This week is one of two off weeks for the Wisconsin football program. Boy, do they need it. After getting crushed 42-10 by #4 Alabama at home last week, the Badgers also lost quarterback Tyler Van Dyke to a torn ACL. This was confirmed yesterday. In my opinion, the offensive side of the ball has been a bigger issue through 16 games under Luke Fickell. It’s really offensive coordinator Phil Longo who’s running the show on that side. With Brayden Locke likely to be the starter for the foreseeable future, here are some of my early thoughts on Wisconsin football’s offense heading into the offweek.
In American football in Wisconsin, the first thing you need to do is focus on attack
Through two games I thought Tyler Van Dyke was more mobile than I initially thought. You don’t get much, if any, mobility with Brayden Locke. Locke takes care of the ball pretty well and doesn’t put it in danger. You don’t see many chances taken because of that.
I was pleasantly surprised by the number of running backs. Chez Mellusi and Tawee Walker are the 1A and 1B running backs, but it was Cade Yacamelli who gave this offense some good reps and ran the ball demanding. Jackson Acker was used more as a receiver and also got good reps. This group will need to be used heavily here the rest of the season.
There doesn’t seem to be a steady flow
16 games is not a lot of games, but it’s not a huge improvement over last season. I understand 2023, when it was a recent system and a lot of Paul Chryst guys stayed. There’s a pass for that.
It didn’t take long in the Western Michigan game to see that it was the exact same flow as last year. There are a lot of runs up the middle and passes to the running backs in the backfield that go nowhere. Outside of a few situations, there weren’t many throws down the field either. This offense was designed to push the ball while establishing a running game. Wisconsin football has done a good job of keeping the running game going, but the passing game is disjointed at best.
This is not the airstrike we were promised
Maybe part of that has to do with Phil Longo being able to coach players like Sam Howell and Drake Maye, who were both first-round picks in the NFL draft. I just think the air raid offense that was supposed to change Wisconsin football hasn’t worked so far.
Longo also deserves to be excused for quarterback injuries. Tanner Mordecai missed three games last year with a broken hand, and now Van Dyke is done after just two games and one tackle. That matters and is worth mentioning.
So far, it’s Brayden Locke’s show. Not much improvement from last season. He has two weeks to prepare for a gigantic road game against USC.
Maybe some of that has to do with Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh. He was the one who was so sure this program would get off the ground right away. Instead, it’s headed in the direction of being a 4-5 year project before we really start seeing results.
Through 16 games, this term and the offensive side of the ball are not where we thought they would be or should be. This is a brutal schedule for this Wisconsin football team in 2024. They will have to hustle and fight to get to six wins and keep their bowl streak alive.
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