LINCOLN, Neb. -- Turns out, Luke Fickell was right after all: It doesn't matter who calls plays on offense for the University of Wisconsin football program.
The Badgers' problems run much deeper than one coach, one position or one side of the ball. So many deficiencies were on display during a 44-25 loss to Nebraska on Saturday at Memorial Stadium that it's no wonder Fickell was left grasping for answers afterward.
The smug attitude he'd shown five days earlier during a sparring session with reporters was gone. This time, Fickell looked helpless and emotionally drained as he tried to sort through a fourth consecutive defeat that officially put the Badgers' backs against the wall in their bid to extend a remarkable postseason streak.
"This is getting obviously old," Fickell said. "I don't have any excuses."
The irony of this defeat -- Wisconsin's first to the Cornhuskers since 2012 -- is that the big change Fickell made early in the week had its desired effect, and it still made no difference in the outcome.
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Six days after offensive coordinator Phil Longo was fired, the Wisconsin offense looked as good as it has in six weeks. Braedyn Locke was mostly sharp, and there were no noticeable issues after changes that included tight ends coach Nate Letton calling the plays and the Badgers huddling between snaps.
"I think our offense scored like 27 points or something," Wisconsin defensive lineman Ben Barten said, although the offense only scored 25 points. "Holy (expletive), if you're playing Nebraska, you've got to win a game if your offense scores 27 points. Your defense has got to figure it out, and that's what we didn't do today."
Wisconsin's defense instead allowed 473 total yards, including 293 through the air. Nebraska's highest point total during the fourgame losing streak it carried into Saturday was 20, and the Cornhuskers hit that mark by halftime.
Nebraska didn't take its foot off the gas in the second half, either. It scored on six consecutive possessions at one point, essentially putting the game out of reach by the time the fourth quarter arrived.
This was a program that had lost nine consecutive games with bowl eligibility on the line since its most recent postseason berth in 2016 and had built a reputation for finding ways to lose close games. But the Cornhuskers didn't even have a shred of doubt enter their minds in the fourth quarter Saturday because the Badgers had done enough bungling by that point to create a cushion too big to overcome.
"If you look back at it, it's kind of a similar situation as after the Penn State game," Wisconsin safety Preston Zachman said. "We just did not play as ourselves. I think a lot of it was the self-inflicted wounds. We kept beating ourselves over and over and over again."
'That's on me'
Zachman hit on the most aggravating part about this team: The Badgers (5-6, 3-5 Big Ten) can show heart and fight and compete with some of the best teams in college football. Their 28-13 home loss to No. 3 Penn State on Oct. 26 was proof of that. So was a 16-13 home loss to No. 1 Oregon a week ago.
But what followed the Penn State loss? A 42-10 beatdown at Iowa the following week. And what followed the Oregon heartbreaker? A disgusting performance against an opponent in the midst of its own rebuild.
"That's on me, and that's where I said it's about leadership," Fickell said. "I know that there's body blows that take a toll, but you've got to find ways to get back up each and every week, and that's where we really struggle. We can play really, really well, and then we get to a situation where things don't go well and we can't find a way to kind of regroup and have the poise enough to be able to make some adjustments and play better, especially like we needed to in the second half.
"But to be honest, what I've been searching for quite a while and I don't have an answer, can't put a finger on it, other than go back to work and make sure you know who you've got with you and who's willing to do the same things that you're willing to do and be addicted to this fight."
Fickell had referenced earlier in his postgame news conference the need to "find out who's with us," and that had all sorts of alarm bells ringing in my ears. Those same concerns popped up during hard times last season and apparently haven't disappeared.
"I know that we've got a lot of guys who are strong leaders on this team, and if you're not willing to follow a strong leader, you're not going to be anything anywhere else," Barten said. "So if you want to (expletive) jump off ship, if you're not willing to follow a leader, if you're not willing to follow leadership -- coach Fick is a hell of a leader -- if you're not willing to follow that, that's your mistake."
The regular season will end Friday, one way or the other. A win over Minnesota will extend the Badgers' bowl streak to 23 seasons. A loss will clinch Wisconsin's first losing season since 2001.
Regardless of the outcome, Fickell has a busy offseason ahead of him. Finding Longo's replacement may be item No. 1 on his agenda, but the list of problems to address is long and daunting.
Meanwhile, the man in charge of fixing them looks beaten down. The body blows appear to have taken a toll on him as well.
Contact Jim Polzin at [email protected].
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