Wisconsin fell to the Washington State 31-22 last night. The team is now 1-1 under new head coach Luke Fickell with one game to go before Big Ten play begins.
The loss felt like a mirror image of last year’s loss to the Cougars in many ways. Wisconsin is the better team, the game had flashes of the Wisconsin team we expect to see throughout the season, yet the Badgers’ mistakes proved to be the difference as it was Washington State celebrating on the field after the clock hit zero.
This game doesn’t reflect poorly on Wisconsin’s long-term outlook under Fickell. But it did clearly show that the turnaround will take time. This is not a program that looks ready to compete for conference titles and College Football Playoff appearances.
There was some good from the contest, including Tanner Mordecai giving glimpses at his potential in this new offense. But the bad from the game points toward some growing pains — sloppy penalties, blown coverages, turnovers and a lack of dominance in the trenches.
As we break down the loss, here are five stats that defined last night’s outcome: