Colton Joseph’s first real test as Wisconsin’s quarterback didn’t do much to quiet the noise.
In a 36-9 win over Western Illinois, the Badgers got the result they were supposed to get, but Joseph’s performance left a lot of Wisconsin fans frustrated and asking for Ryan Hopkins. The outing fed right into the concerns that had followed him since spring camp, especially after a game that was supposed to show he could settle in, command the offense, and give the Badgers a clear answer at quarterback.
The problems started with the throws he simply had to make.
Joseph finished 12/22 passing against an FCS opponent, and the number alone tells part of the story. The bigger issue was how many easy completions slipped through his hands.
Short routes were there. Receivers were open.
The ball just wasn’t arriving. That kind of miss is the sort of thing that turns a routine afternoon into a headache for everyone watching.
There was also the running element, or lack of it.
Joseph looked hesitant to take off for most of the game, even when the passing game was clearly sputtering. He ended up with four carries for 33 yards, which works out to 8.3 yards per carry, but there appeared to be more yardage available if he had been willing to tuck it and go. By the end of the game, some fans were openly wondering whether he was still the mobile quarterback they expected.
Then came the decision-making, which has been a talking point around him since spring.
Joseph came into the season with 10 interceptions last year at Old Dominion, and the risk-taking showed up again here. He has that gunslinger edge to his game, the kind that can produce big plays but also puts the ball in danger.
Against Western Illinois, though, the bad decisions outweighed the good ones. He was off all night, and the struggles were hard to miss.
After the game, Luke Fickell pointed to a physical issue, saying Joseph was “a little bit dinged up.” Fickell added, “Obviously nothing was ever really said.
He wasn’t able to ready himself to go on Tuesday.” He also said they took big throws downfield “off his plate” this last week.
That explanation raises its own questions, though. If Joseph really wasn’t healthy, why put him out there at all in a game Wisconsin could have handled with QB2 or QB3? And once it was obvious he was fighting it, why keep him in as the struggles piled up?
For now, the performance only deepened the concern. Joseph didn’t look sharp, didn’t look comfortable, and didn’t do much to convince anyone that Wisconsin’s quarterback search is over.
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