Postgame Notes
Wisconsin 24, Illinois 10
TEAM NOTES
·Today’s captains: junior S D’Cota Dixon, senior TE Troy Fumagalli, senior S Natrell Jamerson and senior DE Alec James.
·The Badgers have won 8 straight games vs. Illinois, dating back to 2008, extending the longest win streak by either team in the history of the series.
·Wisconsin won its 11th-consecutive Big Ten game, extending the longest conference win streak in school history. The Badgers previously won 9 straight league games across the 2006 and 2007 seasons and the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
·The Badgers are 31-7 (.816) in conference play over the last 5 seasons (2013-17). Only Ohio State (35-2, .946 entering Saturday) has a better league record over that span.
·UW improved to 11-1 (.917) in true road games under head coach Paul Chryst. Including neutral site games, the Badgers own a 14-3 (.824) record away from home under Chryst.
·Wisconsin is off to a 8-0 start for the third time in the modern era (1946-present), and the first time since opening the 2004 season with 9 straight wins. The Badgers also started 9-0 in 1998.
·The Badgers have won 9 straight games, dating back to their victory in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2, matching the third-longest win streak in school history:
LONGEST UW WIN STREAKS, MODERN ERA
Att. Player Season
14 Sept. 30, 2006 to Sept. 29, 2007
11 Oct. 2, 1999 to Sept. 16, 2000
9 Sept. 5, 1998 to Nov. 7, 1998
9 Sept. 4, 2004 to Nov. 6, 2004
9 Jan. 2, 2017 to Present
8 Oct. 20, 1951 to Oct. 4, 1952
·UW improved to 29-6 (.829) overall under third-year head coach Paul Chryst.
·UW has won 26 of its last 30 games (.867), dating back to Chryst’s first season in 2015.
·Wisconsin owns a record of 39-9 (.813) since the start of the 2014 season, trailing only Alabama (48-4, .923), Ohio State (42-5, .894) and Clemson (43-6, .878) in terms of wins and winning percentage among FBS programs in that span.
·Following an interception in the second quarter, the Badgers’ defense responded by holdling Illinois to a 3-and-out on its ensuing possession (forcing a fumble on the Illini’s third play). UW’s defense has taken over in “sudden change” situations 14 times this season (following 7 interceptions, 6 fumbles and a blocked punt) and has allowed opponents to convert just 5 of those 14 opportunities into scores — 2 TDs and 3 FGs.
·The Badgers’ offense followed the Illini fumble fourth-quarter interception with touchdown drives, giving UW 76 points off its 16 forced turnovers this season.
·Wisconsin’s defense held Illinois to a field goal on a second-quarter possession that saw the Illini drive to the UW 10-yard line. The Badgers have allowed touchdowns on just 7 of 24 opponent possessions that have entered the red zone (29.2%), the nation’s best opponent red-zone touchdown percentage.
·UW finished with a season-high 10 passes defended (8 pass breakups and 2 interceptions). The Badgers’ previous season-high was 9 vs. Purdue.
·The Badgers got on the board with a first-quarter scoring drive that matched its longest of the season in terms of plays (15) and ranked as its second-longest in terms of yards (92) and time (8:05).
·Wisconsin’s defense came up with 5.0 sacks on the afternoon, equaling the second-highest mark of the season (also had 5.0 against FAU and 9.0 against Northwestern). The Badgers are averaging 3.4 sacks per game, which is a full sack more than last year’s average of 2.4 per game.
·UW created 3 turnovers on the day (2 INTs, 1 fumble) and have now forced 16 on the season, an average of 2.0 per game. The Badgers have created multiple turnovers in 7 of their 8 games this season and 11 of the last 13 games, dating back to last season.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
·The Badgers have won each of QB Alex Hornibrook’s last 14 starts — the nation’s longest active win streak by a quarterback — dating back to Oct. 22, 2016.
·Hornibrook owns a 15-2 (.882) record as the Badgers’ starter, including a 12-2 (.857) mark in Big Ten play. His 15 wins rank in a tie for seventh-most in school history.
