Badgers’ September schedule all set for 2023 football season
The Wisconsin Badgers’ football season is on the horizon and all of the broadcast times have been set for the month of September. Heading into their first season under Luke Fickell, the Badgers are ushering in a new era of football in Madison.
After a disappointing 7-6 campaign in 2022 that included the firing of head coach Paul Chryst, interim head coach and defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard also walked out the door. On top of that, offensive coordinator Bobby Engram never gelled and has also moved on ahead of 2023.
Hitting the reset button, athletic director Chris McIntosh brought in Fickell from Cincinnati, who in turn, was joined in Madison by offensive coordinator Phil Longo (UNC) and defensive coordinator Mike Tressel (Cincinnati).
On top of the coaching changes, over a dozen athletes transferred to Madison, most notably former four-star quarterback Tanner Mordecai (SMU).
Here’s how their opening month shakes out:
Sept. 2: Home vs Buffalo (2:30 PM on FS1)
Wisconsin will open the Luke Fickell era with a home matchup against the Buffalo Bulls, who went 7-6 in 2022, winning the Camellia Bowl over Georgia Southern 23-21. The Badgers opened the 2022 season with a 38-0 win over Illinois State and will look to replicate their success in their opener in 2023.
Sept. 9: Away vs Washington State (6:30 PM on ABC)
In Week 2, the Badgers will look to redeem themselves against a familiar foe. Wisconsin fell to Wazzu 17-14 in their second game of the 2022 campaign, turning the ball over three times and coughing up a 14-7 halftime lead. Overall, the Badgers produced 401 total yards to their opponent’s 253 while possessing the ball for 16 minutes longer, making the loss a bitter one.
Sept. 16: Home vs Georgia Southern (11:00 AM on Big Ten Network)
Week 3 brings a brand new opponent for Wisconsin as they’ll take on GA Southern for the first time in program history. The Eagles finished the 2022 season 6-7, sneaking into the Camellia Bowl versus Buffalo. In the end, this is the type of matchup schools like Wisconsin schedule to get an “inferior” opponent at home. That being said, the Badgers certainly can’t overlook GA Southern and suffer what would be a costly defeat.
Sept. 22: Away vs Purdue (6:00 PM on FS1)
In Week 4, the Badgers will get their first Big Ten opponent of the year, heading to West Lafayette for a tough Friday night matchup with the Boilermakers. With both starting quarterbacks Tanner Mordecai (SMU) and Purdue’s Hudson Card (Texas) under center for their first conference games of the campaign, the contest will have much anticipation around it. Wisconsin defeated Purdue 35-24 at Camp Randall in 2022 and have now won 16 consecutive games over the Boilermakers, who will seemingly be out to end the streak in 2023.
