Wisconsin Football Searching for Answers After Disappointing Loss

In the final stretch of his first year as the head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers football program, Luke Fickell is facing more ebbs and flows than anyone envisioned. 

When Fickell took the helm, he had no specific win-loss record in mind for his first season in Madison — and didn’t want people outside of the program to define his team’s success. Instead, his primary objective was to see the team peak towards the end of the season. 

Unfortunately, as the Wisconsin Badgers walked off the field after a 20-14 loss to Indiana, it was evident that they hadn’t progressed as desired.

Wisconsin Football Hasn’t Shown Signs of Improvement 

Nine games into Luke Fickell’s inaugural season with the Badgers, it’s clear that the team hasn’t made the strides they had anticipated. Their recent loss to Indiana, a team with a dismal record, whom they hadn’t lost to on the road in over two decades, was a humbling reminder of just how far UW has to go.

Injuries have plagued Wisconsin football, robbing them of key players like running backs Braelon Allen and Chez Mellusi, wide receiver Chimere Dike, and starting quarterback Tanner Mordecai. Kicker Nathanial Vakos also faced injury concerns, which prevented the team from attempting long-field goals on Saturday. 

However, Fickell refuses to blame these injuries for their shortcomings. Instead, he points to a lack of consistency and execution on the field, a responsibility that falls on the players.

The Badgers, who had high expectations at the beginning of the season, are clearly not performing up to their potential. Hard work and preparation are all well and good — but if it’s not translating to success on game day — something about the process needs to change. 

Where Do the Wisconsin Badgers Go From Here?

With only three regular-season games remaining, the Wisconsin football program must find a way to turn things around quickly.

The Badgers’ early-season losses were explainable to some extent. They were in the early stages of schematic overhaul and faced tough opponents, including Washington State, Iowa, and Ohio State. However, the loss to Indiana was a completely different story. 

“I understand they’ve been through a lot,” Fickell said after the game. “From last year maybe and the year before and the ups and the downs. We just can’t continue to revert back, maybe into some of the things that we’ve always done. Finding ways to finish is what this game is all about. 

“I’ve got to find a way to get us over that hump. It’s not just on making plays. It’s on, ‘Hey, what’s the recipe to finding ways to finish?’ And we haven’t done a good enough job of that.”

The challenge now lies in finding solutions, not only for Wisconsin football to finish this season on a high note but also for the future. The team’s 2024 schedule will be a gauntlet, which includes matchups against Alabama, USC, Penn State, and Oregon. 

The path forward won’t exactly be a walk in the park. 

The Dairy Raid offense, led by offensive coordinator Phil Longo, has yet to reach its full potential. The offense’s struggles are evident in their scoring average of only 23.6 points per game, far below Longo’s typical offensive output in previous seasons. 

Defensively, Mike Tressel has undoubtedly improved the unit from the start of the season until now. However, the Wisconsin Badgers have a long way to go to reclaim the standard of play we’ve grown accustomed to watching the past decade. 

The hope is that, despite the setbacks, Luke Fickell can eventually lead the team to the success they envisioned when he took over the Wisconsin football program. It might take longer than expected, but the belief in the team’s potential remains.

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