·Freshman RB Jonathan Taylor finished with 73 yards on 12 carries in just 1.5 quarters before leaving with a left leg injury in the second quarter.
·Redshirt freshman RB Garrett Groshek tallied career highs with 12 carries for 51 yards and scored his second touchdown of the season on a 2-yard run in the second quarter.
·Junior FB Alec Ingold scored his first touchdown of the season, and the 9th rushing score of his career, on a 1-yard run in the first quarter.
·Junior OL Michael Deiter scored his first career touchdown, a 4-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter that came on a lateral from Hornibrook.
·Senior DE Alex James posted 2.0 sacks, the first multi-sack game of his career. He now has a career-high 4.0 sacks on the season.
·Junior OLB Andrew Van Ginkel registered his 4th sack of the season, the second-highest total on the team. He also recorded a career-high 2 TFLs.
·Sophomore OLB Tyler Johnson tallied his first-career sack and forced fumble.
·Junior ILB Chris Orr matched his season high with 8 tackles, while notching his third sack of the season and first-career forced fumble. He also registered a career-high 2 tackles for loss.
·Senior S Joe Ferguson picked off Illinois QB Cam Thomas in the fourth quarter for his second-career interception.
·Senior CB Derrick Tindal recorded his first interception of the season, and the fourth of his career, in the first quarter. Tindal became the eighth Badger to record an interception this season.
·Junior CB Nick Nelson recorded 4 pass breakups, giving him 14 on the season to match Jamar Fletcher (2000) and Jim Leonhard (2002) for the fourth-most PBUs in a season in school history.
·Junior K Rafael Gaglianone converted a career-long 52-yard field goal on the final play of the first half. The kick was the third 50-yarder of Gaglianone’s career (51 vs. LSU on Aug. 30, 2014; 50 vs. Iowa on Nov. 22, 2014), matching Taylor Mehlhaff and Philip Welch for the most 50-yarders in school history.
·Gaglianone’s 52-yarder matched the fifth-longest field goal in UW history.
·Gaglinaone has converted 17 of his last 20 attempts, dating back to the 2015 Holiday Bowl.
Wisconsin 24, Illinois 10
TEAM NOTES
·Today’s captains: junior S D’Cota Dixon, senior TE Troy Fumagalli, senior S Natrell Jamerson and senior DE Alec James.
·The Badgers have won 8 straight games vs. Illinois, dating back to 2008, extending the longest win streak by either team in the history of the series.
·Wisconsin won its 11th-consecutive Big Ten game, extending the longest conference win streak in school history. The Badgers previously won 9 straight league games across the 2006 and 2007 seasons and the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
·The Badgers are 31-7 (.816) in conference play over the last 5 seasons (2013-17). Only Ohio State (35-2, .946 entering Saturday) has a better league record over that span.
·UW improved to 11-1 (.917) in true road games under head coach Paul Chryst. Including neutral site games, the Badgers own a 14-3 (.824) record away from home under Chryst.
·Wisconsin is off to a 8-0 start for the third time in the modern era (1946-present), and the first time since opening the 2004 season with 9 straight wins. The Badgers also started 9-0 in 1998.
·The Badgers have won 9 straight games, dating back to their victory in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 2, matching the third-longest win streak in school history:
LONGEST UW WIN STREAKS, MODERN ERA
Att. Player Season
14 Sept. 30, 2006 to Sept. 29, 2007
11 Oct. 2, 1999 to Sept. 16, 2000
9 Sept. 5, 1998 to Nov. 7, 1998
9 Sept. 4, 2004 to Nov. 6, 2004
9 Jan. 2, 2017 to Present
8 Oct. 20, 1951 to Oct. 4, 1952
·UW improved to 29-6 (.829) overall under third-year head coach Paul Chryst.
·UW has won 26 of its last 30 games (.867), dating back to Chryst’s first season in 2015.
·Wisconsin owns a record of 39-9 (.813) since the start of the 2014 season, trailing only Alabama (48-4, .923), Ohio State (42-5, .894) and Clemson (43-6, .878) in terms of wins and winning percentage among FBS programs in that span.
