Wisconsin lost to Washington State 31-22 in Luke Fickell’s first big-time matchup as the Badgers’ head coach.
The game was a rematch of last year’s sloppy loss to the Cougars. That game led to Paul Chryst’s firing a few weeks later. Now under Fickell, everything was supposed to look different when the games kicked off. That was not the case last night.
The Badgers turned the ball over three times, could not contain Cam Ward, struggled in the red zone early and had a 24-9 halftime deficit that proved too much to overcome. The team mounted a furious comeback, one which they deserve credit for. But some of the same issues from 2022 plagued the team late.
Related: Five stats that defined Wisconsin’s loss to Washington State
Luke Fickell emphasized a key stat when he took over, one which was the difference for the 2022 Badgers: The team went 1-5 in one-possession games entering the fourth quarter.
Wisconsin is traditionally known as a program that will wear teams down and out-muscle them in the second half. In 2022 that did not happen, and Paul Chryst was fired. Now two weeks into 2023, the same issue plagues the team.
The Badgers’ fourth quarter last night included a punt, a back-breaking fumble and the defense allowing a 10-play, 57-yard touchdown drive which ended the game. The team looked the part in a 13-0 third quarter. It looked like the 2022 group in the fourth.
This is by no means a projection for the rest of the season. Wisconsin’s loss Saturday was due more to the team’s horrid first half than it was the play late — though the Chez Mellusi fumble in essence ended the contest. Then when the Badgers needed a stop, it couldn’t find one.
But it is something to monitor as Big Ten play begins in a few weeks. It’s one of the several issues from last night I’m focusing on moving forward:
- Does the team reverse the current late-game losing trend. Both offensively and defensively.
- Wisconsin has five turnovers through two games (Tanner Mordecai has four himself). That needs to change
- Can the Badgers run the ball well against good defenses. They only averaged 3.1 yards per carry on Saturday.
- How does the offense look as it gets close to the red zone. Saturday’s 0/3 performance in the first half was a big part of the loss.
The good news is there is plenty of time for Fickell and his team to reverse some of the early trends. But those trends are concerning, especially the team continuing its fourth-quarter struggles.