Wisconsin 25, Illinois 21: Braedyn Locke leads an improbable fourth-quarter comeback for Badgers

CHAMPAIGN, Illinois – Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell and his staff were being tested in a way few people anticipated when the season began on Sept. 2.

Saturday at Illinois they looked beaten, discombobulated at times on offense and defense.

They entered the final quarter trailing by 14 points.

Their season appeared on the brink.

Fickell’s players rose up with a stirring fourth-quarter rally to stun the Illini, 25-21.

Nathanial Vakos started the rally with a 41-yard field goal with 14 minutes 13 seconds left.

Braedyn Locke, making his first college start, then directed touchdown drives of 82 and 83 yards.

He capped both with touchdown passes – 20 yards to Will Pauling with 7:21 left and 3 yards to reserve offensive lineman Nolan Rucci with 27 seconds left.

Do you believe in miracles?

BOX SCORE: Wisconsin 25, Illinois 21

The Badgers (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) learned after their comeback that Minnesota had upset Iowa 16-10. That result dropped the Hawkeyes (6-2, 3-2) out of first place, one game behind UW.

Fickell and his players can now prepare for a showdown against No. 3 Ohio State (7-0, 4-0), which held off No. 6 Penn State, 20-12, earlier Saturday.

Locke finished 21 of 41 for 240 yards and two touchdowns. Braelon Allen ran with power and determination and finished with 145 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries.

Pauling led the wide receivers with seven catches for 95 yards, including the 20-yard score.

The result made Fickell look like a prophet for his comments during the week when asked whether his team, picked to win the Big Ten West Division, was struggling to live up to expectations.

“Again, there’s nobody that puts more pressure and has a higher expectation than myself and the guys in the locker room,” he said. “You feel good going into the season because people think that, but the reality is it happens every year. … Who knows whether it is realistic or not?

“Right now, we’re still in a position where … 'Guys, quit worrying about the destination. Let’s focus on the process of what we do.' We get so caught up in the destination that you don’t even have a chance to enjoy some of the things and the struggles that you have to go through.

“Which is not easy. Don’t get me wrong. I’m as bad as anybody. But the reality is that there’s going to be a struggle.…

“You play your best ball at the end of the year and you have an opportunity to not just have a successful season, but you see the growth in the things that you’re doing and whatever that ends up ultimately meaning at the end of the year based on your record.”

UW continued to grind through that process Saturday and in the end the players and coaches were rewarded with an improbable comeback.

Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer hurt UW with his feet and his arm – until the end

Wisconsin’s defense struggled to contain Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer, particularly on several critical plays.

Altmyer entered the game averaging 3.0 yards per carry, with three rushing touchdowns. He didn’t rush for a touchdown Saturday but carried 16 times for 100 yards, an average of 6.3 yards per carry.

His 14-yard scramble late in the third quarter led to a touchdown and a 21-7 Illinois lead.

Altmyer had touchdown passes of 1 and 3 yards.

However, UW got two huge sacks in the final quarter – from C.J. Goetz and from Darryl Peterson on the final play of the game.

Long field-goal attempt or Hail Mary? Luke Fickell opts for the latter.

After a punt and an Illinois penalty for kick-catching interference, UW had the ball at the Illini 48 with three seconds left in the first half.

Would Fickell give Vakos a shot at a 66-yard field-goal attempt, with a strong wind at his back?

Vakos appeared ready to come on the field but Fickell instead opted for a Hail Mary.

Locke was sacked, and the Illini took a 14-7 lead into the locker room.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Wisconsin football fans react to Badgers' incredible comeback victory over Illinois

Penalties continue to hurt Badgers, though they were not fatal on Saturday

Several penalties – on offense and special teams – contributed to UW’s nine-point loss to Iowa one week earlier.

Fickell said during the week the staff re-emphasized the need to play clean football.

The talk didn’t take.

Offensive tackles Jack Nelson and Riley Mahlman had false-start penalties and Nelson was called for holding – all in the opening quarter.

UW was penalized five times for 35 yards in the quarter, which ended with the Illini holding a 7-0 lead.

However, the Badgers played nearly mistake-free football the rest of the way and finished with 40 yards on six penalties.

Wisconsin football insider: Badgers' win over Illinois and Iowa's loss rekindle hope in Big Ten West

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin 25, Illinois 21: Braedyn Locke leads fourth-quarter comeback