What we learned from Luke Fickell before Wisconsin football takes on Iowa
Wisconsin heads into its rivalry matchup at Iowa searching for answers after a hard-fought loss at Michigan, looking to snap a three-game skid.
The University of Wisconsin football team doesn’t need a reality check anymore — it’s already living in a rather humbling one.
Five games into the season, the Badgers sit at 2–3 overall and 0–2 in Big Ten play, a record that says as much about where the program is as it does about where it’s headed. The loss at Michigan didn’t expose new flaws; it reinforced old ones. Wisconsin fought hard, played disciplined early, and still walked away with another “close-but-not-close-enough” outcome, a pattern that’s become all too familiar under Luke Fickell.
Now, as the Badgers turn the page to Iowa, the margin for patience is shrinking. This isn’t just another matchup on the schedule. It’s a gut check. It’s the kind of physical test that reveals whether or not this team has learned anything from last year’s ass kicking. The Hawkeyes have won three straight in the series, and last year’s 42–10 blowout served as a wake-up call that helped shape much of Wisconsin’s offseason identity.
Fickell knows that. His tone when speaking to the media this week was measured. It was the sound of a coach who understands the process, but also recognizes that results have to start aligning with the message.
“This is about a rivalry week, and this is what you love about college football,” Fickell said. “There’s no doubt that what happened last year is something that’s fresh in the minds of everybody on this team and a part of this program, and so we’ve got our work cut out for us in what we need to be able to do and learn from what happened last year. This is what makes college football great: your ability to have rivalry games, your ability to play in rivalry games, and then, to win rivalry games.
“So the focus is on that. The focus is moving forward. It’ll be a physical, tough, hard-nosed game, nothing different than what you would expect from an Iowa-Wisconsin football game. And I think it’ll be exactly that.”
That’s the challenge now for a program still fighting to define itself. Iowa represents the perfect litmus test for the Badgers, as it always has. No more talk about potential. No more waiting on progress. Just a chance to prove it on the field. With that in mind, here’s what we learned from Fickell ahead of Saturday’s Week 7 matchup against Iowa at Camp Randall.
Wisconsin’s response to the Iowa problem
If there was one game last season that forced Wisconsin to take a long, hard look in the mirror, it was the 42–10 loss to Iowa.
There were plenty of candidates, to be sure, but that night in Iowa City stood out as the moment the foundation cracked. A program once defined by its physicality in the trenches was bullied off the line of scrimmage, giving up 329 rushing yards to a team built in its own image. It wasn’t just a loss; it was an indictment of what Wisconsin had become: soft.
That night set everything in motion. The offseason conditioning, the roster overhaul, and the staff’s decision to get bigger and stronger up front all stemmed from being pushed around by a rival that had long served as a mirror. Through the transfer portal, Wisconsin rebuilt its defensive front with size, adding bodies that could withstand the kind of punishment Iowa brings every season. The result has been tangible.
The Badgers now rank No. 18 nationally in EPA per rush and No. 6 in total run defense, allowing just 75 rushing yards per game. They are one of only 13 FBS teams to have given up two or fewer runs of 20-plus yards.
Fickell knows the talk of Iowa was never just offseason noise. It was the standard that Wisconsin was desperate to reclaim.
“Well, I hope it matters,” Fickell said when asked how much Wisconsin’s offseason focus on physicality and preparation for Iowa factors into this week’s matchup. “That’s the whole idea. We can’t dwell upon it. That’s what this competitive maturity really is. It’s not accepting what happened last week, but it’s moving on from what happened. It’s recognizing what happened last year, but not dwelling upon what happened last year.”
For Fickell, the challenge is about execution. It’s about using last year’s humiliation in Iowa City as fuel without letting it define this year’s identity.
“I know it’s not the easiest thing in the world to sometimes move on and to block out the noise,” Fickell said. “But what else can you do? That’s the challenge the guys have in front of them. It helps that you have a rivalry week. It helps that you know how important this is and not dwell upon the things that happened. That’s going to take some competitive maturity.”
The Heartland Trophy has belonged to Iowa for three straight years. Wisconsin hasn’t lost four in a row in this series since 2002–05, a stat that hangs in the air this week like a challenge to the program’s DNA. But this team is bigger, deeper on the defensive line, and built for the fight.
Now, Wisconsin gets its chance to prove that all those offseason words meant something.