·Following an interception in the second quarter, the Badgers’ defense responded by holdling Illinois to a 3-and-out on its ensuing possession (forcing a fumble on the Illini’s third play). UW’s defense has taken over in “sudden change” situations 14 times this season (following 7 interceptions, 6 fumbles and a blocked punt) and has allowed opponents to convert just 5 of those 14 opportunities into scores — 2 TDs and 3 FGs.
·The Badgers’ offense followed the Illini fumble fourth-quarter interception with touchdown drives, giving UW 76 points off its 16 forced turnovers this season.
·Wisconsin’s defense held Illinois to a field goal on a second-quarter possession that saw the Illini drive to the UW 10-yard line. The Badgers have allowed touchdowns on just 7 of 24 opponent possessions that have entered the red zone (29.2%), the nation’s best opponent red-zone touchdown percentage.
·UW finished with a season-high 10 passes defended (8 pass breakups and 2 interceptions). The Badgers’ previous season-high was 9 vs. Purdue.
·The Badgers got on the board with a first-quarter scoring drive that matched its longest of the season in terms of plays (15) and ranked as its second-longest in terms of yards (92) and time (8:05).
·Wisconsin’s defense came up with 5.0 sacks on the afternoon, equaling the second-highest mark of the season (also had 5.0 against FAU and 9.0 against Northwestern). The Badgers are averaging 3.4 sacks per game, which is a full sack more than last year’s average of 2.4 per game.
·UW created 3 turnovers on the day (2 INTs, 1 fumble) and have now forced 16 on the season, an average of 2.0 per game. The Badgers have created multiple turnovers in 7 of their 8 games this season and 11 of the last 13 games, dating back to last season.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
·The Badgers have won each of QB Alex Hornibrook’s last 14 starts — the nation’s longest active win streak by a quarterback — dating back to Oct. 22, 2016.
·Hornibrook owns a 15-2 (.882) record as the Badgers’ starter, including a 12-2 (.857) mark in Big Ten play. His 15 wins rank in a tie for seventh-most in school history.
·Freshman RB Jonathan Taylor finished with 73 yards on 12 carries in just 1.5 quarters before leaving with a left leg injury in the second quarter.
·Redshirt freshman RB Garrett Groshek tallied career highs with 12 carries for 51 yards and scored his second touchdown of the season on a 2-yard run in the second quarter.
·Junior FB Alec Ingold scored his first touchdown of the season, and the 9th rushing score of his career, on a 1-yard run in the first quarter.
·Junior OL Michael Deiter scored his first career touchdown, a 4-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter that came on a lateral from Hornibrook.
·Senior DE Alex James posted 2.0 sacks, the first multi-sack game of his career. He now has a career-high 4.0 sacks on the season.
·Junior OLB Andrew Van Ginkel registered his 4th sack of the season, the second-highest total on the team. He also recorded a career-high 2 TFLs.
·Sophomore OLB Tyler Johnson tallied his first-career sack and forced fumble.
·Junior ILB Chris Orr matched his season high with 8 tackles, while notching his third sack of the season and first-career forced fumble. He also registered a career-high 2 tackles for loss.
·Senior S Joe Ferguson picked off Illinois QB Cam Thomas in the fourth quarter for his second-career interception.
·Senior CB Derrick Tindal recorded his first interception of the season, and the fourth of his career, in the first quarter. Tindal became the eighth Badger to record an interception this season.
·Junior CB Nick Nelson recorded 4 pass breakups, giving him 14 on the season to match Jamar Fletcher (2000) and Jim Leonhard (2002) for the fourth-most PBUs in a season in school history.
·Junior K Rafael Gaglianone converted a career-long 52-yard field goal on the final play of the first half. The kick was the third 50-yarder of Gaglianone’s career (51 vs. LSU on Aug. 30, 2014; 50 vs. Iowa on Nov. 22, 2014), matching Taylor Mehlhaff and Philip Welch for the most 50-yarders in school history.
·Gaglianone’s 52-yarder matched the fifth-longest field goal in UW history.
·Gaglinaone has converted 17 of his last 20 attempts, dating back to the 2015 Holiday Bowl.
