Wisconsin Football Offense Is at a Crossroads Without an Identity

Big Ten West football is often characterized by hard-nosed, defensive battles. However, when the Wisconsin football team faced the Iowa Hawkeyes on Saturday, it turned into a defensive slugfest that didn’t favor the Badgers, with a final score of 15-6. 

Phil Longo’s offense was far from impressive, and the performance left fans wondering what’s next for Wisconsin with their odds of winning their division all but vanishing overnight. 

Tanner Mordecai’s Injury Adds to Wisconsin Football Offensive Woes

Early in the game, starting quarterback Tanner Mordecai sustained a hand injury that forced him to exit in the second quarter and ruled him out for the remainder of the evening. We later learned on Monday that the SMU transfer suffered a broken hand that required surgery and would table him for an undetermined amount of time. 

While this injury is undoubtedly a concern for the Wisconsin Badgers offense, it exposed deeper issues. 

After an impressive 81-yard opening drive, the team’s offensive production stalled. For their next six drives, they picked up just one first down and punted six times, including five three-and-outs.

The game featured some questionable offensive decisions, including the choice to go for it on a fourth down near the red zone when settling for a field goal might have been wiser. The Wisconsin football coaching staff’s decision-making left many fans puzzled, especially in a game that was Biblically bound to be a defensive battle.

4th Down Stop 🚫#Hawkeyes

pic.twitter.com/J9h63pb5pf

— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) October 14, 2023

Short Yardage Struggles and Lack of Balance

The Badgers offensive struggles in short-yardage situations were apparent, with questionable play-calling in critical moments. The game’s lack of balance, especially when star running back Braelon Allen was out of the lineup, further hindered the offense’s performance. 

It was evident that the offense’s identity was elusive, leaving them without a go-to strategy.

And don’t even get me started about the passing game…

The Wisconsin football passing attack lacked depth, and the offense struggled to make meaningful gains through the air. Even with Mordecai, there was no significant deep passing game (outside of the first drive completion to Bryson Green), and the offense couldn’t capitalize on big plays. 

The play-calling and route combinations appeared uninspired, raising questions about the team’s dynamic passing scheme. Let’s just say the air raid offense never took flight — that’s the nicest thing I can say. 

So, How Do the Badgers Salvage the Season?

As the Wisconsin football team looks to address these offensive woes before taking on Illinois, they may need to make adjustments in their game plan to accommodate backup quarterback Braedyn Locke’s skill set. 

Despite the challenges ahead, the team appears to have faith in Locke, with his teammates praising his confidence and abilities.

Regardless of who is under center, UW’s offense has several issues to address before they can focus on their quarterback situation. The primary concern is not just who’s playing quarterback in Madison but how to establish a clear offensive identity that aligns with the players’ strengths currently on the roster. 

The Badgers may be facing an uphill battle. Still, with the necessary adjustments, Wisconsin football can work toward finding its offensive identity that it can take with it beyond the 2023 season. 

Yes, this was a pessimistic rant, and I apologize for that. But this past weekend zapped any optimism I had out of me for 2023. Let’s build toward something better next season & win a few games along the way. 

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