The Latest: Illinois QB Peters among 2 to test positive
Both tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday and will be sidelined 21 days per Big Ten protocol. Both would be eligible to return for the Nov. 21 game at Nebraska. Illinois also announced that contact tracing sidelined several other players for the Purdue game and next weekโs game against Minnesota. Sophomore Matt Robinson started at quarterback for the Ilini. The Illini opened the season last week at Wisconsin, whose team has had 22 players and staff test positive for COVID-19 this week.
Mertz, No. 14 Wisconsin rout Illinois 45-7 in Big Ten opener
Mertz threw five touchdown passes to match the Wisconsin record in a commanding first career start and the No. Weโre a better football team than that.โAfter Illinois fumbled the ball away on the gameโs second play from scrimmage, Mertz hit fullback Mason Stokke for a 10-yard touchdown pass. Illinois briefly got back into it late in the second quarter when Ferguson fumbled at the end of a 9-yard completion. Mertz responded to Illinoisโ touchdown by throwing a 34-yard completion to Ferguson and then hitting the tight end again for a 14-yard score with 1:06 left in the half. After Illinois went three-and-out on its next series, Mertz threw deep and found Danny Davis for a 53-yard touchdown pass with 28 seconds left until halftime.