Luke Fickell did not have any solutions Saturday night following Wisconsin football’s 44-25 loss at Nebraska.
“I don’t have any excuses. We didn’t play well. The complementary football that we have to have on the road in particular. It’s snowballed to be played really, really poor,” Fickell said during his postgame press conference comments.
The Badgers’ coach was adamant that “tackling in the second half” was a key issue against Nebraska. The Cornhuskers were dominant offensively, as freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola finished 28-of-38 for 293 passing yards and one score. Nebraska also rattled off 185 rushing yards with four scores including three to Dante Dowdell.
Running back Emmett Johnson was a workhorse for the Huskers, pounding the ball on 16 carries for 113 rushing yards and added six receptions for 85 yards. The performance by Nebraska’s offense had Fickell questioning the resolve of Wisconsin heading into the final week of the regular season.
“We’ve got to challenge ourselves. We’re going to look real deep here in a short week and find who’s with us and who’s willing to put it all, lay it all out on the line for these seniors coming up next week,” Fickell said.
The former Cincinnati coach did maintain that the season is not yet over for the Badgers, who are seeking their sixth win to get to bowl eligibility. Fickell added that the Badgers’ response could come down to the leaders in the program.
“Regardless of whether it’s really good or struggles. I mean, you got to have faith, and it’s just a matter of at which route you have to continue to push, to go forward. I don’t have a problem having blind faith. You know, when you struggle like that, I’m sure there’s guys that have some doubts in their minds and things like that. But you know, when you really think about things like that, you think about those older guys and senior secretaries, seniors in particular, that you know, have dedicated themselves, invested themselves, and I mean that asking these guys to go away for 14 days for camp, to do the things that we’ve asked them to do, and not be able to perform and do the things the way we need to be able to do them, to give them the results that they want. It’s tough, but it’s part of this game. You’re gonna have to find ways to pick yourself back up and have some faith in the process,” Fickell said.
Although the loss prevented a chance for Wisconsin to get to bowl eligibility prior to the final week of the regular season, the Badgers’ coach was still confident in Wisconsin’s ability to rebound with their veteran leadership in the program.
“It’s about leadership. And I know there’s body blows that take a toll, but you got to find ways to get back up each and every week. That’s where we’re really struggling. We play really, really well, and then we get to a situation where things don’t go well. You can’t find a way to kind of regroup and have the poise enough to be able to make some adjustments and play better, especially in the second half. But that’s to be honest, it’s what I’ve been searching for for quite a while,” Fickell said.
He continued in saying that there was only one solution for Wisconsin to get back on track and find a way to enter the postseason: go head-first into the grind again.
“I don’t have an answer. Can’t put a finger on it, other than go back to work and make sure you know who you got with you and who’s willing to do the same things that you would want to do to be addicted to this fight,” Fickell said.
The victory for Nebraska ended a ten-game losing streak to the Badgers dating back to 2012 when the Huskers were blasted in the Big Ten Championship game 70-31. The Huskers and Badgers have had mixed results since that contest, as both programs have had three coaching changes.
Wisconsin wraps up their season against Minnesota on Black Friday for an 11 a.m. CST kickoff while Nebraska is at Iowa that night at 6:30 p.m. CST. Hear Fickell’s full postgame commentary.
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