough for the Badgers to run the clock out with kneels.
Fourth Quarter (1:56 left) - Clement picks up 7 yards and Illinois burns their last timeout.
Fourth Quarter (2:03 left) - Okay. What an odd ruling there. He was awarded the "momentum" spot at the two yard line. Peculiar call there.
Fourth Quarter (2:03 left) - The refs have ruled that the ball is down at the two yard line, but it is under review. Hard to imagine this will not be a touchback.
Fourth Quarter (2:07 left) - INTERCEPTION!!! Bailey overthrows his receiver on the deep ball and Jean is there for the pick in the end zone. That is the first turnover of this game.
Fourth Quarter (2:15 left) - Bailey goes for Dudek, who fell down and the ball falls incomplete.
Fourth Quarter (2:22 left) - Bailey goes deep for Allison but Shelton is called for PI again. First down for Illinois now.
Fourth Quarter (2:38 left) - Bailey escapes a sack and picks up 8 yards. 3rd and 9 now. The Illini call their second timeout.
Fourth Quarter (2:46 left) - Bailey goes down for the sixth sack by Wisconsin. It is a loss of 7 yards. Illinois calls their first timeout as well.
Fourth Quarter (2:53 left) - Illinois gets the onside kick!! John Davis recovers at the Illinois 47 yard line.
Fourth Quarter (2:53 left) - TOUCHDOWN ILLINOIS!! Young goes up the middle and pounds it in for the touchdown. The XP is up and good to make it 38-28.
Fourth Quarter (3:12 left) - Young picks up 4 yards to the two.
Fourth Quarter (3:29 left) - Bailey hits Dudek on the crossing route and he gets to the 6 yard line. First and goal.
Fourth Quarter (3:59 left) - Bailey picks up 2 yards.
Fourth Quarter (4:05 left) - FUMBLE!!! The Illini fumble on the pitch, but Turner is there for the recovery.
Fourth Quarter (4:12 left) - Bailey goes up top and the Badgers will be called for a pass interference.
Fourth Quarter (4:34 left) - Church picks up 7 yards and a first down.
Fourth Quarter (5:08 left) - Bailey picks up two yards on first down.
Fourth Quarter (5:29 left) - Bailey hits LaCosse for a pick up of 13 yards.
Fourth Quarter (5:49 left) - Bailey picks up 11 yards on first down.
Fourth Quarter (5:55 left) - The Badgers punt and the Illini will start at their own 22.
Fourth Quarter (6:01 left) - Stave throws way behind his receiver. Good thing the Badgers lead by 17 because those last two throws were horrendous.
Fourth Quarter (6:42 left) - Clement picks up 5 yards on second down.
Fourth Quarter (6:47 left) - Stave had a WIDE OPEN receiver in Erickson down the middle. Awful throw by Stave.
Fourth Quarter (7:14 left) - The Badgers go to the air on third down and Stave finds Arneson for a 10 yard pick up and a first down.
Fourth Quarter (7:55 left) - Clement picks up one yard on the second down run.
Fourth Quarter (8:35 left) - 4 yards for Clement on first down.
Fourth Quarter (8:43 left) - Touchback for the Badgers.
Fourth Quarter (8:43 left) - The extra point is up and good to make it 38-21.
Fourth Quarter (8:43 left) - TOUCHDOWN ILLINOIS!!! Bailey runs the option and keeps it for the 29 yard touchdown run. He has been wonderful running the ball in this quarter.
Fourth Quarter (8:51 left) - Bentley has a stellar punt return of 30 yards. He was shifty and broke a tackle to get to the Badgers 29 yard line.
Fourth Quarter (9:45 left) - Gordon loses a yard on third down and the Badgers will punt.
Fourth Quarter (10:23 left) - Gordon picks up two more yards on second down.
Fourth Quarter (10:59 left) - Gordon picks up 5 yards on first down.
Fourth Quarter (11:09 left) - Doe fair catches at his 7 yard line for the Badgers.
