Maybe the Badgers needed to get punched in the mouth by a MAC team to start a game and actually get things going. Eastern Michigan went up 7-0, and on the next drive, Colton Joseph underthrew a ball for an interception, and the student section started chanting, "Fire Fickell!" It was at that moment that things began to turn around, and maybe this team really needed that wake-up call.
The Badgers then scored on their next seven drives to finally and fully step on the throat of an opponent, winning 54-10. It's the first time they've covered the spread and the first time the Badgers have never let up, without a care about a mercy rule. It's this mentality that Luke Fickell's teams have never had, but now we've seen it.
Wisconsin offensive line coach Eric Mateos even posted after the game exactly what Badger fans have been looking for: "Neck meet foot." Now, if you don't know what he means, he's implying that Wisconsin finally stepped on an opponent's neck. Or, to use another metaphor, finally put the pedal to the metal.
Neck meet foot. https://t.co/LnFNqaIpq3
— Eric Mateos 🦡 (@CoachMateos) September 19, 2026
Wisconsin finally ran up the score and had a dominant win to elevate some of the Badger fan stress
Related: 3 winners and 1 loser from Wisconsin's dominant win over Eastern Michigan
The Badgers ended with a walk-off field goal block returned for a touchdown. Even head coach Luke Fickell said it was nice to see it end that way and really put an exclamation point on things. It also helped relieve *SOME OF* the stress on Badger fans. Watching a crappy performance against an FCS opponent last week was tough and made things feel bleak.
The Badgers were then only a 23.5-point favorite against this MAC Eastern Michigan team. Starting the game 7-0, followed by a Colton Joseph interception, felt like rock bottom. The Badgers then decided to turn it on and play the way many were hoping they would all season. We've finally seen a performance we can be proud of.
Now the proof will be in the pudding, with Penn State next week on the road. Can Wisconsin make that game an actual game? Can they battle to the end? Can they pull off the upset? Even if they don't win, can they start to put together some important Big Ten wins after that? The bar still feels like seven or eight wins in the season. What will it take for Wisconsin to get there?
There's finally more hope on the horizon, and it was nice to even see a Wisconsin coach hold nothing back about what it means and feels like to put an opponent away and not look back. It's a big moment for the "Fire Luke Fickell" crowd, as it doesn't take him off the hot seat, but it helps prove that maybe, just maybe, he's got something cooking, and if he can carry even 75% of this over into Big Ten play, it'll be the cooling off that he truly needs.
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