The Big Ten West race looked all but over entering the respective fourth quarters in Illinois and Iowa. The Badgers found themselves down a pair of scores with an offense that had struggled to move the football.
Then, in his first career start, Braedyn Locke, offensive coordinator Phil Longo, and Braelon Allen put on a fourth-quarter show that ended with a Nolan Rucci touchdown grab to give Wisconsin a shocking 25-21 victory at Illinois.
You read that right, Nolan Rucci not his brother and Badger tight end Hayden Rucci. It was the younger Rucci, the former five-star recruit, who is a Badger offensive lineman that came up with the game-winning grab.
Here is reaction to a wild Badger win, coupled with an absurd Iowa loss to Minnesota, that renewed the Big Ten West race: