Luke Fickell on Wisconsin’s Win: ‘This Means Something Different'

MADISON, Wis. — Less than a month ago, the sentiment surrounding Wisconsin Badgers football and Luke Fickell was as bad as it could have gotten. From “Fire Fickell” chants in the student section to the inability to score on offense, many quit on the season before it finished.

However, that sentiment has changed following a 27-10 upset win over No. 21 Illinois on Saturday night. It’s not just that victory that has brought new life within the program, but the fact that this was Wisconsin’s second top-25 upset in three weeks.

Fickell spoke to the media after Senior Day and had nothing but positive things to say about the performance and his team.

Winning the Line of Scrimmage Made All the Difference

While the defense was masterful against the Fighting Illini, Wisconsin got serious offense from Darrion Dupree. The sophomore running back posted 131 yards and two touchdowns on 17 attempts, including a breakaway 84-yard touchdown to electrify Camp Randall Stadium. According to Fickell, the key was winning the line of scrimmage, and not just on the defensive end.

“I know this isn’t the end-all, be-all. It’s been a battle of ups and downs, and it’s been a rough year,” Fickell said. “But you gotta play your best ball at the end of the year if you’re going to move in the right direction. That’s what we’re starting to do.

“I think the game was won up front more than anything. I know that the starts are going to show the defensive line. Darryl Peterson, Mason Reiger and those guys were really dominant tonight. But I think on both sides of the ball, our ability to control and win the line of scrimmage is really the difference in the ball game.”

Fickell Commends Seniors, Darryl Peterson

It was the Darryl Peterson show in Madison on Saturday, as the senior linebacker posted six total tackles, three sacks, a tackle for loss and one pass breakup against the Fighting Illini. He led a virtually unstoppable defense to the win, with more key contributions from Mason Reiger, Mason Posa and D’Yomi Hill.

“As a whole for us, the leadership of that senior group is the difference… Darryl Peterson stepped up and said ‘This is exactly what Coach has been talking about, that nasty, competitive nature,'” Fickell said.

“I’ve seen a growth from Darryl, to be honest with you… Everything we’ve asked him to do, he’s continued to do. I’ll be honest, I stood him up there in the locker room afterwards to say, ‘Hey, I appreciate you stepping up for the first time and actually taking some leadership.'”

Red Zone Defense Made Incredible Stands

In the red zone, Illinois converted just one touchdown on three attempts. Fickell noted how important it was for that specific part of the defense to get better, especially against a talented quarterback like Luke Altmyer. The senior went 21-for-35 with 248 passing yards on no touchdowns.

“We needed to get better in the red zone, and that was huge. I think that stops down there when we were up 10, to hold them to a field goal, was huge,” Fickell said. “Obviously the guys played well, but give a lot of credit to the coaches too. Mike Tressel and those guys had a really good game plan and recognized where we were gonna need to be really successful in the red zone.”

A Lot to Like From Carter Smith

In Wisconsin’s last upset win against No. 23 Washington, Carter Smith wasn’t incredibly efficient. There were some strides the following week against Indiana. Against Illinois, he had his best game thus far, going 9-for-11 with 75 yards and 19 on the ground.

“I thought Carter played well tonight,” Fickell said. “[He] continues to grow, continues to recognize what it is that we need to do to be successful, and that starts with taking care of the football. But it also is, we have to be able to throw the ball, and you gotta be able to throw the ball down the field at some point in time.”

Wisconsin will go into the season finale against 6-5 Minnesota in another edition of the Battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe. At 4-7, the Badgers will not qualify for a bowl game, but their rivalry with the Golden Gophers gives Fickell a chance to finish the season 3-1 after what was a very disappointing stretch midseason.