Fourth-quarter failure is not an option for a Wisconsin team vying to win a championship

MADISON – Luke Fickell didn’t waste the moment.

Preparing for his first season as Wisconsin’s head coach, Fickell had a captive audience inside the McClain Center.

Standing in front of the players after a grueling morning workout in February, Fickell reminded them of the most nauseating stat from the 2022 regular season.

“Maybe you guys have studied this,” he said. “We were 1-4 last year in games decided in the fourth quarter. That’s a difference in a season, men. One and four, in games decided in the fourth quarter.

“We’ve got a hell of a lot of work to do. We’ve got a hell of a lot of work to do to finish when you get punched in the face, when you get down by 10, when you get down by 14.

“That’s what this is about. We want to see who the dawgs are, when it really gets tough. Can you fight through the (expletive)? Can you concentrate at the end? That is what we are trying to train ourselves.

“One and four in games decided in the fourth quarter. That’s the difference in seasons.”

With UW set to open the 2023 season at 2:30 p.m. Saturday against visiting Buffalo at Camp Randall Stadium, the Badgers, 27 ½-point favorites, shouldn't need a strong fourth quarter to secure the victory.

Nevertheless, the players remember the fourth-quarter failures of 2022.

Jordan Turner, Tanor Bortolini, Braelon Allen and others remember faltering late in 2022

“I just get a nasty taste in my mouth,” inside linebacker Jordan Turner said. “Just push myself harder, because we can’t go through that (expletive) again.”

The Badgers’ quest to win their Big Ten West Division title since 2019 no doubt will a topic of conversation all season.

“It motivates me,” offensive lineman Tanor Bortolini said. “You hear that and I think it really makes you realize how close you are. We lost four games in the fourth quarter. And if you win those four games that changes your entire season. He is right to bring that up. We’re happy he brings that up.”

To review:

UW finished 4-5 in the Big Ten and 7-6 overall last season.

The five games to which Fickell referred:

A 17-14 loss to Washington State, a 34-28 loss in two overtimes at Michigan State, at 24-10 loss at Iowa, a 15-14 victory at Nebraska and a 23-16 loss to Minnesota in the regular-season finale.

The Badgers were outscored by a combined 20-0 in the final quarter in losses to Iowa and Minnesota. They failed to score in the second half of their loss to Washington State, with their final two drives ending in turnovers inside the Cougars’ 15. Against Michigan State, tailback Braelon Allen lost a fumble on the first play of the second overtime and watched the Spartans score the winning touchdown, a 27-yard pass, three plays later.

“When you hear that, it kind of puts it in perspective,” Allen said. “That is five games we had the opportunity to win. At the end of the day if we win all five of those games, we’re 11-1. That is a huge difference. That puts us in a much better place than where we were.

“It is all about finishing at the end of the day. Going 1-4 in games decided in the fourth quarter is not where you want to be. Finishing and not letting games slip away is going to be huge for us this year.

“My goal this year will be to finish games stronger. That is one thing I am going to be working on very hard and making sure that by the end of the game I’m just as strong, if not stronger, than when the game starts.”

Luke Fickell and his staff used grueling winter workouts to push, prod and toughen the players

The morning workouts weren’t designed to hone the players’ football skills. In short, they were designed to build toughness, mental and physical.

“At the end of the day, everyone is going to be tired in the fourth quarter,” Bortolini said. “Everyone feels their best in the first. But in the fourth, you’re exhausted. He is exhausted. It is how bad do you want it? How deep are you going to dig?

“Obviously, it is tough. Who is going to give more on every single play to help their team win? If you don’t dig deep, you’re letting the guys next to you down.”

Wide receiver Chimere Dike nodded in agreement when told of Botolini’s comments.

“I think that is a huge part of it,” he said. “How sharp can you be when you’re tired? Every single play matters more. The Minnesota game last year. We’re on the 5-yard line. … Mental mistakes pushed us back. That is a game if you’re more mentally sharp and more prepared for that (moment) could have changed a huge result.

“We play in such a competitive conference that there are going to be games that come down to the fourth quarter. Winning or losing those games can really dictate your season.”

Did the players ever grow weary of hearing Fickell, who coached UW for one game last season, remind them of the 1-4 mark?

“I didn’t get tired of it,” tailback Chez Mellusi said, “because that’s what happened. It’s real. It was important for us to hear it.”

That is why Fickell didn’t waste the moment last winter.

“That’s when we’ve got to be the best,” he said of the final quarter. “It’s not about the start. … The fourth quarter is about who wants it. Who is willing to dive deep? Who is willing to fight through the (expletive)?

“That’s when the real games are won. Championships are won in the fourth quarter. Championships are won at the end of the year, because you consistently get better. That’s what we’ve got to do. That’s all about heart.”

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin football aims to eliminate fourth-quarter letdowns in 2023