After watching on Twitter/X I think I can see what the big problem is with our team. This is a guess, but I think you can see where I’m going with this. The Badgers culture seems to have morphed into a very stressed environment. Yes, some kids were having fun, but for sure not all, and definitely not most. As pressure increased on Chryst it’s likely that some amount was passed on to the team. That, coupled with losing more often lately has set our culture back. We have to relearn how to be a winning football team (9-11 games a year, hopefully more now). Fickell is dealing with the balance of pushing them hard but making it fun. There’s a very fine line. I think Fick honestly believes we can be a great team once we start having more fun and letting go. Whether that happens this year, next year, or 3 years from now is another is anyone’s guess. But, I firmly believe it will happen, and be glorious

Predictions for today's game? Does Wisconsin bounce back?

Hallman played all 82 defensive snaps.

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Nice film, good size.

Pretty cool ending to the Missouri upset of Kansas State -

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Report card time...

Official Week 3 College Football Power Rankings

1. This defense is REALLY bad right now. I don't think that's it's the personnel, more of an adjustment to the scheme imo
2. Nelson has not been good. Yes, there were some bogus holding calls against him, but he needs to be better or be replaced
3. Our DB's have been left out on an island and right now, they don't have the talent/speed/experience to make up for it
4. These slow starts HAVE to stop.....PERIOD!!!
5. We need to use Ashcraft more, the guy is a beast!
6. Why do we keep having these formation errors? Shouldn't we have this cleaned up by now?

1. I thought that we looked really sharp when we had those short quick passes and mixed in some runs
2. That Mellusi hurdle was a thing of beauty!
3. Williams had a terrific game, not receiving wise but his blocking was exceptional
4. Allen was a monster today in the 2nd half. It's like someone told him during halftime "You're not playing like a NFL back right now"
5. NO turnovers!
6. Mordecai is getting better every game!
7. Bell is doing what I thought Pauling would/might do
8. It's like we're two different teams in each half but I'll take a 2nd half team every day

This team is a work in progress, adjusting to a new system. It's SO tough to go from a power running team to an air raid in 6 months! In my own little fantasy world, I envisioned this team to dominate. In hindsight, I now realize that it's not an easy task. Not that I like to lose but I'm OK with some losses here and there until Fick/ Longo/Tressel get their guys. We all want to win now, but that's just not realistic. Fickel is a proven winner, PLEASE give him time to put together HIS team!

POSTGAME NOTES
RV WISCONSIN 35, GEORGIA SOUTHERN 14 - SEPT. 16, 2023 - CAMP RANDALL STADIUM - MADISON, WIS.

TEAM NOTES

• Today’s captains: senior WR Chimere Dike, senior QB Tanner Mordecai, senior ILB Maema Njongmeta and senior OLB Marty Strey.
• Today’s attendance at Camp Randall Stadium was 75,610.
• With the win, Fickell has not lost back-to-back regular season games as a head coach since 2017. He’s won 7 straight regular season games coming off of a loss.
• Wisconsin tallied it’s 74th home win since 2010. It entered the weekend with the 7th-most home wins in the country since 2010.
• Wisconsin improved to 3-0 vs. the Sun Belt all-time. The matchup with Georgia Southern was UW’s first.
• The Badgers racked up 244 passing yards and 207 rushing yards, surpassing the 200-yard threshold in both categories for the first time this season. UW accomplished the 200-200 feat twice last season, in wins over Illinois State and New Mexico State.
• UW ran for 207 yards and 5 rushing touchdowns, topping the 200-yard mark for the second time this season. The Badgers tallied 314 rushing yards against Buffalo in the season opener.
• The Badgers are now 10-0 over the last three seasons when Mellusi and Allen both run for over 50 yards.
• Wisconsin was a perfect 5-for-5 scoring touchdowns in the red zone. On the season, the Badgers have scored on all 12 red zone possessions, tallying 9 touchdowns and 3 field goals.
• The Badgers picked off 5 passes, their most interceptions since at least 1988. UW intercepted 4 passes against Northwestern on Nov. 13, 2021.

o Three different players grabbed INTs for the first time since UW’s win over NMSU

• UW recorded three INTs in the first half. It marked the first time the Badgers grabbed three INTs in the first half since 2018.
• The Badgers have out-scored opponent 48-7 in the third quarter this season.
• Wisconsin forced a total of 6 turnovers, the team’s most since creating 7 TOs vs. Northwestern on Nov. 27, 2012.
• UW’s defense also tallied 6 sacks, shared by 6 different players. The Badgers have had 10 sacks over the last 2 games.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

* QB Tanner Mordecai threw for 236 yards on 19-of-30 passing. He also scored a career-high 2 rushing touchdowns, finishing with 36 yards on 7 carries.
o By rushing for two scores, Mordecai became the first Badger to run for multiple scores since Graham Mertz did so vs. Iowa on Oct. 30, 2021.

