The Wisconsin Badgers are currently trending downwards despite entering the fourth year of what has been a tumultuous tenure for coach Luke Fickell.
Last season, Fickell and the Badgers lost the final handful of games despite only needing to secure one more victory to earn a bowl game. Missing out on the final win caused Wisconsin to snap a two-decade long bowl game streak that had become somewhat of a tradition within the program. Wisconsin made bowl games, and to not see the program in one was a weird feeling for both players and fans alike.
With two losses already on the season and a game that was supposed to be an easy resulting in a blowout loss, Wisconsin needs answers. Fickell could be the anchor dragging the program down, but a hefty $24.5 million buyout is likely preventing such a situation from occurring. However, with the Badgers continuing to watch the identity of the program shift farther and farther away from what had been known, Fickell might be in danger of losing his job if some sort of progress is not shown.
Can Luke Fickell Find a Way to Force Wisconsin to be More Disciplined?
While Wisconsin has generally been an even-keeled team, the mistakes and costly errors under Fickell have been what sink the team faster than anything on the field. Not committing a boatload of penalties is one thing, as the Badgers have been relatively disciplined in that department, but errors in all three phases of play have held the team back.
Quarterback Danny O’Neil has thrown multiple questionable and costly interceptions that have deflated the Badgers offense. While Billy Edwards Jr. is the true starter at quarterback, having a backup who is supposed to be the future of the position that continues to make the same mistakes is not a good thing to have.
Previously, Wisconsin had significant interception issues with former quarterback Braedyn Locke, but with many of the same errors being present in the play of O’Neil, the question becomes just how much of he past was the fault of Locke?
Beyond the quarterback position, Wisconsin has been terrible on special teams this year between short punts, blocks, and veteran players being aloof. Jayden Ballard crushed a Maryland punt returner before the punt was fielded, which is a mistake a career special teams player should not make. Wisconsin also had a punt and a field goal blocked, and while that is part of the game, the Badgers could have avoided both situations.
Regardless of what coach Fickell does next, the team as a whole needs to become more disciplined and intelligent on the field as the Badgers have become their own worst enemy.
Young or Not, the Offensive Line May Continue to Hold Badgers’ Offense Back
The offensive line has been the talk of Wisconsin football since the end of last season, when the Badgers ended the year with a weak offense and multiple players set to leave. During the off-season, Wisconsin added some names like Davis Heinzen, but the Badgers missed on the big-time portal targets that would have solidified the line. The past is the past, and now Wisconsin needs to play the future in order to fill the current gaps.
Wisconsin played three freshmen against the Maryland Terrapins with Emerson Mandell, Ryan Cory, and Colin Cubberly all starting. Mandell struggled at first, but has had some better moments since a rough game against Miami (OH) in his first career start. Cory, however, has mainly just been a presence in the run game while snapping the football and providing pass protection has not been his strong suit.
The Badgers are notably down players along the offensive line with Kevin Heywood being out and starting center Jake Renfro also flip-flopping between playing and not playing. Regardless, the Badgers need to find a winning recipe along the offensive line as the offense cannot move the football without a well-balanced attack.
Currently, running back Dilin Jones is the leading rusher for Wisconsin with 154 yards and one touchdown on the ground. Jones is the 29th ranked rusher in the Big Ten Conference with teams like Indiana, Iowa, Washington, Michigan, Penn State, and Oregon having multiple players with more yardage. The next closest player on the Badgers is Darrion Dupree, who is the 34th ranked rusher in the conference.
Against Maryland, Wisconsin could not establish the run and the passing game struggled in turn without having something to fall back on. No matter who the quarterback is for Wisconsin, the offense cannot be one dimensional and putting together a capable line is needed.
Can the Wisconsin Badgers Find New Solutions to Struggling Secondary?
There is no doubt that one of the weakest rooms talent wise and most glaring weaknesses on defense is the secondary. Even with ineligible defensive back Nyzier Fourqurean, the secondary still would be both one of the more inexperienced and weak units in the Big Ten Conference. Top corner Ricardo Hallman had a down year last season and new additions Geimere Latimer and D’Yoni Hill have been up and down for the defense.
Wisconsin was exposed in the secondary against Ryan Williams, Ty Simpson, and the Alabama Crimson Tide who dropped in pass after pass through the defense. The Badgers had no answers in the secondary against the Crimson Tide and receiver Isaiah Horton crossed Hallman up badly for a touchdown. Hallman has allowed multiple touchdowns already this season as teams continue to test the corner, who has looked a touch slower on the field.
Whether the solution is giving new names more chances or changing up the distribution of snaps, the Badgers need to develop some sort of solution. Malik Washington, a rising freshman quarterback, find success against Wisconsin as well and even tested the Badgers defense deep multiple times to start the game. Young, still relatively unproven quarterbacks are willing to challenge Wisconsin over top which spells out potential disaster against more established quarterbacks like Dante Moore, Luke Altmyer, and Fernando Mendoza.
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