The Wisconsin defensive front was unrecognizable in 2024. Typically, a strong point of Badger defenses, last year's unit failed to generate much pressure or show up in the run game. This offseason, Luke Fickell and company addressed those weaknesses, and it's already paying dividends.
Last year, the Badgers were last in the Big Ten in tackles for loss and second-to-last in sacks. The defensive front was simply not good enough. But now, after adding key transfers like Mason Reiger or Parker Peterson, among others, the unit looks like it might be the strength of the defense in 2025. In week one against Miami (OH), the Badgers racked up three sacks and four tackles for loss on a night that the defense as a whole pitched a shutout.
The Badger defense is doing things where last year's team struggled
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Fickell talked all offseason about how he wanted the defensive line to get bigger and how he wanted the pass rushers to get faster. He did it, and it was obvious in one game. This was the first shutout under Fickell for Wisconsin.
Fickell talked after the game about how last year's roster just wasn't able to do some of the things that this year's team can.
"Whether it was trying to get some situations where we could bring some edge pressure to guys like Mason Reiger, [Sebastian] Cheeks, and [Darryl Peterson], just being really under control at the edges because that's where your discipline really shows," said Fickell. "And to be honest with you, the last two years, we would have really struggled."
It's hard to critique a defense when they allow zero points, but with two interceptions as well, the Badger defense was darn near perfect in week one. While the offense has some catching up to do, the defense looked like the Wisconsin defenses of the past.