The No. 9 ranked Wisconsin Badger football team got their 2020 season off to a strong start with a dominant victory over Illinois. Though the Illini kept it close early on, Wisconsin soon pulled away.
The Badgers, led by redshirt freshman quarterback Graham Mertz, hoped to continue their hot streak against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Halloween night, but the game was canceled due to an outbreak of COVID-19 among Wisconsin players and coaches.
If the Nebraska game had been played, Wisconsin would have almost assuredly emerged victorious, due in no small part to its tenacious defense. The Badgers shut down Illinois in their first game of the season and prevented the Illini from scoring a single touchdown on offense and winning 45-7.