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Illinois’ upset over No. 6 Wisconsin the biggest in nearly four decades
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The program’s first victory over a ranked B1G opponent since 2007, Illinois’ 24-23 win over No. 6 Wisconsin on Saturday also snapped a streak that dated back to 24 years before Juice Williams even appeared in a game in Champaign.
Per ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg:
From @ESPNStatsInfo: #Illinois' win over Wisconsin, as a 30.5-point underdog, marks the largest upset in a Big Ten conference game since Northwestern defeated Minnesota in 1982. Northwestern was a 32-point underdog in that game.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) October 19, 2019
Improving to 3-4 with the unexpected victory, this was easily the most impressive win of Lovie Smith’s tenure.
Set to travel to West Lafayette, Indiana, the Illini will face Purdue on October 26 in their quest to reach six wins and bowl eligibility.
The first loss of the year for the Badgers, Wisconsin will also hit the road, playing Ohio State in Columbus on Saturday (12:00PM ET, FOX). Gus Johnson and Joel Klatt will be on the call.
A graduate of Bowling Green State University, Rydquist has been contributing to Saturday Down South and Saturday Tradition since 2019. He can be found on Twitter @TeddyRydquist.