Luke Fickell Press Conference Recap After Wisconsin's Week 2 Win vs. Middle Tennessee

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Badgers have improved to 2-0 with a Week 2 win over Middle Tennessee, 42-10. A shaky first half from Wisconsin led to an explosion in the second half, as the Badgers outscored the Blue Raiders 28-0 in the final two quarters.

The improvement was much needed after Wisconsin looked off in a Week 1 win vs. Miami (OH). Against Middle Tennessee, quarterback Danny O’Neil, in his first start as a Badger, impressed with 283 passing yards, three touchdowns and an interception, going 23-27.

Head coach Luke Fickell talked about the Badgers’ performance in a press conference following the win over Middle Tennessee:

Fickell on Wisconsin’s First Half vs. the Second Half

Fickell opened the press conference with a major statement. The third-year Badger head coach was not happy with the team’s play in the first 30 minutes, as were almost all fans.

“To be honest with you, we did not play very well in the first half,” Fickell said. “We did not execute even close to, I thought, the way that we prepared.

“You turn the ball over there in the last two minutes, and then we don’t respond defensively. It completely flipped the momentum, the energy of the game. We had to come in at halftime and, a little bit of a different feeling even than last week… But I think we settled down a little bit after half.”

Wisconsin’s offense looked good enough through most of the second quarter, but an O’Neil interception led to Middle Tennessee cutting the lead to four points before halftime, which killed the Badgers’ momentum. The Blue Raiders had 148 total yards of offense after the first two quarters.

However, the second half was a different story. Wisconsin put up 28 unanswered points, as the defense came away with some huge plays. Namely, freshman cornerback Omilio Agard came away with his first career interception.

“He played a little in Week 1, but Omilio is a guy that can make some plays as well,” Fickell said. “He might not be the biggest, but he doesn’t shy away from hitting, and he made a big play there on the pick.”

On Billy Edwards Jr., Jake Renfro, Offensive Line Changes

Wisconsin center Jake Renfro was ruled out ahead of Week 2 due to an undisclosed injury, a major blow to the team. The Badgers’ offensive line struggled mightily in Week 1, and their biggest piece, out, major shifts had to be made.

“I don’t have a whole great update [on Renfro],” Fickell said. “I thought that was something that came up on a Monday practice. It was a little bit of a surprise to us. I don’t think anyone knew that until game time. We were hoping by late in the week he’d be okay… We don’t really have any update on that. No real update on Billy [Edwards Jr.] as well.”

Kerry Kodanko got the start at center with Renfro out, while Riley Mahlman was moved to left tackle. Redshirt freshman Emerson Mandell got the start, once again, at right tackle. Collin Cubberly made his first start at right guard, with Joe Brunner at left guard, per usual.

“I thought they had a decent week of practice,” Fickel said. “I think that there are some things that they had done different that we don’t see on a regular basis.

“Kerry settled in, I think he played better, but we said it, proud of them, after the game with the team. This is a sixth-year guy that really got his first opportunity to play… But I think the first 10 plays it was a little bit of a struggle for us.”

Fickell’s Feeling Going Into Week 3 vs. Alabama

The big question going into Week 2 was how Wisconsin would set itself up going into Week 3 vs. the Alabama Crimson Tide. The first half certainly wouldn’t have left a good taste in Badgers’ mouths had they played that way the entire game, but even after the victory, Fickell still harped on the first half and Wisconsin’s lack of readiness heading into next Saturday.

“Right at this moment? No,” Fickell said when asked on if he feels ready for the schedule, which gets a lot harder. “We can’t play the way we did in the first half. There’s no doubt about that. That’s why we said in the locker room, ‘Our greatest jump has to be between game two and game three.’ We’re going on the road to an incredibly hostile environment, to a team that beat us pretty bad last year at home.”

Last season, Wisconsin was embarrassed at Camp Randall Stadium against the Crimson Tide, losing 42-10. This year, the Badgers will face an even tougher situation, traveling to Tuscaloosa. It’s worth noting, however, that Alabama suffered a Week 1 loss against Florida State.