Hunter Simmons will remain the starting QB
For now, Wisconsin’s quarterback question has an answer, at least until Billy Edwards Jr. is healthy enough to play again. Coming out of the bye week, Luke Fickell and his staff held an open competition between Hunter Simmons and sophomore Danny O’Neil. The staff’s decision was somewhat surprising, but Simmons earned it the old-fashioned way.
He closed out the Maryland game, completing 7-of-9 passes for 70 yards and a touchdown, showing composure in the pocket and command of the huddle. Against Michigan, Simmons finished 18-of-29 for 177 yards and an interception on a throw that should’ve been wiped out by a missed pass interference call. It wasn’t perfect, but it was something Wisconsin hasn’t had much of this season: functional and poised quarterback play.
“Yeah, that’s what I would say,” Fickell said when asked if Simmons would remain the starter if Edwards can’t go. “There will be a plan both ways, but Hunter has done a good job. He will continue to get some more opportunities. Danny will have some opportunities as well, and we’ll have to see how that goes. But even after watching it, I thought that with what we asked Hunter to do, he played with poise. He did the things we asked him to do. He took care of the football for the most part, and so I think we can definitely build on that and go with him in different ways.”
The key phrase there is “build on that.” Wisconsin’s offense doesn’t need fireworks right now; it needs stability. Simmons brings that. He’s not going to light up the stat sheet, but he’s shown the ability to stand tall, make the simple throws on time, and get the ball out quickly. In a system that’s still searching for rhythm, those are small, but meaningful steps forward.
“I think the nature of what Hunter does bring is he does have a quick release,” Fickell said. “He does have a bit of a stronger arm. I think he’s got a really good arm. And so I think there are some things that suit him and his style a little bit better. Now, we just have to build off of that.”
Until Edwards returns, this is Simmons’ team to run, not as a savior, but as a stabilizer. And right now, that’s exactly what the Badgers need.
Wisconsin’s offensive line shows signs of life
No one’s confusing Wisconsin’s offensive line play in Ann Arbor for vintage Badgers football. Far from it. The group allowed 14 total pressures, five quarterback hits, and a sack against Michigan’s front. But for the first time in a while, it didn’t look totally chaotic. It looked… competent. And that’s a small but necessary step for a unit still searching for some success.
Part of that improvement came from reshuffling the interior. With Jake Renfro still sidelined due to injury, Davis Heinzen made his first career start at center, a position he hadn’t played before this season, and gave Wisconsin’s staff something to build on. Kerry Kodanko returned to right guard, his natural spot, which also helped restore a sense of balance. The protection wasn’t perfect, but it held up just long enough for the Badgers to sustain drives and look more cohesive than they had in weeks.
“I would hope that we can be very similar in that starting group,” Fickell said. “There are definitely some things that you saw, you take a good, hard look at that first drive. There are always things you can do better, but that’s a better depiction of some of the things I think we can do. I hope, and I believe that combination of those guys gets a better feel together.”
Fickell singled out Heinzen, whose transition to center during the bye has given the Badgers a solid presence at a position that’s been in flux.
“Obviously, Davis is doing a pretty good job,” Fickell said. “I’m not saying it was flawless by any means, but for a guy who’s played his first game ever at center in his fifth year of college football, probably taken no more than two snaps, there are a lot of things that we can build off of.”
That’s unfortunately the lens through which this team is being viewed right now: progress, no matter how modest. Wisconsin’s offensive line isn’t fixed, but for the first time in weeks, it looked like a group capable of executing the basics and playing with some stability. And at this stage, the Badgers need five guys who can gel, grind, and grow together.
“That’s where we have to do our job as coaches,” Fickell explained. “Let’s give ourselves the best chance to be successful by asking guys to do things that we know that they have a chance to do, as opposed to asking them to do something that is probably outside of their capabilities.”
Next man up at safety: Matt Jung
When Wisconsin brought in Matt Jung, a former Division III standout from Bethel University, the expectation for the in-state product was modest. He was a developmental depth piece and a safety who could provide insurance in case of injury. But when Preston Zachman went down, Jung became the insurance policy nobody expected to cash in on this soon.
Thrust into a starting role for Wisconsin, Jung has answered the call about as well as anyone could’ve reasonably hoped. His snap counts have steadily climbed from 11 to 19 to 25 before ballooning to 57 against Maryland and 64 against Michigan, both of which were starts for Jung. And while there have been growing pains, the progress has been evident.
Against the Wolverines, Jung recorded nine total tackles (seven solo) and finished with a 58.2 defensive grade, including a strong 72.1 tackling mark and a 60.0 in coverage. Jung was targeted four times, allowing three completions for 64 yards, including a 32-yard gain on a play that he was in position to make. He’s learning on the fly, but the growth is real.