Fourth Quarter (11:44 left) - Bailey cannot get away from Biegel on the sack for a two yard loss.
Fourth Quarter (12:13 left) - Bailey keeps on the read and picks up 26 yards on the run. However, the Illini are called for a hold and will be back at the Badgers' 44 yard line. 3rd and 16 now for the Illini.
Fourth Quarter (12:47 left) - Bailey is stopped this time for a 3 yard loss.
Fourth Quarter (13:35 left) - 7 yards on the run by Bailey again.
Fourth Quarter (13:47 left) - Bailey picks up 4 yards and another first down.
Fourth Quarter (14:10 left) - Bailey picks up 8 more yards on first down.
Fourth Quarter (14:37 left) - Aaron Bailey makes an appearance at QB and picks up 16 yards on the carri.
Fourth Quarter (14:43 left) - Bentley has yet another solid return. He gets out to the 35 yard line.
Fourth Quarter (14:50 left) - The extra point is up and good. Badgers lead 38-14 just 10 seconds into the fourth quarter.
Fourth Quarter (14:50 left) - TOUCHDOWN BADGERS!!! Clement takes the handoff 72 yards to the house on the first play of the fourth quarter.
End of the Third Quarter - Here are the stats from the first 45 minutes of play:
End of the Third Quarter - The third quarter ends with Kenzel Doe getting out to his 29 yard line after a 15 yard return.
Third Quarter (0:03 left) - O'Toole and his receiver are not in the same page and the ball is thrown away. Illini to punt.
Third Quarter (0:43 left) - Ferguson is stopped two yards behind the line to set up a 3rd and 3.
Third Quarter (0:52 left) - O'Toole picks up 9 yards on the scramble.
Third Quarter (1:01 left) - Bentley takes the return out to the 37 yard line and that may kickstart this Illini offense.
Third Quarter (1:08 left) - TOUCHDOWN WISCONSIN!!! Gordon dives in for his fourth of the day and the Badgers lead 31-14.
Third Quarter (1:47 left) - Gordon picks up three more to get to the one yard line. 3rd and goal for the Badgers.
Third Quarter (2:30 left) - Gordon picks up 6 yards on first and goal.
Third Quarter (3:01 left) - Stave hits his receiver on the slant for a pick up of 11 yards and a first down.
Third Quarter (3:33 left) - Again, Gordon comes in and plows ahead for the first down. He picks up 8 yards.
Third Quarter (4:14 left) - Clement picks up 6 yards after a nice cut. 4th and 2 for the Badgers.
Third Quarter (4:55 left) - Clement picks up two yards after shuffling his feet at the line.
Third Quarter (5:04 left) - Stave goes deep on the next play, but overshoots his man. 2nd and 10 for the Badgers.
Third Quarter (5:30 left) - HUGE GAIN BY CLEMENT!! He picks up 51 yards on first down thanks to the O-Line paving the way.
Third Quarter (5:39 left) - Doe fair catches at his own 10 yard line.
Third Quarter (6:21 left) - Ferguson gets the screen pass and nearly picked up the first down but Caputo makes the tackle three yards in front of the sticks. Illini to punt.
Third Quarter (7:13 left) - O'Toole is sacked again!! That is number 4 by the Badgers and the Illini are backed up at their own 24. 3rd and 17 for the Illini.
Third Quarter (7:39 left) - Allison picks up 3 yards on the pass from O'Toole.
Third Quarter (8:09 left) - What a play by O'Toole!! He escapes sacks from multiple defenders and steps up to run for 15 yards and the first down.
Third Quarter (8:52 left) - Allison makes the catch for 3 yards but is immediately stopped by Hillary.
Third Quarter (9:29 left) - Ferguson is stopped for a 2 yard loss on first down and the Badgers are clamping down on the run thus far.
Third Quarter (10:00 left) - O'Toole hits bar for a 3 yard pick up and a first down.
