Wisconsin running back Abu Samu III got the Badgers off and running with a 72-yard touchdown dash against Western Illinois Saturday night at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. (Photo by UWBadgers. com)
By Dan Verdun
It took Wisconsin of the Big Ten Conference just 20 seconds to flex its muscle and speed on Western Illinois.
Badger running back Abu Samu III broke away from the WIU defense on a 72-yard touchdown sprint.
The Badgers never looked back en route to a 36-9 win against the Leathernecks Saturday night at Camp Randall Stadium.
After winning its season opener, WIU (1-2) has lost consecutive games. Wisconsin (1-1) bounced back after an opening week loss to Notre Dame at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field.
“The resource advantage, the size, the speed of the Power Four team is certainly significant, but we had the game kind of where we wanted it. We kept the score low and we were able to run the football,” WIU head coach Joe Davis said.
Western scored its points on three Ronan Culkin field goals.
“During practice, we have a lot of high-pressure situations that our coach puts us in,” Culkin said. “It’s really just going out there and trusting.”
Quarterback Kennedy McGill led Western in both rushing and passing.
“It was an incredible opportunity,” McGill said of playing a Big Ten opponent.
Offensive lineman James Durand began his collegiate career at Wisconsin before transferring to WIU.
“It’s good to come back. It’s changed a whole bunch since I’ve been here,” Durand said. “I know a couple of the guys. It was good to see them after, but I prepared all week like it was a normal game. I was trying not to have any personal emotion tied to it and play my game.”
Western received a $575,000 payout from Wisconsin. That’s the largest amount any Illinois FCS team took home from an FBS foe this season.
Game changers
14:47, 1st quarter: Wisconsin RB Abu Samu III raced 72 yards for the game’s opening score.
7:54, 1st quarter: Wisconsin’s Carson Van Dinter blocked WIU’s Luke Droegemueller‘s punt at the Western 30-yard line and then recovered and returned it three yards for a touchdown.
1:52, 1st quarter: Ronan Culkin got WIU on the board with a 27-yard field goal.
Nifty ‘Necks
Prairie State Pigskin chooses the the top three Western Illinois players in the game:
Culkin, K: The Brother Rice graduate kicked field goals from 27, 27 and 34 yards.
McGill, QB: The transfer accounted for 227 yards – 139 passing and 88 rushing.
Nick Reinicke, LB: The Iowa State transfer led the team with nine tackles, four of which were solo.
What it means
Western is 0-4 all-time against Wisconsin. The teams first played in 1991.
What’s next
Western Illinois returns to Hanson Field in Macomb to host Morehead State of the non-scholarship Pioneer League.
Dan Verdun is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin. He has written four books: NIU Huskies Football, EIU Panthers Football, ISU Redbirds Football and SIU Salukis Football.
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