Nothing went right for the Badgers in Week 10 against Iowa.
The Wisconsin Badgers lost their second-straight game on Saturday night, falling to the Iowa Hawkeyes 42-10. In an ugly game, Badger football has once again taken a major dip after a three-game winning streak. The loss comes after a dropped home game to Penn State on Oct. 26.
Against an opponent with the same record coming into the game, both sides look completely different. The Hawkeyes dominated, while Wisconsin has way too many questions once again.
Loser: Braedyn Locke
It’s clear that Locke is not deserving of being the team’s starting quarterback. That shouldn’t come as a surprise because he’s a sophomore backup who was sitting behind behind Tyler Van Dyke before his injury.
However, that doesn’t excuse Locke’s performance against Iowa. He went 15-for-29 with 137 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. Perhaps it’s time to let Mabrey Mettauer get some looks as a starter before the end of the season.
It’s a tough spot to be in if you’re Luke Fickell because you don’t want to throw Mettauer in against No. 1 Oregon, Wisconsin’s next opponent. However, Locke hasn’t shown enough to warrant staying the starter through the rest of the season. It makes you wonder how different things would’ve been if Van Dyke never got hurt against Alabama in Week 3.
Loser: Coaching Staff
We can make excuses that the Badgers are playing with a backup quarterback. We can also make excuses that the team doesn’t have key weapons this season, such as Chez Mellusi and James Thompson Jr. However, that’s what they are: excuses.
Fickell didn’t pick the right coordinators for the job. The recruiting score has been better than Paul Chryst’s thus far, but it hasn’t translated to the scoreboard. Offensive coordinator Phil Longo has a flaming-hot seat right now, as the air raid is nowhere to be found. I’d be shocked if he still has a job this offseason.
Loser: Front Seven
Aside from struggles to air out the ball, the front seven has been the biggest issue for Wisconsin. Specifically, the run defense was poor Saturday night, allowing Kaleb Johnson to rush for 135 yards and three touchdowns.
Even when Iowa’s backup quarterback Brendan Sullivan dropped back to pass, the line couldn’t apply any pressure. Sullivan went 7-for-10, going for 93 yards and a touchdown. He was even able to rush for 58 yards and a touchdown as well.