• RB Braelon Allen ran for 94 yards and 2 TDs on 12 carries. He also caught 2 passes for 5 yards.

o Allen now has 15 receptions on the season after entering the game with the most catches of any player in the Big Ten.

o In each of the Badgers’ last 17 wins, dating back to early 2021, Allen has run for 80+ yards. Allen has gone over 100 yards rushing in 15 of those 18 wins.

o Badgers are now 7-1 in games in which Allen scored multiple touchdowns.

• RB Chez Mellusi ran for 61 yards and 1 TD on 15 carries.

o has 4 touchdowns on the season, scoring at least 1 in all 3 games.

o Mellusi made his 2 catches of the season, totaling 13 yards.

• WR Chimere Dike led Wisconsin with 57 yards receiving on 3 catches. Dike leads the Badgers with 161 receiving yards on the season.
• WR Skyler Bell matched his career high with 5 catches for 47 yards.
• TE Hayden Rucci finished with 2 catches for a career-high 51 yards, hauling in a career-long 45-yard pass.
• S Hunter Wohler grabbed a first quarter INT, his first of the season and first since picking off a pass vs. Maryland last season. He grabbed another in the third quarter, becoming the first Badger to record multiple INTs since John Torchio vs. Purdue on Oct. 22, 2022.

o Wohler also recorded a sack, his first since 2021 and second of his career.

o Wohler finished with a team-high 10 tackles and has now collected 10+ tackles in three straight games, becoming the first Badger to do so since Leo Chenal in 2021.

o Wohler’s 20 solo tackles entering week three were 4 more than any other player in the Big Ten.

• CB Ricardo Hallman picked off a pass, his second career INT and first since grabbing one against NMSU on Sept. 17, 2022. He also notched a career-best 7 tackles.
• CB Jason Maitre grabbed an INT, his first as a Badger and 4th of his career. It was his first pick since Sept. 17, 2022.
• LB C.J. Goetz recorded his first-career INT while also racking up his first full sack of the season.
• ILB Jake Chaney logged a first quarter sack his second of the season and third of his career.

o Chaney has now logged TFLs in three straight games for the first time in his career.

• OLB Darryl Peterson tallied the first multi-sack (2) game of his career, finishing with 4 tackles and 3 tackles for loss.
• P Atticus Bertrams punted 6 times for 254 yards (42.3), all career highs.
• QB Braedyn Locke saw his first-career action, going 1-for-1, completing an 8-yard pass to WR Haakon Anderson for his first-career reception.

Predictions for today's game?

Brae is out of touch with this one. 31 yards on 13 touches tells you why they didn’t give you more touches.

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Is to recruit a good/great return man, a kicker and a punter. Dike is a fair return man but he's not going turn the field. He's safe, and that's fine to an extent, but I'd like to see a game changer personally. Bertrams has been fine, but I would like more consistency out of him. Pinning the opposition inside the 5 or just deep in their territory is just HUGE! Vakos has been GREAT so far!! All I'm saying, is that in the coming years, I personally would like to see us recruit these important positions more actively. While we don't have walk on's in these positions currently, we have in the past. TO ME they are far to important to ignore. Jmho

O-line was terrible!
WSU stacked the box....A LOT. Figure it out Phil!
Defense was AWFUL for most of the game
WSU stacked the box for much of the game and we can't figure that out?
Sorry, I had to re-post that fact!
The D started well in the 2nd half, but fell flat later on
Are Varner and Bollers even on the team?

Positives
Mordecai improved.....passing wise (fumbles, not so much)
Pauling is a gem
Williams finally showed up
Wohler
Dike returning punts
I wish that I had more positives for this game, but I don't
I can see this team getting better, and hopefully it will be soon