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MADISON, Wis. >> Melvin Gordon rushed for 175 yards and four touchdowns, Corey Clement added 164 yards and a 72-yard score and Wisconsin held off Illinois for a 38-28 victory Saturday.
Gordon padded his resume for a potential Heisman Trophy candidacy with another highlight-reel performance. The junior eclipsed 1,000 yards on the season in just Wisconsin’s sixth game, a school record.
Wisconsin (4-2, 1-1 Big Ten) started Joel Stave at quarterback, but Gordon did most of the damage against the league’s worst rushing defense.
Illinois (3-4, 0-3) did rally in the fourth quarter with backup Aaron Bailey at quarterback. He led them to two scores to get within 38-28 with about 3 minutes left before Illinois recovered an onside kick.
But Bailey threw an interception with 2 minutes left to seal Wisconsin’s win.
