Coming off two straight losses, the Wisconsin Badgers (2-2) are looking for a feel-good victory to get their season back on track. In playing the Purdue Boilermakers (1-3) Saturday at 11 a.m. at Camp Randall Stadium, they should be able to find it.
After losing match-ups against high-profile college football programs Alabama and University of Southern California, the struggling Boilermakers offer a welcome sight for a Wisconsin team in desperate need of a victory.
In two headlining opportunities for head coach Luke Fickell to showcase the progress being built at Wisconsin, the Badgers flopped in both. Wisconsin was dominated at home by Alabama in Week 3 and then, after playing convincing football in the first half at USC, fell flat in the second half and ended with a 38-21 loss.
With a lackluster first season and a rough start to this one, serious questions have been raised this week regarding the program Fickell is building at Wisconsin. During and after the USC game, several notable former Badgers took to social media to voice their frustration.
Badger legends JJ Watt and Frank Kaminsky both questioned Wisconsin’s play calling decisions, specifically on 4th-and-1. Former Wisconsin tight end Jake Ferguson posted to X, “#BringBackThePowerI.” And last year’s star player Braelon Allen, who played under Fickell, took to X to post, “I’m gonna hold my tongue for now, but y’all gonna see me on a podcast one day explaining exactly what was going on my last season there.”
Along with several other former alumni, the message was clear — they are not thrilled with the new direction Fickell is taking the program.
And although Fickell claims he doesn’t listen to the outside noise, he was forced to address the concerns on Wisconsin’s progress.
“I don’t know that there’s one giant leap. Everyone’s looking for that giant leap. And I would say right now, it’s baby steps,” Fickell said, “Are we still waiting for that giant leap? Yeah, maybe. It’s not as obvious. It’s not as evident because all you get to see is Saturdays. But I can tell you that there’s a lot of baby steps that lead to the things that make greater changes.”
For Fickell and the Badgers, the first step in silencing the crowd and building actual progress comes Saturday against Purdue.
The Boilermakers, who are 1-3 and coming off three straight losses, present a golden opportunity for Wisconsin to gain some momentum. In head coach Ryan Walters’ second season, Purdue has struggled mightily, beating Football Championship Subdivision Indiana State but losing three straight games to Notre Dame, Oregon State and Nebraska, none of them being close.
In an attempt to save the season, Walters fired offensive coordinator Graham Harrell this week, replacing him with offensive analyst Jason Simmons.
Purdue’s offense has been largely dreadful this season, ranking 110th in the Football Bowl Subdivision and 14th in the Big Ten, with numbers inflated due to the Indiana State game.
With fewer offensive weapons around him, quarterback Hudson Card has regressed in his second season at Purdue, throwing only three touchdown passes to four interceptions in the three games he has played against Power Four opponents. In those three games, his average passing attempt is a meek 5.4 yards.
Led by Devin Mockobee and Reggie Love III, Purdue’s offensive capability comes in its running game. Mockobee has been Purdue’s featured back, averaging 6.5 yards per carry for 317 yards with a touchdown. Love has averaged 5.4 yards per carry for 198 yards with two touchdowns.
With a solid running game and stout offensive line, the Boilermakers must find success on the ground to stay in the game.
Defensively, things aren’t very bright for Purdue. They rank last in the Big Ten in several categories, including total defense, run defense and scoring defense, and they have yet to force a turnover.
For a Wisconsin offense still trying to find its footing, playing Purdue offers a chance for an all-around confidence boost.
Running backs Chez Mellusi and Tawee Walker should feast on Purdue’s floundering run defense, and quarterback Braedyn Locke will have plenty of opportunities to gain confidence in leading his offense.
Last week against USC, Wisconsin made strides offensively despite its second-half performance. They scored 21 points in the first half. Locke connected on a deep ball to Vinny Anthony for a 63-yard touchdown and Walker scored two touchdowns. The balance that offensive coordinator Phil Longo preaches about seemed to be working. Playing at home against a lower-quality opponent in Purdue, Wisconsin must find offensive consistency for a full game.
As a whole, the Badgers showed flashes of what Fickell hopes to build at Wisconsin in last week’s first half.
“I think we’re on the up,” safety Hunter Wohler said after the USC game. “Two back-to-back losses look bad. But I think we’re trending upwards.”
After the last two games Wisconsin has played, it is clear improvements must be made. And with big games against No. 7 Penn State and No. 6 Oregon on the schedule, Wisconsin still has opportunities ahead to grab a signature win or two.
But in order to do so, progress must be made in the meantime, and that will start on Saturday against Purdue.
