I O W A at BADGERS!!!!

Mordecai got 42 yards on a circus catch by Green early in the game before Iowa was teeing off with the pass rush so his numbers are even a bit skewed,

I think we all had high hopes the way the transfer portal played out, especially with all the WRs and Air Raid offense hoopla. But now we see the reality of it. CJ Williams was a highly recruited player we were getting from USC. I doubt he's had 5 targets all season. And this uptempo offense that was going to put all this constant pressure on defences is probably hurting the Badgers more than it's helped.

We all bought into the hype but I haven't seen one dominant performance and I don't expect to.

@MichiganPacker posted:

Presented without comment:

https://www.cbssports.com/coll...ly-for-key-road-win/

I think his completion rate has been over 75% in every game.

That's just dandy

One more post for tshmack since he thought Mordy played better than Locke.  Badger drives after their initial drive:   3 plays 2 yards and a punt; 3 plays 0 yards and a punt; 3 plays 7 yards and a punt; 3 plays 9 yards and a punt; 5 plays 25 yards (Yahoo)and a punt; 3 plays 7 yards and a punt; 2 plays 0 yards end of half.  Yep that Mordicai really played better than Locke.

@Iowacheese posted:

We have a D3 Left Guard playing QB and spanked Sconnie. I don’t know what the Anderson thing means.

The last game Gary Anderson coached for the Badgers was a 59-0 loss in the Big Ten Championship game. Whoever represents the West will probably get something close to the same thing this year.

I don't think it matters who plays QB on the team.

I watched 18 punts.  I deserve this hangover

When the Badgers punted in the 4th Q, I asked the wife if that was punt #75?  😐 She said she was napping during the 3rd Q. 🤷‍♂️

i thought phil longo was some sort of offensive genius.  guess not.

Badgers had more three-and-outs than points scored.

@michiganjoe posted:

Badgers had more three-and-outs than points scored.

We’re #1!

Source: Wisconsin quarterback Tanner Mordecai broke his hand against Iowa and had surgery on Sunday. He had a pin put in his hand and he’s expected to be out for the immediate future. A specific timetable on his return is unknown. pic.twitter.com/h3C3sgRA0J

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 16, 2023

Maybe he can stand next to Fickel on the sidelines and that T.E.A.M. jacket with a jacket that says “SUCKS.”

The Mordecai injury might be a blessing is disguise because this team wasn't getting better and the Badgers can win just as many games with Locke. Mordecai wasn't a difference maker and the Badgers were destined for the Irrelevant Bowl anyway. Locke has the makings of a game manager and the experience can only help him. If he's not the answer the Badgers don't have to waste half of next season finding out.

Locke is #2 because he picked up the offense but there are at least 3 other QBs on the roster and 2 more coming in next season, including Locke's brother.

I think that’s a fair assessment.  Mordecai is OK but wasn’t able or willing to make the intermediate or long throws.  I think his mobility was helpful, but when you can’t complete passes more than 20 yards downfield it’s a problem.  That might be an area where Locke could be improved.   His pocket presence and poise was pretty awful, but tough to come into a game like that.  

The season at this point should be all about looking at players for next year and beyond.   Unless Iowa completely melts down the BT West is theirs.   Fickell will never admit it but get some of the younger guys some more reps.

This was the first UW game I have managed to be able to watch.  It was just what I expected when these two teams get together a slug fest with not much real offense.  That and UW seems to always pee down their legs in big games like this.

I do think its going to take Fickell a little bit to get the right players in the new system.  I kind of think of them as being kind of stuck in between the old ground and pound UW and going to the air raid offense. 

Actually if there is one blessing in disguise with losing this game is that Iowa will probably go to Indy and get curb stomped by who ever comes out of the BIG East.

Start building for next season. Many of the players from the previous regime do not fit this system. The OL especially is having problems and maybe he has more mobile OLinmen coming in. This year's class was 50% Chryst recruits and possibly not guys Fickell would have offered. It was more of a quantity over quality situation.

Not sure what's happening on defense unless it's just talent. The secondary was always the weakness for the Badgers but now it appears to be a strength and the front 7 is not up to the usual standard. It could be the scheme but I see rushing yards given up and not much of a pass rush.

I am not sold on either coordinator at this point. It is early and they might not have the guys they want but Longo seems very pass happy. At halftime of the Rutgers game they did that quick interview as Fickell left the field. He mentioned they can't get pass happy in the 2nd half so that might be a discussion going on in the background.

@The Heckler posted:

Actually if there is one blessing in disguise with losing this game is that Iowa will probably go to Indy and get curb stomped by who ever comes out of the BIG East.

PSU is probably the 3rd best team in the east and they beat Iowa 31-0 and that was before Hill took over at QB. Iowa is not going to run on whoever they play in that game and if the Badgers can hold them to 37 yards passing what chance to they have of moving the ball against Michigan or OSU?

@PackerRick posted:

PSU is probably the 3rd best team in the east and they beat Iowa 31-0 and that was before Hill took over at QB. Iowa is not going to run on whoever they play in that game and if the Badgers can hold them to 37 yards passing what chance to they have of moving the ball against Michigan or OSU?

No doubt and I just don't see them moving the ball against any of those teams. I think their only hope would be to keep the score under 20 against them and hope for the punchers chance. 

I have renewable tickets for the Big Ten title game (have gone every year with the exception of the first two games and last year)  and I will be honest I will smile a bit watching Iowa getting pummeled. 

I mentioned this in the game thread but most of these guys on the roster came from Chryst and his staff and quite frankly the roster just isn’t that good.

It’s been well documented that in 2021 and 2022 they did a poor job of placing enough emphasis on recruiting.   They also lost arguably their two best defensive guys in Herbig and Benton in the offseason.

Just about all of the preseason optimism about the WRs and QB and OL was completely overstated. Same thing with Braelon Allen.   Melusi looked awesome then he gets hurt.  

The good news is Fickell and staff have proven they can recruit.  The bad news is these recruits can’t get here soon enough.  

H’mmm

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