Third Quarter (10:43 left) - Ferguson had a hole, but is tripped up for only a 3 yard gain.
Third Quarter (11:12 left) - Ferguson cuts it back and picks up 5 yards on first down.
Third Quarter (11:18 left) - Meyer punts the ball and it is let go by Bentley. The Illini will be starting at their own 4 yard line.
Third Quarter (11:28 left) - Stave's pass is too far out in front of his man and the Badgers will give the ball back to the Illini.
Third Quarter (12:03 left) - Gordon is stopped for no gain on the run.
Third Quarter (12:40 left) - Gordon picks up 5 yards on the first down carry.
Third Quarter (12:53 left) - Doe gets out to the 49 yard line and Badgers will look to strike again.
Third Quarter (13:33 left) - O'Toole goes down again. Jacobs is there for the sack and a 13 yard loss by the Illini. They will punt it away.
Third Quarter (14:16 left) - O'Toole keeps but only picks up two yards.
Third Quarter (14:54 left) - O'Toole is sacked for a 5 yard loss on the drop back.
Third Quarter (15:00) - The Illini will start at their own 25 after the ball goes out of the end zone.
Halftime - Here are the stats at the break:
Halftime - Melvin Gordon is the fastest Badger in history to run for 1,000 yards. He has done so in 5 1/2 games. His total for this game is 146 yards and 3 touchdowns on 18 carries.
Halftime - Mosely cannot handle the ball on the kickoff and goes out of bounds as the first half comes to a close.
Second Quarter (0:03 left) - IT IS GOOD!!! Gaglianone's 44 yard kick is down the middle and the Badgers lead 24-14.
Second Quarter (0:08 left) - Stave hits Jordan Fredrick for 3 yards and the Badgers will try to make it a 10 point lead.
Second Quarter (0:54 left) - Stave's pass is right in the hands of Traylor, but he drops it. He should have caught that pass as Stave put it right in his bread basket.
Second Quarter (1:00 left) - Gordon gets the next carry and only picks up 3 yards.
Second Quarter (1:07 left) - Gordon stays on his feet and picks up 46 more yards on first down.
Second Quarter (1:16 left) - The punt goes out of bounds and the Badgers will start at their 22 yard line.
Second Quarter (1:22 left) - Shelton is there to break up the pass from O'Toole to Allison.
Second Quarter (1:27 left) - O'Toole has to throw the ball away under heavy pressure.
Second Quarter (1:32 left) - O'Toole throws incomplete.
Second Quarter (1:46 left) - Dudek goes up the seam and picks up 20 yards.
Second Quarter (1:53 left) - O'Toole looks for Dudek, but the Badgers are called for pass interference. 1st and 10 for the Illini at the 32 yard line.
Second Quarter (2:02 left) - O'Toole hits Dudek for a 4 yard gain on first down.
Second Quarter (2:07 left) - Bently has another solid return to the 29 yard line, but the Illini are called for a block in the back that moves them back to their own 15.
Second Quarter (2:14 left) - Gordon has 97 yards and 3 touchdowns on 16 carries in the first half.
Second Quarter (2:14 left) - TOUCHDOWN WISCONSIN!!!! Gordon had a massive hole to run through and he takes it to the house for a 30 yard touchdown, his third of the day. 21-14 after a 28 second drive by the Badgers.
Second Quarter (2:34 left) - Doe gets the ball on the sweep and picks up MAJOR yardage. He ran for 34 yards on the play.
Second Quarter (2:42 left) - STOPPED!! Ferguson is stuffed on the read-option by O'Toole for no gain and the Badgers get the ball back at their own 36.
Second Quarter (2:47 left) - Illinois calls their second timeout to discuss how to approach this 4th and 2.
Second Quarter (3:06 left) - O'Toole checks down to Ferguson, but he picks up only 8 yards. Illini offense staying on the field on fourth down.
Second Quarter (3:30 left) - O'Toole pitches to Ferguson but it goes for no gain.
