Wisconsin walked out of Happy Valley with a win nobody saw coming, and Luke Fickell had every reason to let the moment hit him hard.
The Badgers became the first Wisconsin team to win at Penn State since 2003, and they did it while surviving a rough night from quarterback Colton Joseph. Joseph threw three interceptions, and two of them immediately turned into Penn State points, including a pick-six. Wisconsin’s offense never really found clean footing, but the defense kept dragging the game back into reach and eventually made the difference in a 24-20 finish.
“I can't describe it right now,” an emotional Fickell said after shocking Penn State. “The way they came back and we kept fighting - we saw it a little bit at the end of the year last year, and this is what we are, and this is who we need to be.
We could make it a lot cleaner, but I'm so proud of these guys. This is something I don't think a lot of people thought was going to happen.
I know a lot of people, maybe back home, didn't know it either, but this team is getting better.”
Wisconsin dug itself into a 17-0 hole early, with 14 of those points coming off Joseph’s interceptions. Even so, the defense kept the Badgers alive long enough for the offense to make just enough plays. Joseph eventually found tight end Jacob Harris wide open with less than two minutes left to put Wisconsin ahead for good - sort of.
The final possession still had to be survived. Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht kept firing hail marys toward the back of the end zone, but Wisconsin’s defense finished the job and closed out the four-point win.
Afterward, Fickell made clear he still believes in Joseph, even with the turnovers and the ugly throws.
“I mean, the guy’s not rattled,” Fickell said of his quarterback. “He didn’t play great, threw some pretty bad balls, but we talked about complementary football, and we talked about having each other’s back.
The defense stepped up and had their back, and let the offense get some things going, and good things can happen. Colton’s got the ability in him; we got the ability; we just have to find our confidence and find our rhythm.”
Joseph said the same kind of trust carried Wisconsin through the comeback.
“The teammates didn't lose their faith in me; I didn't lose my faith in them...It was great to have everyone stay in the fight the whole game.”
He also admitted he “shot himself and his team in the foot.”
The result marked Wisconsin’s largest comeback win since 2007. It was also the Badgers’ first Big Ten win of the season and their first ranked win this year. After a night like this, the question hangs there: are the Badgers back?
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