CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois football suffered a 24-0 setback vs. Wisconsin on Homecoming, Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium. The Fighting Illini move to 2-5 on the season and 1-3 in the Big Ten.
While Illinois held Wisconsin QB Graham Mertz to 100 passing yards on just 10 completions, the Badgers' rushing attack totaled 391 yards.
Kerby Joseph had another impressive outing on Saturday, grabbing his third interception of the season. This marks the fifth-straight game Joseph has recorded a takeaway for the Illini defense. In the third quarter, Joseph also recovered a fumble after Tarique Barnes forced his first of the season.
Press Conference
Quotes
Head coach Bret Bielema
Opening Statement…
"First off I want to thank the homecoming crowd. To be a 2-4 team coming into today and to have a stadium and environment like that, through seven games it was the best environment we had. I know the student section was sold out and I appreciate the faith that they have. They have a very common bond with our players in the fact that they are living through it right now as future alumni and want their experience to be positive, so I really respect and appreciate what they have done.
Give credit to Wisconsin for executing their game plan today. I think overall to go into halftime with a game that was still attainable and to play the way we did in certain phases in the first half. I thought we could come back and deliver in the second half, we just couldn't get anything going offensively.
It seemed defensively we did some good things, the play Kerby Joseph made on the ball with the pick, and he just continues to impress me. That play was the definition of free safety play, and then he comes up with another fumble recovery. I think there was enough positives on defense that we felt good that we could go for it, but we just couldn't get anything going. I knew it would be tough sledding in the run game, but we just aren't at a point at executing the pass game that gives you a chance in this type of game.
We will continue to work on it, we can't just say we can't do it, we have to double down. We have to be cautious on protecting our quarterback. Brandon Peters got hit, I don't know his status yet, and Art Sitkowski got hit a few times too. It all starts with our protection before we can get to the point of schematics.
From an injury standpoint, I don't know where Jake Hansen's status is but today, I was excited to have him and Devon Witherspoon back with us and I thought it gave our guys some juice on defense. Offensively we just have to continue to find answers.
This week going into the bye week we have to concentrate on our fundamentals, games are won in fundamental play. As coaches we will be on the road quite a bit this week, starting tomorrow we will maximize the NCAA rules to try and help us recruit and develop our roster as best as we can.
As I told our guys, we have a bye week, a three-week season, a bye week, and a two-week season with five guaranteed games left to play. Try to get as much as we can out of those five games, and where that leaves us, nobody knows, but as long as we take this week to really take an internal check to find out what we do well and what we don't do well as coaches, we can continue to take a step forward.
Unfortunately, this is another step in the process, it's very painful to go through, but the worst thing we can do is to leave this behind us like nothing happened. We have to own it and know what it means to walk off the field feeling the way we just did, without scoring a point and walking off with a game against a Big Ten West opponent that we didn't do what we needed to do."
OLB Owen Carney Jr.
On the loss…
"Just that feeling that I had, that the rest of the team had, the looks on our faces, that's a taste that we don't ever want to taste again. So, we're going to take this one pretty hard, but we're going to move on. We got a bye-week, we're going to rest up and get ready for the next week."
On getting better in the bye week…
"You just pour into what your coaches tell you. You get extra film time and most importantly you get that recovery, be as fresh as possible.
On Wisconsin's run-game…
"It definitely grinds on you and it eats up clock as well. But that's what comes with it, that's what Big Ten football is. That's what we signed up for."
On defensive improvements…
"Just believing in each other. Lot of trustworthy stuff with the guys up front and then the back end. We're all one team. We're all glued together and we all have one common goal."
QB Artur Sitkowski
On where the passing game can improve…
"I have to do a better job at hitting those guys. I have to put the ball on their chin, and it's my job to put the ball in their radius and I have to do a better job at that."
On being ready for the moment…
"That's the job as a backup quarterback in that moment, to be ready when your number is called. I love these guys so much, they bring so much joy, and ever since I gotten here I've said that this is a great group of guys, so I'm really excited."
WR Isaiah Williams
On the key to being more successful going forward…
"Personally, I have to do a better job at getting open and making the quarterback's job easier. When my name is called, I have to do a better job at making plays, and that's what it comes down to, playmakers making plays and everybody doing their jobs. But it has to start with me, I have to do better at doing the little things right, and from there the team, we all have to do our job."
On quarterback Art Sitkowski…
"He takes command. If he doesn't like something he will make sure you hear it. But at the same time, he can say he made a mistake too, but he gets the guys going and he's just a great leader."
DB Tony Adams
On Kerby Joseph…
"I've been seeing it since Kerby got on campus. He just now has the opportunity to get out on the field on show it. He's been a great player. He's been flying around, smacking people. He's been doing all that. To the world, it might be something new but to me I've been watching him, I've been back there playing with him. This is nothing new."?
On making adjustments…
"When we were called to be out there, we just didn't execute as well as we should have. The coaches came up with a great scheme, we just didn't do our jobs."
On looking ahead…
"We got seven games behind us. I got five games left in my senior year and a lot of guys do. We have to win, we have to find a way to win. So, I'm going to look myself in the mirror and see what I'm doing wrong and try to come out here against Penn State a better player than I did today."
Team Notes
- The Fighting Illini move to 2-5 (1-3 B1G) following Saturday's loss.
- The series between the Illini and Badgers now stands at 38-44-7 overall, and 22-19-3 in Champaign.
- With a temperature of 84 degrees at kickoff, today's game was the warmest Homecoming game since 84 degrees against Purdue in 1994.
- Illinois captains: DB Tony Adams, OLB Owen Carney Jr., LB Jake Hansen, P Blake Hayes, OL Doug Kramer, OL Vederian Lowe.
Individual Notes
- Senior OL duo of Vederian Lowe and Alex Palczewski each made their 47th career starts. They are now tied for tied for fourth on the Illini career starts list among all positions, and tied for third among offensive linemen. They are one start from tying the Illinois record of 48. Â Â
- Lowe's start also marked his 41st consecutive. He entered the week ranked tied for 10th nationally.
- Junior DB Kerby Joseph recorded two takeaways in Saturday's game, with his third interception of the season in the second quarter, and his third fumble recovery of the year in the third quarter.
- Joseph's three interceptions are the most in a single season by an Illini player since 2019 when Sydney Brown and Dele Harding each recorded three picks. Â
- Joseph has now tallied six takeaways for the Illini defense in the last five games with interceptions at Virginia (9/11/21), at Purdue (9/25/21), and fumble recoveries vs. Maryland (9/17/21), and vs. Charlotte (10/2/21), before recording one of each today. Â Â
- RB Chase Brown broke a 23-yard run in the second quarter for the Illini. It marked the second-longest run play of the season against the Badgers' defense. He finished as the Illini' leading rusher with 35 yards on eight carries.Â
- Sophomore LB Tarique Barnes recorded a career-most 12 tackles on Saturday, eclipsing his previous best of 11 set last season at Wisconsin (10/23/20) and tied earlier this year vs. UTSA (9/4/21).