Second Quarter (3:35 left) - O'Toole goes for Allison but it falls incomplete. 2nd and 10 now for the Illini.
Second Quarter (3:42 left) - Illinois takes a timeout, their first of the half.
Second Quarter (4:11 left) - O'Toole fakes the pitch and picks up 7 yards for the first down.
Second Quarter (4:30 left) - Dudek gets 5 yards on the pass from O'Toole.
Second Quarter (5:10 left) - Young loses a yard on the first down pitch.
Second Quarter (5:16 left) - O'Toole's pass is far too short to the receiver, but the Badgers are called for a roughing the passer penalty.
Second Quarter (5:22 left) - NO GOOD!! Rafael Gaglianone's kick is wide left on the 47 yard attempt.
Second Quarter (6:00 left) - Gordon gets the ball on the screen but picks up nothing as McEvoy was under heavy pressure on the blitz.
Second Quarter (6:44 left) - Gordon picks up only one yard on the handoff. 3rd and 9 for the Badgers now.
Second Quarter (6:51 left) - McEvoy goes up top to Erickson and it should have been picked by the defender.
Second Quarter (7:17 left) - Clement picks up 3 yards to the 30 yard line and yet another first down.
Second Quarter (7:55 left) - Clement gets the handoff and picks up 9 yards on the downhill run.
Second Quarter (8:25 left) - Gordon picks up 3 yards and moves the sticks again for Wisconsin.
Second Quarter (8:58 left) - Erickson picks up 8 yards on the pass from McEvoy.
Second Quarter (9:27 left) - The Badgers fake the run and McEvoy hits Doe for a 16 yard gain and another first down.
Second Quarter (10:06 left) - McEvoy throws to Erickson on the screen but it goes for a 3 yard loss.
Second Quarter (10:37 left) - McEvoy comes in and runs the read-option. He picks up 12 yards on first down.
Second Quarter (10:43 left) - The Badgers will take over at their own 21 after the punt.
Second Quarter (11:25 left) - O'Toole goes down on the blitz by the Badgers and loses 10 yards. Illini to punt.
Second Quarter (12:09 left) - Ferugson tries to go outside, but loses 5 yards on the carry. 3rd and 6 now.
Second Quarter (12:45 left) - O'Toole goes to Ferguson on the flare and he picks up 9 yards.
Second Quarter (12:50 left) - Bentley has a good return out to the 30 yard line.
Second Quarter (12:57 left) - The XP is up and good to tie the game at 14.
Second Quarter (12:57 left) - TOUCHDOWN WISCONSIN!!! Gordon picks up his second with a driving run from 6 yards out.
Second Quarter (13:02 left) - Stave goes with the play action and looks for Arneson once again. The flags fly for a pass interference on the Illini which will give them a first down at the 6 yard line.
Second Quarter (13:44 left) - Stave and Arneson again on the pass and catch. The pitch and catch went for 5 yards.
Second Quarter (14:28 left) - Gordon picks up 3 yards on first down.
Second Quarter (14:53 left) - Stave and Arneson connect again for a gain of 22 yards.
End of the First Quarter - That is it for the first quarter. Here are the stats from the first 15 minutes:
First Quarter (0:28 left) - To no one surprise's Gordon got the carry and picked up 4 yards for the first down.
First Quarter (1:03 left) - Stave goes to the air again and hits Arneson for a 7 yard gain. 3rd and one for the Badgers. Gordon time.
First Quarter (1:45 left) - Gordon picks up two yards on first down.
First Quarter (2:15 left) - Erickson goes WAY up for that ball and has his legs taken out from underneath him. It was enough for a first down for Wisconsin.
First Quarter (2:52 left) - Only a yard for Gordon on second down. Third and long for the Badgers.
First Quarter (3:00 left) - Stave goes deep for Erickson on a bomb, but it is just a bit too far for Erickson to make a diving catch.
First Quarter (3:08 left) - The ball goes out of the end zone for a touchback.
