Wisconsin left its home opener with a 36-9 win over Western Illinois, but the final score told a cleaner story than the tape did. For a team that came in with real expectations, this one felt like a mixed bag: enough good to bank the victory, enough slippage to leave Badger fans wanting more.
The brightest spot came from the third phase. Special teams, which had been a problem area for Wisconsin a year ago, looked sharp again.
Gavin Lahm was nearly flawless, drilling all three of his field goal attempts, including a 51-yarder, before missing an extra point late. The bigger swing came on a blocked punt by safety Carson Van Dinter that turned into a touchdown for the Badgers.
Add in solid kickoff returns from running back Nate Palmer and another steady night from Sean West, and Wisconsin got a real lift in a department that has often been the difference between winning and merely surviving.
The ground game also flashed the kind of punch Wisconsin fans expect. The Badgers finished with 233 rushing yards, two touchdowns and 7.5 yards per carry, even if the rhythm faded as the game went on.
Iowa State transfer Abu Sama III set the tone immediately with a 72-yard run on the opening play and finished with eight carries for 107 yards and a touchdown. Darrion Dupree added 38 yards and a score of his own, giving the room a deeper look than just one featured back.
But the quarterback play still hangs over everything. Colton Joseph’s stat line - 12 completions on 22 attempts for 173 yards and a touchdown - looks respectable enough at a glance.
The problem is what the tape showed: missed throws, including an open Jacob Harris for a touchdown, plus two errant passes that stalled a field goal drive. The concern is not new, and the issue here is that the production on paper keeps running ahead of the actual play.
Wisconsin also had trouble controlling the line of scrimmage defensively. Western Illinois, despite being undersized up front, still managed 154 rushing yards and leaned on the ground game to move the ball.
The read option gave the Badgers particular problems, with quarterback Kennedy McGill piling up 88 rushing yards. It wasn’t enough for Western Illinois to threaten the result, but it was enough to expose a weakness Wisconsin has to clean up fast if it wants to hold up against better Big Ten competition.
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Wisconsins QB Situation Suddenly Feels Murkier After Colton Josephs Showing
Colton Josephs outing against Western Illinois did little to settle Wisconsins quarterback picture, and in some ways it only made the conversation harder to read. The Badgers needed steadier play from the position, but Joseph finished 12 of 22 through the air and left several routine throws on the field, while also showing little eagerness to take off and run when openings were there.
Luke Fickell said Joseph was dinged up and that the staff held him back from some deeper attempts, which at least offers context for a rough afternoon. Still, Wisconsin stuck with him throughout the game despite the uneven decision-making and missed chances, leaving the quarterback room feeling a little less defined than it did before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Fans Have A New Reason To Doubt Program Leadership
Shawn Eichorst gave Wisconsin fans plenty to chew on when asked how he plans to take the football program to the next level, saying the Badgers are already there. It was the kind of line that lands differently depending on where you sit, but for a fan base that has watched the program slog through a four-win season and see attendance sag, it was hard not to hear it as a tone-deaf response to a very real problem.
There are a few ways to read the comment, from a clumsy attempt at confidence to a wider disconnect between the athletic department and the people paying attention to the product on the field. Either way, it only added to the sense that Wisconsin's football program is not just fighting for results, but for trust in the leadership steering it. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Has One Big Colton Joseph Concern It Can't Ignore
Colton Josephs first two outings gave Wisconsin a little bit of everything it hoped to see, and a reminder of how much polishing still remains. In his debut against Notre Dame, the Badgers quarterback showed off the arm talent that made him such an intriguing addition, throwing for 217 yards and a touchdown while also adding some production on the ground.
Against Western Illinois, the early returns turned a bit rougher through the air, with several missed throws exposing the next step in his development. Even so, his decision-making held up well, which is why the bigger concern is not the reads but the ball placement. Wisconsin can work with talent and instincts, but if Joseph is going to give the offense real stability, the accuracy has to come along with the arm strength. [Read more 🡒]