This team just continues to find ways to shoot itself in the foot. On Saturday, the Wisconsin Badgers are taking on the Nebraska Cornhuskers, with Luke Fickell and Co. hoping to post a win to get them to bowl eligibility. Well, plenty of people are furious with Fickell and rightfully so.
Right before halftime, following a Nebraska touchdown, the Badgers got the ball back with 17 seconds left on the clock. Instead of taking a knee and regrouping at the break, Fickell did the opposite, letting Tawee Walker record another carry.
That decision backfired, with the veteran RB fumbling, giving Nebraska the ball back in Wisconsin territory. With two seconds left in the second quarter, the Cornhuskers made Fickell pay for his decision, with John Hohl drilling a 37-yard field goal. This is all on the Wisconsin head coach.
As brutal of a final 22 seconds as you could possible have. Why they were even trying to run the ball is beyond comprehension.
— Zach Heilprin (@ZachHeilprin) November 23, 2024
Wisconsin HC Luke Fickell is getting bashed for terrible decision before halftime
Due to poor defense late and Fickell's mistake, Nebraska entered the locker rooms with a 24-10 lead. The Badgers have missed two field goals thus far in this one, with Nathanial Vakos being way too inconsistent with his attempts.
Quarterback Braedyn Locke has been playing well, throwing for 157 yards and a touchdown, but the guys around him aren't helping him out enough. The missed field goals have been back-breaking, while Fickell giving Nebraska those free points was simply ludicrous.
This team isn't good enough for Fickell to make poor decisions like this. A look on social media shows that people are letting him have it and we're not surprised by that at all. This is a winnable game for the Badgers, but they're not playing to their potential.
That's on Fickell, who fired Phil Longo after the loss to Oregon to try and get his group back on the right track. Even without Longo, nothing is going right for Wisconsin, which is a darn shame.