Oct. 2, 2004

Box Score

Illinois-Wisconsin Box Score in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

By ARNIE STAPLETON
AP Sports Writer

MADISON, Wis. - Tailback Anthony Davis' return from an eye injury sparked No. 20 Wisconsin's stagnant offense and the Badgers' defense was as stout as ever in a 24-7 victory over Illinois on Saturday.

Davis rushed 27 times for 213 yards and three touchdowns in his first action in a month and the Badgers (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) held their fifth straight opponent to a touchdown or less, a feat they last achieved in 1951.

Davis' biggest run was his last: a 31-yard rumble into the end zone on fourth-and-3 with three minutes left after the Illini (2-3, 0-2) had pulled within 10 points.

Davis burst through the line and slipped strong safety Morris Virgil at the 20, then trotted into the end zone, where he was flagged for excessive celebrating.

Who could blame him?

Davis, who sat out the last 3 games with an orbital fracture in his right eye, also scored on runs of 16 and 7 yards and set up Mike Allen's 48-yard field goal with a 27-yard run.

He was rusty at first, gaining just 7 yards on his first five carries but he accounted for 50 yards on the Badgers' first scoring drive, which covered 73 yards. Davis had a 17-yard catch on the series, which ended with his 16-yard run that made it 7-0.

Allen's field goal made it 10-0 at halftime, when Davis had 88 yards on 13 carries and all three of his catches, covering 37 yards.

With backups Booker Stanley and Jamil Walker sitting out with injuries, Davis' workload didn't decrease in the second half until he watched the Badgers' final offensive series from the sideline.

The Illini punted on all five of their first-half possessions. Steve Weatherford missed a 47-yard field goal on the opening drive of the third quarter and the Badgers drove 70 yards for another touchdown by Davis that made it 17-0.

The Illini finally caught a break when cornerback James Cooper sacked John Stocco and forced a fumble that linebacker Joe Mele smothered at the Wisconsin 34.

Six plays later, third-string quarterback Chris Pazan zipped a 3-yard touchdown pass to tight end Melvin Bryant to pull Illinois to 17-7 with 7 and a half minutes remaining.

The Badgers replied with a 70-yard drive capped by Davis' 31-yard run.

Davis, Wisconsin's No. 2 career rusher with 3,994 yards, ran for 78 yards on 13 carries before getting hurt in the season opener against Central Florida on Sept. 4. He was finally cleared Monday to return to action. During his absence, the Badgers averaged 19 points, last in the Big Ten.

But the Badgers aren't all Davis - they lead the nation in scoring defense at 5.2 points per game and they limited the Illini, who averaged 438 yards of total offense in their first four games, to just 206 yards. The Illini scored on just one of their 11 drives, eight of which ended in punts.