It was only a few days ago that Eastern Illinois announced that former Badger quarterback Cole LaCrue would be the starter for their upcoming season. That decision is already paying huge dividends as he helped them get a big win over Dayton and broke the single-game rushing record all in one game.
LaCrue had two years at Wisconsin, and the development of quarterbacks is proving to be one of Wisconsin's strengths. He may never have been able to rise to the top of the quarterback depth chart for the Badgers, but he clearly has the athleticism and aptitude to play college football. This pivot to Eastern Illinois may propel him to where he really wants to go.
A debut to remember 📖🐾
— Eastern Illinois Football (@EIU_FB) August 30, 2025
Cole LaCrue broke EIU’s QB single game rushing record in his first game as a Panther🔥💥#WeNotMe | #BleedBlue | #WinTheDay pic.twitter.com/XrD8xMRhjd
Former Wisconsin 3-star recruit Cole LaCrue is reviving his career at Eastern Illinois
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LaCrue was dynamic in his opening game with 193 yards rushing and three touchdowns as the signal caller. He continued to call his own number when the running lanes opened up for him to scramble or take a designed run. His longest run of the day was a 28-yard scamper.
As a passer, he went 9/17 for 129 yards and an interception. His passing totals are a bit underwhelming, but as any fast and scrambling quarterback will tell you, if the defense keeps letting you run, you do it until they learn to stop you, and that's exactly what LaCrue did.
It won't be surprising if LaCrue continues to succeed at Eastern Illinois, and he jumps back in the portal to see where the success can lead him. As a player who never saw any game reps for Wisconsin, he needed to go somewhere he could start, make a name, and potentially move on to another opportunity. Good for LaCrue!