Illinois did start the year with a win over Nebraska. That is a fact, though that win now seems years ago with another dud in Week 6.

The Illini have lost 5 times in the last 6 games, including a home loss at the hands of UT San Antonio. A win over Charlotte last weekend provided some good vibes, but they did not last long in the game against Wisconsin.

Among other things, the first half of action saw miserable quarterback play from both teams. The two sides combined for less than 30 yards through the air, an impressive performance if only in terms of futility.

The saving grace for Wisconsin was a running game that produced 391 yards on the ground. That powered the Badgers to a 24-0 shutout in Champaign.

Unfortunately for the Illini, both facets of the offense were held in check by the Badgers. Illinois failed to reach the century mark for yards, finishing with 93 total yards of offense.

According to Jeremy Werner with the Illini Inquirer, that marks the first time since 1977 that Illinois was held below 100 yards in a game:

Bret Bielema is still in Year 1, but he will want to produce some better results down the stretch. A bit of momentum is desperately needed entering 2022.