MADISON, Wis. – Ron Zook opened a side door and walked into a silent media room inside Camp Randall Stadium with a look of irritation on his face.

After other losses, Zook has been positive with the media, pointing out the inevitable improvement of his football team with the bulk of their year in front of them.

This was a very different press conference.

After an inconsistent, mistake-ridden game dropped the Illini to 4-4, Zook’s positivity gave way to frustration.

“I’ll tell you what I’m going to do. I’m as upset as you and this football team,” Zook said.

“We can be a good football team. They’re going to be held accountable, particularly the older guys.”

It was the kind of loss that has plagued the team this season.

One week after the Illini appeared invincible on both sides of the ball in a blowout against Indiana, a litany of mistakes proved very costly against the Badgers.

Wide receiver Arrelious Benn said the defeat was reminiscent of losses to Penn State and Minnesota earlier in the season.

“It’s a lot like (those games). Everything we did, we had the right game plan,” Benn said. “We should have won the game. We dug ourselves a hole early, and we lost the game as a result.”

With just four regular season games remaining, including contests against Iowa and Ohio State, the door is closing on the Illini’s chance to improve in time to end the season on a high note.

“It’s not the way it was before we got here. Illinois, if we want to be the kind of program that we want to be, then guys are going to have to bow up,” Zook said. “

That’s the nature of this game.”

Badger line stifles Illini pass rush

A quick glance at the roster says it all – the Wisconsin offensive line is big. The five starters on the line for the Badgers range from 6-foot-4 to 6-foot-8, and all weigh at least 300 pounds.

The protection they provide is central to the success of the Badgers’ pro-style offense, and despite allowing four sacks, the line won the battle in the trenches Saturday.

Dustin Sherer isn’t known for his speed, but thanks to solid protection, the quarterback had 40 yards rushing in his first start, including a 30-yard run and a 15-yard touchdown scramble.

Co-defensive coordinator for the Illini Dan Disch said the Badgers adapted well to the Illinois blitz packages.

“They leave a bunch of guys in there to protect him (Scherer). They’ll leave a back or an extra tight end, so you’ve got to decide,” Disch said.

“Early on we had some pressure, and then our pressure didn’t get to him, so we decided to cover. You’re just guessing with them.”

Unheralded Becker shines with TD catch

With second and goal at the Wisconsin 2-yard line in the first quarter, Juice Williams faked a handoff, rolled right and found an uncovered receiver in the end zone for the Illini’s first touchdown of the game.

Who made the catch?

It wasn’t Benn, Judson, Hoomanawanui or any of the usual suspects.

The sounds of paper shuffling filled the press box as reporters looked to see who it was: Zach Becker, a freshman walk-on fullback.

Until Saturday, Becker, which had seen game action this season, had not recorded a statistic – which might explain why he was open in the end zone.

“I’d say I was the first option on that play,” Becker said. “It was just a rollout in the flat, and hopefully I was open.”

Now, he has one two-yard reception, and his first career touchdown at Illinois.

Becker said he did not run a perfect route, but it was effective nonetheless.

“I should have been more open except it was a little hard for me to get out there in the flat. I ran into one of their linebackers,” Becker said.

Becker, a native of nearby Homer, Ill., attended two games last season.

He was able to secure a preferred walk-on spot on the roster for 2008 after contacting the coaching staff.

He wears 41, which is the number of former fullback Russ Weil, who graduated after last season.

Becker plays the same position, but said he is more of a receiving threat than a pure blocker.

“I’d say I have pretty above-average hands, especially for most fullbacks,” he said.