Wisconsin football fans frustrated on social media with Luke Fickell after dreadful offensive showing vs. Iowa
It might be hard to actually remember after the Wisconsin football team's unsightly 15-6 loss to Iowa on Saturday, but the Badgers actually had a promising opening drive going.
Tanner Mordecai marched the Badgers for 83 yards to the Hawkeyes' 13-yard line. It was fourth and 1 and coach Luke Fickell was being aggressive. He had just seen his team convert a fourth down five plays earlier, after all.
The Badgers, however, were stuffed on the play when Iowa defensive end Cooper DeJean was left unblocked on the right side and wrapped up Braelon Allen for a 2-yard loss in the backfield.
4th Down Stop 🚫#Hawkeyes
pic.twitter.com/J9h63pb5pf— Hawkeye Football (@HawkeyeFootball) October 14, 2023
Wisconsin's offense never recovered. In fact, that drive was the deepest the Badgers would get in Iowa territory all day. And it was about to get a lot worse.
The next six possessions to close the half? Six punts. During one stretch the Badgers had four straight drives in which they couldn't even get one first down. Those four drives totaled 12 plays for a combined 18 yards.
For the game: Zero touchdowns — the first time they failed to reach the end zone in a game since a 14-6 loss to Indiana at home on Dec. 5, 2020 — and a third down rate of 2 for 17.
Wisconsin, now out of first place in the Big Ten West at 4-2 overall and 2-1 in league play, entered the game ranked 51st in the country in points per game. And with Mordecai injured there are even more questions around the offense.
Boos were again heard from the fans at Camp Randall Stadium — something that is becoming common this season — and social media wasn't any kinder after watching the Badgers' putrid offensive performance.
Luke Fickell's offensive play-calling questioned in Wisconsin's loss to Iowa, especially after being shut out in first half
First half thoughts: pic.twitter.com/XPeNkQweBZ
— Inside Wisconsin (@InsideWisconsin) October 14, 2023
Boo birds in Camp Randall after that 3-and-out.
Wisconsin fans to Iowa fans: pic.twitter.com/YegDTllMHS— Adam Jacobi (@adam_jacobi) October 14, 2023
Luke Fickell got some splainin’ to do after that one…
— Dillon Graff (@DillonGraff) October 15, 2023
Let’s try throwing it past the sticks on third down, Fickell 🙃
— Trent Tetzlaff (@ttetz5) October 14, 2023
Iowa shut out Wisconsin in the first half. It was just the fourth time in the last 20 years that the Badgers were shutout in
the first half in Camp Randall Stadium.— David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) October 15, 2023
Former Wisconsin cornerback Sojourn Shelton weighs in, can't believe Badgers lost after allowing the opposing quarterback to throw just 37 yards
— Sojourn Shelton II (@_SDS8) October 14, 2023
Damn & I was talkin ish last week ….. Fam we lost to a team that passed for 37 yards SMH
— Sojourn Shelton II (@_SDS8) October 15, 2023
Fans aren't counting on a New Year's Six bowl game this season after that showing today vs. Iowa
The Wisconsin badgers will win the LendingTree Bowl https://t.co/wpWv3gFTyj
— Will (@wills_profile) October 14, 2023
What happened to Wisconsin's formula of success? Sam Dekker wants to know.
Did the previous regime just not recruit players that know how to play offense? Legit question here.
— Sam Dekker (@dekker) October 14, 2023
The Wisconsin Badgers had an easy formula - Recruit big farmer boys for the lines, bruising speedsters at RB and it was a guaranteed 8-10 wins a season. You were only a QB away so how did the #Badgers get this bad?!
— GetWetSports (@GetWetSports) October 14, 2023
Wisconsin looks like a running team that insists on being a passing team.
— Pat Harty (@PatHarty) October 14, 2023
I don’t care about a transition of coaches, players, injuries. That’s a bad loss no way around it. Time to just build the identity you want, because there isn’t one right now.
— Ben Brust (@BenBrust) October 14, 2023
Badgers lost to a QB recruited by Paul Chryst while looking rudderless & lost themselves. Terrible loss for WI because they have no identity. So far, Mac’s gamble not paying off. Feel terrible for the players. #Next #Badgers
— Todd Allbaugh (@toddallbaugh) October 14, 2023
Remember Graham Mertz and Isaac Guerendo? They're having much better nights than the Badgers.
Maybe it wasn’t a Mertz issue … https://t.co/xbLjGWreuQ
— Dario Melendez (@Dario_Melendez) October 15, 2023
Isaac Guerendo now has twice as many points by himself at halftime as all of Wisconsin scored earlier today.
That should make some people happy.— Becky Hammon, Hall of Famer (@kneary22) October 15, 2023
These performances by the Badgers are reminding fans of other coaches
Luke Fickell at Wisconsin is starting to give Steve Wojciechowski at Marquette vibes. All hype, no results. pic.twitter.com/MqhHZqUQ5b
— Kevin (@TweetsWithWorm) October 15, 2023
Matt LaFleur and Luke Fickell not using their star running backs. pic.twitter.com/DIaDnh2XjW
— Scott Folger (@sffolger) October 14, 2023
Some recognize how bad the Badgers offense is, but they'll also give Luke Fickell some time
Quick post-Iowa thoughts:
*The team that won today deserved to
*Most frustrating non-Gophers loss in years
*Realities/injuries will force a reevaluation of what a successful season will look like
*I trust 100% in Fickell's plan. But he'll need his guys to hit his ceiling pic.twitter.com/WULwgLfmKx— Scary Alvarez (@barryisthedon) October 14, 2023
Bottom line on #Badgers: Fickell/Longo are trying to change the offense & doing it with Chryst’s players, many of whom aren’t good fits. Hard to make long-term judgments until they get their own guys. But those of us who watched Morton & Andersen have every right to be skeptical.
— Tom Oates (@TomOatesWSJ) October 15, 2023
Wisconsin QB depth chart: Who are the Badgers' quarterbacks after Tanner Mordecai?
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin football fans frustrated with Luke Fickell, Badgers offense
