Wisconsin Football Drops Must-Win Game Against Northwestern Wildcats For 5th Loss

The Wisconsin Badgers football team began the 2023-24 season with high hopes and set their sights upon a conference championship. After only four weeks, those hopes came crashing down to reality for the team. First-year Wisconsin football Head Coach Luke Fickell has kept his composure all season up until this point.

The Wisconsin coach was seen yelling and running towards players on the sideline after multiple mental errors offensively and defensively. On the defensive side of the ball, the Badgers allowed far too many missed assignments and blown coverage plays to occur. Northwestern started Senior quarterback Ben Bryant against the Badgers, who played in his first game back from injury.

Bryant, a former Wisconsin football commitment, averaged a quarterback rating of 40.8 against all other opponents. Against the Badgers, Bryant nearly doubled his quarterback rating and threw his second-fewest incomplete passes in a game this season. The Badgers also allowed the Wildcats to convert five-straight third downs during the first half of play.

The Wisconsin Badgers Football Staff Must Fix Their Lackluster Offense to Win Games 

As terrible as the defense may have played against one of the worst offenses in the country, the offense managed to play worse. Quarterback Tanner Mordecai surprised Badgers’ fans by jumping into the starting role once again following a hand injury he suffered earlier this season. Mordecai was thought to be shut-down, but with Wisconsin needing another win for bowl eligibility, the veteran suited up.

Wisconsin football converted eight of their 16 third down opportunities against the Wildcats. The Badgers played their second game without star running back Braelon Allen being fully available and the team was clearly hurting. Allen had three carries for three yards as the Badgers recorded 83 total rushing yards on the day.

The Wisconsin football team looked a step slow once again against the Northwestern Wildcats. The Badgers struggled to connect on anything major and averaged 5.7 yards per play against a struggling defense. To make matters worse for the Badgers, drops were once again an issue for their receivers, which causes multiple drives to be cut short.