What We Learned: Maryland 27 Wisconsin 10

MADISON, Wis. — The Luke Fickell era continues to get rockier. Showing no signs of progress in year three, and showing more signs that the end is near, Wisconsin (2-2) was dropped 27-10 by Maryland (4-0) in Saturday’s Big Ten Conference opener. Saturday marked the first-ever loss to the Terrapins, who came in 0-4 against the Badgers, falling by an average of 22.5 points per game. Now in the bye week, UW needs to figure things out…fast.

Billy Edwards Made His Return, but It Was Short-Lived

After missing the last two games with a knee sprain, senior quarterback Billy Edwards made his return against Maryland. And what a game to return for as Edwards faced his former team.

Edwards’ first pass was an easy one, but effective. Trech Kekahuna got open on a slant route and went for 45 yards. That led to a 38-yard field goal from Nathanial Vakos. However, the Terrapins were able to block what was a low kick, resulting in a wasted drive.

Edwards’ return would last just seven plays. Following a pressure by Maryland, Edwards threw the ball away, and limped off the field. He would not return, finishing 1-of-3 passing for 45 yards. In relief, Danny O’Neil didn’t fare well. To be fair, Wisconsin could not run the ball once again and O’Neil was sacked six times, but the San Diego State transfer threw for just 120 yards and an interception on 14-of-22 passing.

“What I worried about was if Billy started, and played, and all of a sudden, something happened. Does that cause some of that deflation, as opposed to saying, ‘Hey, go with Danny to start with? Make sure we’re not bouncing back and forth,” said Fickell.

Wisconsin Couldn’t Slow Down Maryland’s Passing Attack

Maryland entered Saturday ranked No. 12 nationally in pass attempts per game (41.5). The Terrapins and quarterback Malik Washington had also only thrown on interception, despite airing it out on 59 percent of their offensive snaps. Meanwhile, Wisconsin’s secondary was coming off a rough performance at Alabama, where they surrendered 382 passing yards and four aerial touchdowns on 24 completions — and it very easily could have been 27 completions for five scores and over 400 yards.

Washington was plagued by drops, but still went 18-of-34 passing for 265 yards and two scores with zero interceptions. Wisconsin’s defense managd just one sack and that came in a 20-3 deficit. Washington hit on five chunk plays through the air, including a 62-yard connection with Shaleak Knotts to put things away in the fourth quarter.

Special Teams…Not So Special

Maryland got out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. They made two huge plays on special teams that resulted in points. After Wisconsin’s first drive, the Terrapins blocked a 38-yard field goal from Vakos. Just before the end of the opening period, Maryland got penetration and blocked a punt in UW territory. That led to a 9-yard touchdown pass from Washington.

Senior wide receiver and gunner Jayden Ballard also blew up a Maryland punt returner before he could catch the football. Fortunately for UW, officials missed the call and did not penalize the Badgers. Not that it mattered, but Vakos also missed wide right on a 51-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter.

“We pride ourselves on playing great special teams and playing all of our players on special teams,” Fickell said. “You get down there and then you get a field goal blocked. Right then and there, it was a change in momentum.”

Grimes Tried Too Much

My biggest criticism of offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes has consistently been that he’s too creative to a fault, and doesn’t know when to back it off. I should have doubled and tripled down on that. It didn’t matter if Wisconsin was moving the ball, Grimes continued to roll out stranger formations and trick plays, most of which were an utter disaster.

I can appreciate trying to spark an offense that can’t run the ball and is struggling without its starting quarterback, but there’s a time and a place. Grimes blew up two promising drives with his playcalling decisions and nearly a third after an end-around pass in Maryland territory that could have been intercepted.

It was another tough day sledding overall. Wisconsin finished with just 296 total yards. 80 of those came on the final drive. The Badgers ran for just 61 yards on 42 attempts and lost starting running back Dilin Jones to injury. UW was 3-of-17 on third down, allowed six sacks, and got in the end zone once on 13 drives, despite possessing the ball for 37 minutes.

“That’s a disappointment,” Fickell said of the run game. “Short yardage, obviously, the run game in particular, I really believed this was going to be an opportunity for us to run the football and establish the run.”

It Might Be the Beginning of the End For Luke Fickell

I remember sitting in the media room after Wisconsin got walloped by Illinois at home in 2022, the final game under former head coach Paul Chryst. I was thinking to myself, ‘It probably doesn’t get worse than this.’

It absolutely does…I was wrong.

Fickell better get things figured out fast, because he’s lost the alumni, he’s lost the fan base, and the Badgers are staring at a daunting remaining schedule in the midst of a six-game losing streak in Big Ten play.

Huge buyout or not, I’m not sure the Badgers can continue to like this. It’s one thing to lose football games. It’s another to get completely worked at home by a consistent league bottom-feeder on a day where anyone has a hard time pointing to anything UW did well, besides shooting themselves in the foot in a mistake-filled afternoon. Fans keep waiting for this program to go in the right direction, and it’s gone nothing but backwards, fast, since November. The toughest part to swallow right now? I’m not sure where the hope lies. After these first four games, what does this program hang onto and say, ‘This is how we move forward?’

In the first quarter, the ‘boos’ rained down on Camp Randall Stadium, and they did not stop, with chants of “Fire Fickell” also mixed in.

“I feel them,” said Fickell. “I feel what their pain is. There’s nothing we can do other than keep grinding, keep working. We have to play better. I don’t get upset, I don’t lose my mind, because of the way they feel. They’re passionate about what they do and what they want to see. That’s what you love about this place. That’s what you know you signed up for when you came here. This place has a history and they expect more…just like I do.”