The 2023 season is officially underway and the Wisconsin Badgers kicked off the Luke Fickell era with a 38-17 win over the Buffalo Bulls.
There was much focus on quarterback Tanner Mordecai and offensive coordinator Phil Longo’s “Air Raid” attack, but it was the running game that stood out on Saturday, while the defense only allowed 17 points to the Bulls. Chez Mellusi and Braelon Allen (rightfully so) got much of the attention Saturday as the two backs accounted for 298 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns. However, Fickell had high praise for a freshman on the team after their win.
Luke Fickell Praises Freshman Tight End Tucker Ashcraft After The Wisconsin Badgers Take Down The Buffalo Bulls
Despite the fact that he was a freshman walking into his first game, Tucker Ashcraft was able to perform beyond his years.
The true freshman tight end caught two passes for 36 yards, including a 24-yard reception on a second down throw from quarterback Tanner Mordecai. The two catches resulted in first downs for the Badgers during their 38-17 victory over Buffalo on Saturday.
“The experience — looking around the crowd — it was wild,” Ashcraft said. “But then you kind of get settled down, you’re just playing football and you’re just having a good time. So at the end of the game, I did not feel like a freshman.”
Luke Fickell raved about the freshman after the game:
“Tucker is going to be a really good football player,” Fickell said. “And by Week 4, he’s not going to be a freshman anymore, and that’s what we need. And we saw it early on. We obviously had some situations at that position in particular, where he kind of had to be thrust into some more opportunities and grow up a little bit faster maybe than everybody would have expected.
“But he’s done it, and everything we’ve asked him to do, he’s continued to do. He played a lot today. He made some plays today as well. He had some more targets because Tanner, because the offense, because those guys are confident in him. He’s not going to be a young freshman after about three or four games.”
The Badgers may have another weapon on their hands if Luke Fickell and Phill Longo have anything to say about it.
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