Wisconsin spent two straight weeks without a turnover on defense, and Luke Fickell didn’t want to chalk the sudden spike against Eastern Michigan up to luck or some magical turnover bounce.
He said the Badgers simply played more aggressively.
“I think there was a different aggressive nature,” Fickell said. Wisconsin chose to take more chances, and that showed up in how the defense attacked the game. “We played and did some things a little bit more defensively, trying to get on guys a little bit more, turn the edge, get guys for us a little bit more loose.”
That approach paid off fast. After coming up empty against Notre Dame and Western Illinois, Wisconsin forced three turnovers against Eastern Michigan.
Mason Posa picked off a pass. Matthew Jung added another interception.
Cooper Catalano recovered a fumble and took it back for a touchdown.
Fickell said Jung’s takeaway came from Jung creating his own coverage, but he also stressed that the defense was helped by the way it was set up. “players make plays,” Fickell said, while adding that hopefully, “We put him in a little bit better position today to allow him to do that.”
For Fickell, the bigger point is that Wisconsin cannot keep waiting for turnovers to happen on their own. The Badgers need to create them. That means more pressure on quarterbacks, more willingness to blitz, and more trust in the offense if the defense takes a gamble and gets beaten.
“We’ve got to challenge ourselves to be a little bit more aggressive. We’ve got to take some shots.
If they make some plays, they make some plays. We’ve got to trust that our offense will turn the tide and get the momentum back.”
That’s the standard Wisconsin has to live by now, not just a one-week fix. The Badgers were too passive at times, and Fickell made it clear that has to change.
Sometimes four rushers will get the job done. Other times, Wisconsin will need to dial up blitzes and force the issue.
The urgency is obvious when you look back at last season, when Wisconsin was near the bottom of the country in turnover production, ranking 131st out of 134 FBS teams and last in the Big Ten at 18th. That kind of output can’t hold up, especially with Penn State coming to Madison on Saturday.
Eastern Michigan was a step in the right direction. Penn State will show whether it was a one-time surge or the start of something Wisconsin can actually count on.
In Other News...
Wisconsin Fans Have A New Abu Sama Question After Week 3
Wisconsin got through its game against Eastern Michigan without Abu Sama, and that alone was enough to raise a fresh question for Badgers fans who were already watching the backfield closely. Sama had been cleared to play, but the coaching staff ultimately made a game-time call to keep him out, leaving Wisconsin to piece together its ground attack without the tailback it had been counting on.
The result only sharpened the curiosity. Quarterback Colton Joseph ended up leading the team in rushing yards, while the tailbacks combined for modest production, the kind of output that makes any absence look bigger in hindsight. Luke Fickell said the decision came down to Samas readiness and the conditions on game day, but with the running game still searching for traction, the bigger issue now is when Wisconsin will decide the back is ready for real. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Fans May View Penn State Very Differently After This Line
Wisconsin heads into Beaver Stadium this week as a three-field-goal underdog, a number that may surprise anyone who has been following Penn States recent run. The No. 14 Nittany Lions have been rolling past lesser opponents, but the line suggests oddsmakers see a game that is closer than the reputation would indicate, especially with a new coach in Matt Campbell changing the feel around the program.
Penn State still has plenty of talent, but it no longer carries quite the same overpowering aura it has had in past seasons, and that opens the door for Wisconsin to view this trip as more than just another tough road test. For Badgers fans, the takeaway is simple enough: the matchup looks more competitive than expected, even if the challenge of winning in State College remains very real. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsins Backfield Debate Is Getting Bigger For This Offense
Two weeks into the season, Wisconsins backfield has already started to sort itself out, at least in terms of early production. The Badgers have leaned on a rotating group of runners, and the first look at the room has produced a clear pecking order based on carries and yardage. Nate Palmer, Bryan Jackson II, Darrion Dupree and Abu Sama III have all had their chances, but the touches have not been distributed evenly.
Abu Sama III has made the loudest case so far, leading the group with 156 rushing yards and flashing the kind of burst that can change a game in one play. His 72-yard touchdown stands out as the kind of run that can reshape how a staff views the backfield, even with the rest of the rotation still working to establish its footing. For Wisconsin, the bigger question is no longer just who gets touches, but how soon one back forces the issue. [Read more 🡒]