Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545675
A U G U S T 2 0 2 6 9 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Wisconsin appeared to have pulled off one of the bigger recruiting coups in program history back in November 2022 when it persuaded Cincinnati's in- demand head coach Luke Fickell to take charge of a Badgers program that had slipped a bit from the heights of the early Paul Chryst era. Fickell's fourth season is now ap- proaching, and his arrival in Madison is looking less like a home run than a cau- tionary tale about the risks of discarding a largely successful coach like Chryst for a hot commodity. After leading Cincinnati to a 57-19 record and a spot in the 2021 College Football Playoff, Fickell has gone 17- 21 at Wisconsin. Last season was his worst as a head coach since 2017, his first year with the Bearcats. Fielding an offense that ranked 133rd in the FBS at 253.1 yards per game, the Badgers won only two Big Ten games and finished 4-8 overall. Those results have ratcheted up the pressure to deliver a breakthrough in Year 4. To that end, the Badgers made a splashy portal acquisition in January when they landed junior dual-threat quarterback Colton Joseph from Old Dominion. Joseph is coming off a stellar sopho- more campaign with the Monarchs that ended with him being named Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year. He threw for 2,624 yards and rushed for 1,007, ranking eighth in the FBS in total offense with an average of 302.6 yards per game. A solid season from Joseph would go a long way toward changing the narra- tive around Wisconsin football. While Fickell has caught plenty of flak for the program's downturn, it's worth noting that the Badgers have been absolutely snakebit at the quarterback position. Their starters the past two years — Billy Edwards Jr. in 2025 and Tyler Van Dyke in 2024 — both suffered serious knee injuries early in their respective sea- sons and played a combined total of five games. If Wisconsin can keep Joseph healthy, it'll be ahead of where it's been for much of Fickell's tenure. Elsewhere, the Badgers appear to have much of what they need to turn their for- tunes around. On offense, they picked up senior running back Abu Sama III, who gained 732 yards while playing for Matt Campbell at Iowa State last year. The receivers room is full of transfers, notably junior Zion Kearney, who never panned out at Oklahoma but brings a four-star recruiting pedigree to Madison. On defense, the Badgers have ad- dressed one of last year's biggest defi- ciencies by bolstering their secondary with six transfers, all from Power Four conferences. The biggest name is red- shirt sophomore cornerback Bryce West, who left Ohio State after seeing action in 20 games over two seasons. A year ago, Wisconsin allowed 10.43 yards per completion, ranking 117th in the FBS. The Badgers need to bring that number down, and they appear to have the personnel to do so. Another reason for optimism is that the schedule eases up considerably. Last year, Wisconsin played road games against four future College Football Play- off participants — Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon and Indiana — and lost them all by a combined margin of 124-28. This fall, the Badgers won't see any of those teams. They will have to contend with a preseason top-five opponent on opening day when they face Notre Dame at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, but their other nonconference games — versus Western Illinois and Eastern Michigan, both at home — look entirely winnable, setting up a high-stakes visit to Beaver Stadium to open Big Ten play. — Matt Herb S E P T . 2 6 | T I M E T B D | T V T B D | B E A V E R S T A D I U M | S T A T E C O L L E G E , P A . Luke Fickell has gone just 10-17 against Big Ten competi- tion in three seasons with the Badgers. PHOTO COURTESY WISCONSIN ATHLETICS GAME 4 WISCONSIN RISING STAR KEVIN HEYWOOD | OT Heywood has yet to start a game for Wisconsin, but the 6-foot-9, 318-pound redshirt sophomore from Limerick, Pa., has been described as the Badgers' best NFL prospect. He's set to start at right tackle this fall after missing the 2025 season with a torn ACL. QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Penn State leads, 12-9 Head Coach: Luke Fickell (17-21 in three full seasons at Wisconsin; career coach- ing record: 80-46) 2025 Record: 4-8, 2-7 Big Ten Returning Starters: 6 (3 offense, 3 de- fense) RETURNING LEADERS Rushing: RB Darrion Dupree (380 yards, 2 TD) Passing: QB Danny O'Neil (635 yards, 5 TD) Receiving: WR Chris Brooks Jr. (124 yards, 0 TD) Tackles: LB Mason Posa (61) Sacks: LB Mason Posa (4) Interceptions: None 2026 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2025 Result Sept. 6 vs. Notre Dame* — Sept. 12 Western Illinois — Sept. 19 Eastern Michigan — Sept. 26 at Penn State — Oct. 3 Michigan State — Oct. 17 at UCLA — Oct. 24 USC — Oct. 31 at Iowa L, 37-0 Nov. 7 Rutgers — Nov. 14 at Maryland L, 27-10 Nov. 21 at Purdue — Nov. 27 Minnesota L, 17-7 * at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wis.