Right before kickoff, Luke Fickell outlines RB plan without Gideon Ituka

Wisconsin will be without breakout running back Gideon Ituka against Illinois. It was great news when he was able to return home with the team after sustaining a head injury against Indiana, but he still needs time to recover. That puts that position in a really limited spot. Luke Fickell is literally running out of players who can run the ball. However, before the game, he broke down his plan for the position.

Wisconsin will give Darrion Dupree the majority of the reps but will mix in others

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Luke Fickell said that the majority of reps will go to Darrion Dupree, but that Jackson Acker "and others" will also mix in there. Dupree started the year third or even arguably fourth on the depth chart, even though he was often rotated into the lineup last season.

Dillin Jones, Cade Yacamelli, and Gideon Ituka were all getting run before Dupree, but now he's the man for the job, with the others dealing with various injuries. Yet, there is a weird thing happening that needs to be monitored during the game, and it has to do with Yacamelli.

Yacamelli wasn't listed on the injury report, but then he wasn't mentioned by Fickell in this interview. So, is he the secret sauce, and Fickell didn't want to give away that game plan? Or is he still dealing with some things and may end up being the third man off the bench, and only if necessary?

It's something to monitor. However, right now against Illinois, Wisconsin fans can expect a heavy dose of Dupree and a little bit of Acker.

Wisconsin is an 8.5 underdog going into the game, and it's mainly due to the offense's inability to score. If they are going to pull off the upset, it will have to do with what can happen at running back; hopefully, Dupree has some juice against the Illini.