Wisconsin quarterback Bradyn Locke, 18, throws a long pass during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Rutgers on Oct. 12, 2024 in Piscataway, N.J. (Andrew Mills/New Jersey Advance) media, via AP)
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin is finally starting to play like Wisconsin again.
The Badgers, who went 9-8 in their first 17 games under second-year coach Luke Fickell, defeated their remaining three opponents by a combined score of 117-16. They benefit from the dominant defense and physical rushing attack that are the hallmarks of Wisconsin’s best teams.
“Obviously, Wisconsin had a great tradition on defense, offensive line and everything else.” center Jake Renfro said. “We feel like we’re definitely bringing it back now.”
Those three lopsided wins were against Purdue, Rutgers, and Northwestern, so it’s hard to know how far Wisconsin got. These three teams have a combined record of 2-10 in Big Ten competition.
The real test comes Saturday night when Wisconsin (5-2, 3-1 Big Ten) hosts No. 3 Penn State (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten).
The Badgers have lost their last five games against Penn State and are 2-13 in their last 15 games against ranked foes.
Wisconsin is 0-4 against Fickell’s Top 25 teams, including a 42-10 loss to then-No. 1 Fickell. They fell to 4th place Alabama, 38-21. They won 13 straight games in Southern California earlier this season.
Renfro believes the USC game was a turning point.
“It was just like something clicked within us.” Renfro said. “Hey, we’re not doing what we’re supposed to be doing.
“We took it personally as an offensive line. That game was our fault.”
It would be presumptuous to say that Wisconsin regained its identity based on three lopsided wins against fellow Big Ten opponents, but it’s worth noting that the Badgers struggled in these types of games not too long ago.
Wisconsin trailed by two and a half points before winning 42-7 against Rutgers. The Badgers are coming off a 23-3 win at Northwestern, which beat Wisconsin 24-10 last year.
Part of the improvement is due to the resurgence of the defense.
Wisconsin was ranked 11th or higher among all teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision seven times in eight years from 2015 to 2022, but the Badgers fell to 39th place last season and last month were ranked 11th or higher among all teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision. The University of Southern California was unable to slow down its momentum.
During these three consecutive wins, Wisconsin has allowed just one touchdown. Safety Hunter Waller said the defense has figured out a way to respond whenever adversity hits.
“The way our defense responded to all the issues, whether it was turnovers on offense or poor field position, our defense responded in a great way.” Waller said.
Wisconsin’s offense makes sure the defense doesn’t face those situations often.
The Badgers went 7-6 last year, scoring just 23.5 points per game, their lowest single-season scoring percentage since 2004.
They started the season with two wins and two losses, but were only scoring 24 points per game.
However, during this winning streak, they are averaging 39 points per game. They did it despite losing starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke to a torn ACL against Alabama.
Wisconsin is running the ball more often behind its veteran offensive line.
Offensive coordinator Phil Longo has experience with Air Raid-style stacks, and Wisconsin passed on 50.8 percent of its snaps.
It was the first time since at least 1946 that the Badgers had more pass attempts than runs, and Wisconsin’s record for this goes back quite a bit.
Wisconsin is running the ball 58.2% of the time this season. Over the past three games, Wisconsin has built a big lead and held the lead on more than 60% of the snaps.
In the first part of the season, Towee Walker shared carries with Chez Merusi, who left the program three weeks ago. Walker has been the clear No. 1 back ever since, and the Oklahoma transfer responded by rushing for 418 yards and six touchdowns on 66 carries over the last three games.
“Towie in particular is starting to be recognized as a much better player than just 18-20 carries.” Fickell said.
Walker credits his success to Wisconsin’s experienced offensive line. Jack Nelson, Joe Huber, Renfro, Joe Brunner and Riley Mahlman have combined to start 138 career games.
In Wisconsin’s last three contests, quarterback Bradyn Lock has only been sacked three times.
“They play aggressively and are 100 percent defensive.” Walker said.
“I just follow their lead and match their energy.”
A combination of physical offense and dynamic defense gave Wisconsin confidence again.
As the 2024 regular season schedule becomes more demanding, the Badgers have a chance to prove how far they’ve come.
“Last year was certainly a little tough.” Renfro said. “It didn’t go the way we wanted it to, but I think we’re coming back and showing the world that we’re improved.
“And we haven’t even reached the ceiling yet. There’s still a lot of room for improvement.”
