11 thoughts from Wisconsin football's disastrous loss vs. Maryland
Plenty of takeaways and questions as the Badgers enter a bye week on a very bad note.
MADISON, Wis. — Luke Fickell heard the chants from University of Wisconsin football fans this weekend, and he understands.
Loud boos rained down inside Camp Randall Stadium as Fickell and his Badgers went back to their locker room at halftime down three scores to visiting Maryland. The NBC television broadcast showed fans in the student section yelling “Fire Fickell,” but that wasn’t the only occurrence of those chants during the Wisconsin’s 27-10 lopsided loss Saturday.
“I feel them,” Fickell said. “I feel what their pain is, but there's nothing that we can do other than keep grinding, keep working. We have to play better.
“So I don't get upset. I don't lose my mind because of the way they feel. They're passionate about what they do and what they want to see. And that's what you love about this place, and that's what you know you signed up for when you came here, knowing that this place is passionate about it. They've got a history, and they expect more, just like I do.”
Here are 10 more thoughts from the one-sided affair.
Wisconsin’s worts continued to flair up
Call this a quick summary point that’ll be expanded below in various other thoughts, but losing the turnover battle, non-complimentary play in all phases and untimely errors doomed the Badgers on Saturday.
One case in point: Wisconsin drove to the Maryland 43 in the first quarter, but on a second-and-3, a botched direct snap to running back Dilin Jones led to a 23-yard loss. It not only killed the drive, but it also led to a game-altering blocked punt.
Speaking of which …
Maryland won the special teams battle, which is critical on the road
Wisconsin started off hot on offense and had an opportunity to take an early lead, but Maryland blocked a 38-yard field goal attempt by Nathanial Vakos.
The Badgers failed late in the first quarter to account for freshman defensive back Messiah Delhomme, who blocked an Atticus Bertrams punt attempt that got the Terrapins in great field position at the Wisconsin 28. Five plays later, quarterback Malik Washington found receiver Shaleak Knotts for a 9-yard touchdown to make it 14-0.
“Can't get a punt blocked and expect that you're going to be able to create and generate the momentum that you need to in complimentary football,” Fickell said.
“And I think it kind of starts right there. And we didn't do a good enough job on any phase of the game, and give (the Terrapins) some credit that they came out ready to play, and outside of the first drive in the first series, we did not.”
A positive in this phase of the game for Wisconsin came from receiver Tyrell Henry. His 35-yard punt return early in the third quarter set up the Badgers with great field position at the Maryland 47. Wisconsin scored its first points of the game on the ensuing drive.