Wisconsin went two weeks without generating a single turnover on defense. Even against an FCS opponent, the Badgers didn't get an interception or a fumble recovery. Then Eastern Michigan showed up in Madison, and Wisconsin was able to get three. The old adage, "turnovers come in bunches," may be true here. Luke Fickell actually disagrees; he said the team changed the approach.
"I think there was a different aggressive nature," Fickell said. They decided to take some aggressive approaches and shots. "We played and did some things a little bit more defensively, trying to get on guys a little bit more, turn the edge, get guys for us a little bit more loose."
The plan was to be aggressive and take chances to steal the ball, get interceptions, and even get to the quarterback to create those opportunities. He said that they've been too safe in the past, but that has to change: "We’ve got to challenge ourselves to be a little bit more aggressive. We’ve got to take some shots. If they make some plays, they make some plays. We’ve got to trust that our offense will turn the tide and get the momentum back."
This needs to become the norm, not the exception. Wisconsin can't sit on their heels, hoping the ball will land in their laps; they need to force and create turnovers. The Badgers also have to get to the quarterback, and sometimes they can do that with four guys, but other times Wisconsin needs to create blitz packages.
Luke Fickell on the #Badgers' three turnovers vs. Eastern Michigan (after not having any vs. Notre Dame or Western Illinois): pic.twitter.com/FEL5DzRX3m
— John Steppe (@JSteppe1) September 19, 2026
Wisconsin changed the defensive approach and it worked wonders against Eastern Michigan
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Against Notre Dame, Wisconsin struggled to get pressure on the quarterbacks, forced zero fumbles, and had zero interceptions. The excuse was that the Irish are a top-end team, but then, when the same thing reared its ugly head against Western Illinois, something needed to change.
The change to a more aggressive approach helped a ton against Eastern Michigan. Mason Posa got an interception, and Matthew Jung did too. Fickell said that Jung's came off of Jung creating his own coverage, "players make plays," but that Fickell said that hopefully, "We put him in a little bit better position today to allow him to do that."
Cooper Catalano also recovered a fumble and returned it for a touchdown. So, the three turnovers completely changed the game, and Wisconsin needs to see a lot more of that as Big Ten play comes.
Penn State is looming on Saturday, and the Badgers will have to play soundly but also generate turnovers to find a way to win. There's nothing that steals momentum and creates extra scoring opportunities like turnovers.
Last season, Wisconsin was nearly dead last in generating turnovers. Ranking 131st out of 134 FBS teams nationally and dead last (18th) in the Big Ten. That has to change, and this week was a step in the right direction, but it needs to continue. The game versus Penn State will be the real litmus test.
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