Before Purdue rolls into Madison to take on Wisconsin this weekend, Boiler Upload catches up with Seamus Rohrer of the Rivals Wisconsin site BadgerBlitz, to learn more about the Badgers.
Q: Luke Fickell has gotten off to an up-and-down start to his Wisconsin tenure. What is the confidence level in him during year two?
The confidence level in Luke Fickell seems to wane every game, but realistically, Fickell still has a long leash in Madison. His coordinators, on the other hand, are certainly on the hot seat, especially offensive coordinator Phil Longo, whose “Air Raid” offense hasn’t gotten off the ground at Wisconsin. The offense showed flashes of improvement against USC, but it wasn’t nearly enough to alleviate the pressure facing Longo. The play-caller has also taken immense heat for some of his situational decisions, such as his near complete refusal to line up under center on 4th-and-short. Ultimately, the fanbase has certainly grown slightly weary of Fickell, but change will start with the coordinators.
Q: Starting Tyler Van Dyke went down in the Alabama game. How would you assess Braedyn Locke's performance in his absence?
Braedyn Locke has underwhelmed in a Badger uniform. He’s shown flashes, and he was able to connect on several big throws downfield against the Trojans last week. Still, he hasn’t nearly been consistent enough to successfully operate this offense. Longo’s scheme is about taking what the defense gives and completing high-percentage passes while getting your playmakers in space. Meanwhile, Locke is a 50 percent passer this season. The coaching staff, specifically Longo, raved about Locke’s improvement this offseason, but we just haven’t seen it yet.
Q: What players around Locke on offense will Purdue have to gameplan for on Saturday?
The most dangerous playmakers Wisconsin has on offense are slot receiver Will Pauling, the Badgers’ high-volume separator underneath, and Tawee Walker, the Oklahoma transfer at running back. Pauling has good chemistry with Locke, and the quarterback tends to target him very often. Walker, meanwhile, is a powerful back with a low center of gravity. He scored twice against the Trojans last week. Wideout Vinny Anthony has also shown signs of coming into his own — he caught a 63-yard touchdown and took a kickoff back 72 yards in Los Angeles. An under-the-Radar player would be Trech Kekahuna, a redshirt freshman slot receiver who’s proved he’s electric with the ball in his hands but has been curiously left out of the game-plan in recent weeks.
Q: Wisconsin has been known for its suffocating defenses over the years, but has struggled out of the gates in 2024. What has plagued the Badgers' defense thus far?
Wisconsin’s defense has quite frankly struggled in most categories this season. Against USC, the Badgers couldn’t stop quarterback Miller Moss through the air. They consistently lost one-on-one matchups down the field. Wisconsin also hasn’t been able to generate pass-rush or turnovers with any sort of consistency. That’s perhaps been the largest issue; the inability to create splash plays. There’s still some personnel deficiencies for coordinator Mike Tressel in year two, namely along the defensive line. That hasn’t helped either. The Badgers have talented players on that side of the ball, such as safety Hunter Wohler and cornerback Ricardo Hallman. Nonetheless, no one has truly emerged as a consistent game-wrecker on this unit, and that’s hurt Wisconsin as well.
Q: It's been over 20 years since the Boilermakers beat Wisconsin. Do you think this could finally be the year?
Nothing would surprise me with this Badgers team. I absolutely think Purdue could walk into Madison and beat Wisconsin, which would almost certainly lead to a firing or two. Both teams are on losing streaks and will be desperate for a win. Purdue is obviously off to a pretty rough start with a 1-3 record and a coordinator firing, but Wisconsin has plenty of flaws that can’t realistically be fixed overnight. I think this is going to be a dogfight between two teams starving for a victory.