First Quarter (3:08 left) - The Badgers defense will need to clamp down to stop this suddenly vibrant attack under O'Toole. Good job by the Illini thus far taking it to the Badgers with the read-option.
First Quarter (3:08 left) - TOUCHDOWN ILLINOIS!!! O'Toole hits Allison for a 5 yard touchdown at the pylon. 14-7 lead for Illinois.
First Quarter (3:31 left) - O'Toole picks up 6 on the keeper. 1st and goal up next.
First Quarter (4:06 left) - O'Toole runs the option and pitches to Church who picks up 3 yards.
First Quarter (4:29 left) - O'Toole keeps the ball on the read-option and picks up 18 yards to the Badgers 15 yard line.
First Quarter (4:53 left) - O'Toole hits Allison for a 9 yard gain.
First Quarter (4:57 left) - 11 yard return by Mosely gives the Illini a start at the Badgers 42.
First Quarter (5:08 left) - Stave's first pass is awful. It is right into the ground towards Clement.
First Quarter (5:48 left) - Clement tries to get the edge again is taken down for a loss. Clement needs to go up field, not sideline to sideline.
First Quarter (6:29 left) - Clement is in and gets nowhere on the first down carry. No gain.
First Quarter (6:37 left) - Doe only gets to his 19 yard line on the kick return.
First Quarter (6:43 left) - The extra point is up and good to tie the game at 7-7.
First Quarter (6:43 left) - TOUCHDOWN ILLINOIS!! Lacosse is there for 8 yard toss from O'Toole on the play action rollout.
First Quarter (7:25 left) - O'Toole picks up two yards as well to the 8 yard line. 3rd and 6 for the Illini.
First Quarter (7:55 left) - Ferguson gets 2 yards on the first down carry this time.
First Quarter (8:13 left) - Ferguson makes a nice cut at the line of scrimmage and picks up 19 yards.
First Quarter (8:21 left) - Bentley takes the punt to the Wisconsin 31 yard line for a return of 10 yards.
First Quarter (9:04 left) - Gordon is stopped for a one yard loss and the Badgers will punt. Awfully conservative play calling there.
First Quarter (9:47 left) - Gordon picks up two more. 3rd and 5 for the Badgers coming up.
First Quarter (10:22 left) - Gordon picks up three on first down.
First Quarter (10:30 left) - What a punt by Justin DuVernois!! The Illini kick it 72 yards, with the help of a friendly bounce and roll, to pin the Badgers at their own 1 yard line.
First Quarter (10:44 left) - O'Toole goes for Dudek but the pass is too far for him to make the grab. Punt upcoming for the Illini.
First Quarter (11:28 left) - Ferguson loses two after Biegel makes the stop.
First Quarter (11:34 left) - O'Toole goes up top, but it is too high for the receiver.
First Quarter (12:00 left) - Ferguson picks up 12 yards on the first down carry.
First Quarter (12:07 left) - Bentley gets out to the 16 yard line where he is stopped.
First Quarter (12:12 left) - Gordon had 42 yards on that drive and the Badgers never even attempted a pass. Could be a LONG day for the Illini.
First Quarter (12:12 left) - TOUCHDOWN BADGERS!!! Gordon goes off left tackle and runs away from the Illini defense. 7-0 Badgers.
First Quarter (12:50 left) - Gordon loses half a yard on first down. The Badgers are at the Illini 15 yard line.
First Quarter (13:22 left) - The Badgers use the sweep and Jamerson picks up 23 yards.
First Quarter (13:53 left) - Gordon is patient behind his line and bursts through for another 8 yards. Badgers at the Illini 37.
First Quarter (14:23 left) - Gordon picks up 6 yards on first down.
First Quarter (14:48 left) - Gordon makes some nice moves and picks up 15 yards. Tack on another 15 yard for a facemask penalty and the Badgers are at midfield already.
First Quarter (14:54 left) - Doe takes the kick out to his 20 yard line.
