Why Year One Under Wisconsin Football HC Luke Fickell Was a Success

The Wisconsin football program wrapped up its first regular season under Luke Fickell on Saturday, defeating Minnesota 28-14 and regaining possession of Paul Bunyan’s Axe. After a year full of ups and downs, the Badgers finished the regular season at 7-5, good for third in the Big Ten West.

Though a seven-win season wasn’t what fans expected heading into the year, I’m still here to say that this season was a success for the new regime. 

The Wisconsin Football Program’s First Year Under Luke Fickell was a Success

Expectations were sky-high after it was announced that Luke Fickell would take over the program. UW Athletic Director Chris McIntosh took a big swing by bringing in the former Cincinnati coach who led the Bearcats to be the first Group of Five team to make the College Football Playoff. When coaches like Phil Longo and Mike Tressel came on board, expectations soared even higher. 

I’m certainly not here to blame the Badger faithful for making these bold season projections. Heck, I was in lockstep with much of the fanbase in how much confidence I had in this new regime. After a few weeks, though, it became clear that this project would take longer than anticipated to come to fruition.

The wheels really started to come off after Chez Mellusi’s injury against Purdue. Though Wisconsin football came away with a win in that game, losing the fifth-year senior was brutal for this squad. Mellusi fit Phil Longo’s air raid scheme perfectly, and it showed on the stat sheet. In four games, Mellusi logged 307 yards and four touchdowns on 51 carries, good for an average of six yards per carry. In my opinion, this was the turning point for Wisconsin.

Injuries continued to pile up, but the Badgers showed plenty of resilience. Braedyn Locke stepped up and had some solid reps during Tanner Mordecai’s absence, and Jackson Acker and Cade Yacamelli were serviceable when their numbers were called. I’m not here to say that Wisconsin would have been marginally better if they weren’t plagued by injuries to key players, but considering the circumstances, Wisconsin did a fine job of keeping the season afloat. 

Wisconsin Football Came Alive Near the End of the Regular Season

The middle of the season was a turbulent stretch for the Badgers. Wisconsin lost four out of five games from mid-October to mid-November, including a three-game skid with losses to Ohio State, Indiana, and Northwestern. That was rock bottom for this squad, but I thought UW played their best football in the season’s final two games.

Wisconsin was able to win over Nebraska in overtime and take down Minnesota on the road. Both games had huge implications, as the Badgers were fighting for bowl eligibility against the Cornhuskers and looking to snap a two-game losing streak to the Gophers. I should also mention that UW should have ended Minnesota’s season with the rivalry win, but the Gophers got lucky and became bowl-eligible as a 5-7 team due to a Colorado State loss. 

The Wisconsin football program put together some of its most complete games of the season in the final stretch. The defense began to click, forcing three total turnovers and holding both opponents to under 20 points. On the flip side, the offense had a delicate balance between its passing attack and ground game while gaining 316 and 412 yards in the respective matchups. Honestly, the Badgers looked like the team everyone expected to be in the last two games. 

Final Thoughts

I feel confident in saying that this regime’s first year was a success.

Wisconsin reached bowl eligibility for the 22nd consecutive season, took home Paul Bunyan’s Axe and the Freedom Trophy, and showed plenty of resilience throughout the year. It wasn’t the fairytale season that Wisconsin Badgers fans were hoping for, but if the final two games are any indication of what’s to come, UW is seemingly headed in the right direction. 

I am very excited for the future of the Wisconsin football program with Fickell at the helm.

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