Jung and Austin Brown have taken nearly all of Wisconsin’s safety snaps over the past two weeks, but it’ll be interesting to see whether Richmond transfer Matthew Traynor can start carving out a small role in the rotation as well. Traynor flashed in fall camp and has built a reputation as a physical, downhill hitter who isn’t afraid to deliver contact in run support.
“Matt’s getting better,” Fickell said. “Here’s a guy that was thrust into a situation that maybe you didn’t envision he was going to be in. As we went through spring ball and fall camp, heck, he showed us a lot of things. It was probably in a backup role with maybe some situational opportunities. And he’s been thrust into this role of starting and really kind of controlling a lot of things on the defense. That’s what Preston had been for us. He was the guy making a lot of those calls and checks.”
Zachman was the signal-caller on the back end, the safety who handled most of the checks and defensive adjustments pre-snap. Now Jung is filling that role, and it demands both communication and poise.
“As Matt fills into that position, that’s still a role that we need that position to be able to do,” Fickell added. “He’s done a good job at it. He works his tail off at it. He’s the guy who you see the growth in every single day because he’s a competitive guy. He’s got a mind for the game of football, and he also has a passion for the game of football. He’s going to be better tomorrow than he was yesterday. And that’s what you love.”
That’s the best way to sum up Jung’s story so far: steady, self-made, and constantly improving. He might not have been part of Wisconsin’s original plan in the secondary in 2025, but his emergence has given the defense a dependable presence at a time when the Badgers’ back end needs it.
How Luke Fickell intends to evaluate his staff
When a program is trending the wrong way, three straight years of decline, and a roster still struggling to find rhythm, the natural question becomes: Does Fickell have the right people around him to fix it?
The buyout realities suggest he’s not going anywhere soon. Barring a complete and utter collapse or off-field controversy, Fickell will likely finish out 2025 and, in all likelihood, get a crack at coaching through the 2026 season. But, with Wisconsin showing the same symptoms week after week: slow starts, poor execution, beating themselves, and flashes of progress buried beneath inconsistencies, the focus shifts inward.
If the Badgers are going to turn this thing around, it won’t happen through splashy hires or quick fixes. It’s going to happen from within through development, refining technique, and most importantly, accountability.
That’s where Fickell’s philosophy on evaluating coaches comes into focus.
“The simplest thing I would say, whether it’s evaluating myself or other coaches, is, do your guys play at, above, or below their God-given ability?” Fickell said. “I don’t know that you can always say that within five games. It’s a bigger, broader evaluation, but it’s not going to change.”
He’s not just talking about effort. He’s talking about maximizing what’s available, no matter what the personnel groupings look like.
“I had a year where we didn’t run the ball very good at all,” Fickell recalled. “The offensive line coach came in and said, ‘I know we were very bad. We did a terrible job. I did a terrible job.’ I’m like, ‘No, actually, I evaluate you as doing a good job for what you had and who we were.
“Four walk-ons starting on the offensive line, and I thought they played at and above their ability almost every single week.”
That anecdote says a lot about how Fickell sees coaching: not as a pursuit of perfection, but of growth. But for a team to look as disjointed as Wisconsin does across so many position groups in Year 3 of Fickell’s tenure, the question was worth asking. It’s challenging to pinpoint one area and say, “fix this,” when every unit is still striving for consistency.
Right now, the Badgers aren’t just fighting to win games. They’re fighting to look like a program capable of playing four complete quarters of football. It’s about needing to find a baseline level of competence from week to week. Because through the first half of the season, Wisconsin hasn’t proven it can consistently compete against Power Four opponents, and that reality underscores how far this program still has to go.
“As guys are responsible for their units, that’s where some of the things that you have to be able to do is be a good coach,” Fickell said. “Be smart to say, Hey, we got to do the things that I feel like my guys, in particular, can play at or above their ability. If we’re asking them to do something that they really don’t have the ability to do, it’s tough to think that we’re going to get them to play above their ability. So it’s not something to sit here in the middle of a season and start to evaluate, but it is a big picture. Everybody knows that’s how I evaluate everything within the program.”
At this point, Wisconsin can’t afford to wait on wholesale changes or a miracle turnaround. What happens over the next year will come down to internal development, players playing above their talent level, and the Badgers’ position coaches squeezing the most out of what they have.
It’s the only lever Fickell can pull right now. And how well his staff executes that, more than anything else, will determine whether the Badgers find a way forward or continue in the same frustrating cycle.
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