Boiler Upload takes a first look at the Wisconsin Badgers ahead of Purdue's trip to Madison this weekend.
A shaky start for Luke Fickell and company...
Luke Fickell looked like a home run hire for Wisconsin when the ink dried on his shiny new contract in December 2022. The now Badger head coach had taken Cincinnati to the College Football Playoff and was a rising star in the profession.
Despite the anticipation coming into his Wisconsin tenure, it has been somewhat of a rocky start for Fickell and company. After a 7-6 record a year ago, Wisconsin is off to a 2-2 start this season. The Badgers looked uninspiring against Western Michigan and South Dakota, despite picking up a pair of victories, before falling to Alabama and USC in consecutive weeks heading into Saturday's matchup.
Wisconsin has yet to really take off under Fickell as it undergoes changes from the now former Badger ways of football. Can Purdue take advantage of a reeling team, despite its own shortcomings?
Boilers move in a new direction... how will it look?
Purdue now embarks on a new chapter after relieving offensive coordinator Graham Harrell of his duties on Sunday night. The Boilermakers have yet to name an interim offensive coordinator and play caller moving forward, but an announcement should come when Ryan Walters takes the podium later today for his weekly press conference with the media.
Regardless of who takes over the headset, they will be tasked with bringing an anemic offense back to life for the remainder of the season. Wisconsin will be the first opportunity to do so.
The Boilermakers have fallen on hard times putting points on the board this fall, being tied for 105th in the country and are coming off two games out of their last three in which they failed to score more than 10 in a game. The Badgers have allowed over 26 points per game, but that number is slightly inflated after taking on USC and Alabama the last two weeks.
Purdue was in need of a change offensively. That has taken place. Now, the Boilermakers will look to turn the corner and conjure up more success from Hudson Card and company in Madison.
The streak...
If you're reading this, chances are you're aware of Purdue's shortcomings against Wisconsin. The Boilermakers are on a 17-game losing streak against their rivals from Madison, with the last Purdue win in the series coming back in 2003. The then Joe Tiller-led team was guided by Kyle Orton's 411 passing yards while Shaun Phillips and Stu Schweigert had big days defensively to keep the Badgers in check.
The Boilermakers haven't been close to knocking off Wisconsin since a triple overtime defeat in 2018, losing the last five by two or more possessions. That includes the 2023 meeting, when the Badgers won 38-17 in Ross-Ade Stadium behind a big day on the ground from Braelon Allen and Tanner Mordecai.
Ryan Walters and company will have an opportunity to break one of the longest active losing streaks to a conference opponent in college football this weekend against a Badger team that has been shaky out of the gates in 2024.
