Wisconsin defeats Western Illinois 36-9 in home football opener

The Wisconsin Badgers defeated the Western Illinois Leathernecks 36-9 on Friday at Camp Randall Stadium, moving to 1-1 on the season. Abu Sama III opened the scoring with a 72-yard touchdown run, and Carson Van Dinter added a touchdown off a blocked punt to give the Badgers an early 17-0 lead. Despite the quick start, the Wisconsin defense struggled to stop the Western Illinois run game, allowing multiple long scoring drives throughout the contest. Quarterback Colton Joseph experienced an inconsistent outing, missing several passes and throwing an interception that was negated by a penalty. The Badgers relied on a late-game surge from running backs Bryan Jackson and Darrion Dupree to finalize the score. The victory comes after Wisconsin struggled to meet expectations as a heavy favorite against their opponents.

• 2:23 AMYahoo Sports — Badgers get win in home opener vs. Western Illinois, but leave with several questions