Luke Fickell takes responsibility after Wisconsin’s 17-7 loss to UCLA

Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell took responsibility for the Badgers’ 17-7 loss to No. 12 UCLA at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on Saturday, October 17, saying penalties and undisciplined play made it difficult to win on the road. The defeat also exposed problems sustaining Wisconsin’s offense and getting UCLA off the field, according to Fickell’s postgame comments.

‘I'll take the heat on that,’ Fickell said, according to 247Sports. He said the penalties were evident in the first half and persisted after halftime, despite what he believed had been a good couple of weeks for the team in preparation. His criticism covered the team’s execution on both sides of the ball, rather than one isolated mistake.

How UCLA kept Wisconsin’s offense off the field

The coach said Wisconsin had hoped to pressure UCLA’s quarterback but struggled to make him uncomfortable. He credited UCLA’s protection and said its receivers made plays on contested throws. Fickell also said Wisconsin failed to make comparable plays in man coverage on offense and defense. Those are his assessments of where the matchup turned, alongside his criticism of Wisconsin’s penalties.

Colton Joseph’s production and the planned rushing rotation

Quarterback Colton Joseph completed six of 16 passes for 66 yards, Badger Observer reported after interviewing him. He also rushed 18 times for 71 yards and Wisconsin’s touchdown. The passing total illustrates the limited production Fickell was addressing, while Joseph’s rushing figures show that he remained a significant part of the Badgers’ offense.

Fickell said running back Abu Sama had been cleared to play and that Wisconsin intended to use him with Darrion Dupree as a one-two combination. With so few first-half snaps, he cautioned against putting the offensive shortcomings solely on the backs. He said Wisconsin needed to do a better job of driving methodically against strong opponents when it had possession.

On a blindside-block penalty against Malachi Coleman, Fickell said he had not received a clear explanation beyond being told how the play was called. He nevertheless placed responsibility for the Badgers’ broader penalty problems on their own discipline.