It was a tough end for the Wisconsin Football season yesterday. The Badgers fell to #13 LSU in the ReliaQuest Bowl 35-31. After having a 14 point lead multiple times, the Badgers were not able to finish the game. Quarterback Tanner Mordecai was great in his final game, completing 27 of 40 passes for 378 yards and three touchdowns. Here are three takeaways from yesterday’s final game of the 2023 season.
Wisconsin Football Struggled to Finish Games This Season
When Luke Fickell took over as the Wisconsin football head coach last year, he mentioned this team and program had to be better at finishing games. In 2023, it was something they still struggled with.
As mentioned above, the Badgers had a 14 point lead twice, including a 14-0 lead int he first quarter. It was an excellent start for a team that never played well in the first quarter. Unfortunately, Wisconsin was not able to close this game out, leaving a little bit of a sour taste in their mouths.
I have no doubt Fickell and his staff will prioritize finishing games going into 2024. While the results don’t always matter in a bowl game like this, you better believe it the coaches and players care about the result on the scoreboard. The Badgers were the better team yesterday.
The Badgers Have Five Solid Wide Receivers
After losing Chimere Dike and Skyler Bell to the transfer portal, the Badgers went with Bryson Green and Will Pauling as the top two receivers. Both players were excellent. Pauling separated himself as one og\f the better wide receivers in the Big Ten. He had eight catches for 143 yards and two touchdowns. Green caught seven passes for 105 yards and a score himself.
Players like Vinny Anthony II, CJ Williams, and Trech Kekahuna saw some valuable snaps too. Kekahuna did not appear in a regular season game, but the freshman receiver caught four passes for 64 yards. The best part was his route running as he was wide open on every catch.
I believe Wisconsin football has five receivers they can rely on next season. Phil Longo has mentioned he wants to get as many as six receivers involved every game. I would be comfortable with any of the five I just mentioned. It’s clear Pauling and Green will be the 1-2 punch next season, but I like what the other three bring too. They can all be immediate contributors in 2024.
Despite the Record, the Future Looks Bright
The 7-6 record is not ideal. It’s not the year I and many others had Wisconsin football going. Despite that, I think this team in a better spot then they were a season ago. It was going to take two off seasons to truly get the players Fickell and his staff wanted. Expect the Badgers to still be active in the transfer portal, but I think they are in a good spot with the players they have now.
On the offensive side, getting Chez Mellusi back is huge. If you look at the wide receiver group, I feel better about this group in 2024 than I did in 2023. There was not much turnover on the offensive line, but I do like the make-up of that group than I did this year. The big question mark will be transfer quarterback Tyler Van Dyke. The pressure will be on him.
On defense, Hunter Wohler coming back is everything. He is the captain of the defense and arguably the leader of this team. They go as far as he does. The secondary improved a ton over the course of the year and I believe they have a stud corner in Ricardo Hallman. The defensive line needs some help, but I am comfortable where the linebacker group is at too.
Overall, I like where Wisconsin football is at going into 2024 than I was going into 2023.
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