12:00 PM EST - We are just about set for kickoff.
11:55 AM EST - The weather for this game is going to be Sunny and a chilly 46 degrees. It will get a bit warmer throughout the game, but this is wonderful weather for a football game.
11:50 AM EST - That line seems a bit big given the Badgers struggles this year, but that is why they are Vegas. That is what they do for a living.
11:43 AM EST - For those wondering, Wisconsin is favored by 27 points according to Vegas Insider. The over/under is 59.
11:38 AM EST - The margin of error is very slim for the Badgers and the Illini. However, with this game in Madison, it will be quite tough for the Illini against the defense.
11:33 AM EST - Wisconsin is coming off a 20-14 loss to Northwestern in which they threw 4 interceptions. Two of those were in the red zone and it undoubtedly cost them at least 6 points.
11:28 AM EST - The Badgers average only 150 yards passing a game (116th in the nation) while rushing for 331 yards (4th in the nation).
11:23 AM EST - Tanner McEvoy was the starter coming into the season, but he has been disappointing. McEvoy has gone 55 of 96 for 629 yards with 5 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. Stave is 8 of 19 for 114 yards with 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions. Neither has been convincing in their time behind center, though Stave was injured at the beginning of the season.
11:20 AM EST - Gordon will have to be spectacular yet again because the quarterback position is far from settled. Joel Stave has been named the starter for this game against Illinois.
11:18 AM EST - The Badgers are led by Heisman hopeful Melvin Gordon. Gordon has 105 carries for 871 yards and 9 touchdowns. In the last three games, Gordon has ran for 693 yards and 8 touchdowns.
11:14 AM EST - Now we move over to the Wisconsin offense, which is the exact opposite of the Illinois offense. The Illini can pass the ball, but are not effective in the run game. The Badgers, however, cannot pass the ball, but are excellent at running.
11:09 AM EST - Other receivers to look out for are Martize Barr (15 catches for 223 yards and 2 touchdowns), Justin Hardee (16 catches for 201 yards and a touchdown), and Malik Turner (11 catches for 100 yards).
11:04 AM EST - The top receiver is the freshman from Naperville, Illinois Mike Dudek. He has 33 receptions for 539 yards and 3 touchdowns. Geronimo Allison has 26 catches for 449 yards and 4 touchdowns as the second leading receiver.
11:00 AM EST - Josh Ferguson has ran 76 times for 437 yards and 5 touchdowns. He is also excellent catching the ball out of the backfield as well. He has 25 catches for 233 yards and 2 touchdowns. He will probably be leaned on more heavily with Lunt out of the lineup.
10:55 AM EST - Stepping in for Lunt is Reilly O'Toole. O'Toole is 30 of 57 with 428 yards. He has one touchdown and 4 interceptions. He needs to be far more accurate and protect the ball better as he leads the offense.
10:50 AM EST - Wes Lunt led Illinois to start the season, but he broke his leg last week against Purdue and will be out 4 to 6 weeks. Lunt, a transfer from Oklahoma State, was a huge part of the Illini starting 3-1. However, he missed the Nebraska game and then was hurt last week.
10:45 AM EST - Another worry for the Illini is the defense. Their secondary is especially suspect, but the entire defense needs to play better if they are to reach 6-6 this year and have a chance at winning against Wisconsin.
10:39 AM EST - For Illinois, they have been excellent in the passing game with 332.8 yards per game, which is 12th best in the nation. However, the Illini have been very ineffective running the ball. They average only 96 yards a game, which ranks 117th in the nation. That is a surprising figure given they have a very capable running back in Josh Ferguson.
10:35 AM EST - Illinois is 3-3 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play. Meanwhile, the Badgers are 3-2 and 0-1 in Big Ten play. Both teams have their issues on offense.
10:30 AM EST - Welcome to VAVEL USA's LIVE coverage of today's game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and Wisconsin Badgers! Here with you throughout this game will be Matthew Dixon.