Know Your Opponent: Wisconsin Badgers

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Know Your Opponent: Wisconsin Badgers - GopherHole.com

Before every game, I ask a reporter who covers the Gophers upcoming opponent to give us a view from the opponent’s perspective. I asked Rohan Chakravarthi from Bucky’s 5th Quarter of SB Nation six questions about the Wisconsin Badgers. Minnesota travels to Wisconsin on Black Friday for the...

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Before every game, I ask a reporter who covers the Gophers upcoming opponent to give us a view from the opponent’s perspective.

I asked Rohan Chakravarthi from Bucky’s 5th Quarter of SB Nation six questions about the Wisconsin Badgers.

Minnesota travels to Wisconsin on Black Friday for the battle of Paul Bunyan’s Axe. It will be the 134th meeting between the two programs, making it the most played rivalry in college football.

Huge thanks to Rohan for giving us his thoughts!

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1. The Badgers went 7-6 (5-4) last year in Luke Fickell’s first year in Madison. The season ended in a 35-31 loss to the LSU Tigers in the ReliaQuest Bowl. It wasn’t all bad though, as Fickell brought home Paul Bunyan’s Axe after the Gophers held on to it for two straight years. The 2024 season has been an eventful one for Wisconsin. Miami transfer QB Tyler Van Dyke got injured early in the season, and the Fickell fired OC Phil Lango after just 23 games with the program. What were the expectations for this team heading into this season? How would you grade their season at this point?

It’s been a disappointing season for the Badgers, no doubt about it. Wisconsin was hoping to have more of a high-octane passing attack with a bigger emphasis on throwing the ball downfield with Tyler Van Dyke, while also sprinkling in the quarterback runs on read options. That was all thrown out the window when Van Dyke tore his ACL, leaving Phil Longo to deal with another quarterback injury. Ultimately, Longo’s offense never got going, leading to him being fired. Wisconsin was hoping to win seven or eight games this year. That clearly isn’t happening, as they’re fighting for a bowl appearance this weekend.



2. As I mentioned above, Luke Fickell relieved offensive coordinator Phil Longo on November 17th after just two years with the program. Not too often do you see a move like this at Wisconsin in the season. Can you give some Minnesota fans some insight on why Fickell made the move so late into the season? Overall, how did fans in Madison take the news? Who is calling plays for the Badgers?

To me, it was more so a move that felt inevitable, with the timing being the biggest question mark. There was a clear disconnect between Fickell and Longo, in part with how they wanted the offense to run all the way down to even the playcalling choices at times. That made it seem like this partnership wasn’t going to last past this season, but the Badgers made a big move with two games left in a surprising manner. To me, the move was made as a way to try and spark the team, but also more so to clear up the picture for the future and try and get a jumpstart on what they can get for 2025. Tight ends coach Nate Letton is calling plays now, while wide receivers coach Kenny Guiton is signaling them in. As a result, there’s been more huddling, which should continue this weekend.



3. The Badgers offense is averaging 24 points per game, which is 12th in the Big Ten Conference. Wisconsin ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 164.4 rushing yards per game; their 202.7 yards in the air is 14th in the conference. To be kind, the air raid hasn’t taken off in Madison as expected since Fickell has arrived. What hinders this offense? What has been going right for the Badgers offense in 2024?

It’s been inconsistent quarterback and receiver play. Braedyn Locke, who took over for an injured Tyler Van Dyke, has struggled with ball placement and accuracy all season long, while teams have looked to take advantage of him with extra pressure. At the receiver spots, the Badgers have dealt with a lack of separation at times, as well as too many drops and injuries. That has clouded the picture and made things tougher on Locke. With the passing game struggling, the run game has taken a hit as teams have loaded up on the box, daring Wisconsin to run the ball.



4. The Badgers defense is allowing 339.8 yards per game, which ranks 11th in the conference. On paper, it seems that they struggle against the run (163 yds per game) but are strong against the pass (182 yds per game). Would that be a fair assessment of the defense? What players should Minnesota know about when the Gophers have the ball?

That’s exactly what they do. Wisconsin is a strong team in pass coverage, as the defensive backs are their strong suit. They’ve really struggled against the run at times, which was seen against Iowa and most recently, Nebraska, and that could be an issue this weekend for the Badgers against the Gophers. As for players to watch, linebacker Christian Alliegro is a high flyer who has filled up the stat sheet with tackles when getting more playing time. Additionally, safety Hunter Wohler always seems to be around the ball, and cornerback Ricardo Hallman has been avoided by opposing offenses all year long.



5. What impact players should Minnesota fans know about heading into this game? Who do you see as difference-makers for the Badgers against the Gophers?

Offensively, there’s running back Darrion Dupree, who has really started to come together as of late as a change of pace back. He complements top back Tawee Walker, who is more of a bruiser and works well between the tackles. Wide receiver Vinny Anthony is coming off a career-high 137 receiving yards and could be a key deep threat in this one if Wisconsin tests Minnesota deep. Defensively, the two aforementioned players will be keys, as will true freshman Xavier Lucas, who played 56 snaps against Nebraska and could be a key player in the secondary at cornerback.

6. The college football slate this Saturday will feature one of the best rivalries in the country when Minnesota takes on Wisconsin. It is the most-played rivalry in NCAA Division I football. With 133 meetings between the two programs, it is also the longest continuously played rivalry in Division I FBS, with an uninterrupted streak of 117 games heading into the 2024 meeting. Wisconsin currently has possession of the Paul Bunyan’s Axe and are two-point favorites at home. What do the Badgers need to do to become bowl-eligible and hang on to the Axe? What is your prediction for the game?



They need to find a way to be consistent offensively without turning the ball over. They had some glimpses of that last weekend when Braedyn Locke threw for 282 yards and three touchdowns prior to a last-minute interception with the game out of hand. That means accurate passes from Locke spreading the field, as well as a strong rushing attack that executes on stretch plays as well as inside runs. Defensively, they need to limit Minnesota on the ground and force them to make plays with their passing game. A turnover would definitely come in handy there, but they’ve got to get Minnesota throwing to be opportunistic enough for that. Unfortunately for the Badgers, I see them falling just short in this one, with Minnesota winning 20-16.



Bonus Question: No doubt Luke Fickell has improved recruiting in Madison in his tenure. The results on the field haven’t quite lived up to expectations, but it is only year two. Fickell has big decisions to make when hiring his next OC. This is my opinion, but I get the sense there is some frustration with the Air Raid and lack of identity on offense under Fickell so far. What are your thoughts? Should Badgers fans be patient and let Fickell develop, or do they go back to the old Wisconsin ground and pound run game?

I think there needs to be patience with Fickell, but this next offensive coordinator hire will be critical for the program. Fickell has been hitting the head hard with recruiting, as seen by a group of top-25 classes in his first two seasons with the program. The young talent is coming. But the infrastructure around has to be there, which comes first with the offensive coordinator hire. It’s clear the Badgers want to have some kind of dual-threat at quarterback, so there could be more run game involved with the next hire.