First game of the Fickell Era; Buffalo vs Wisconsin Week 1

[BrewerFan]

Badgers 28 point favorites.

I'm feeling like this team is gonna come out firing, throwing the ball around, taking Buffalo out early. That Badgers -28 looks pretty good to me.

Nice time to ...buck the trend of close games vs vastly inferior teams and make a statement. 56-10 is my prediction.

[pitchleague]

I am hopeful that something similar will happen.   This is a different kind of excitement and anticipation that I haven’t had for this team.  To see a Badger squad being a threat through the air as well as the ground?   It’s been a while….(Russell Wilson?)

I'm hoping for 41-7

[homer]

I think there will be some first game sloppiness. Plus it's gonna be mid 90s out there. I'll be happy if they win by 2 TDs.

[HarryDoyle]

Glad this thread got started already. This is probably my most anticipated season of Badgers football ever. Should've really moved on from the Alvarez coaching tree era years ago.

[Jim French Stepstool]

A lot of people are all excited about the "air raid" stuff and, I expect, think we'll look like Purdue/Drew Brees era. I'm pretty sure there's going to be balance. As for today, it's their first time out & the receivers & QB(s) are mostly new to each other as well as new to the program. So I'm not expecting a well-oiled machine right off the bat AFA the passing game is concerned. Plus, While Buffalo isn't a power 5, they aren't exactly cupcake-level. What I most want to see is a win, then progress btwn weeks 1 & 2.

Looking forward to seeing if Ashcraft contributes. TE isn't an easy spot for a true freshman. Also eager to watch the new specialists. PK Nathanial Vakos (transfer from Ohio U) is supposed to be terrific. P Atticus Bertrams is an aussie who gets his feet wet right away.

Looks like a talented secondary. Ricardo Hallman has drawn raves. And I think my guy Hunter Wohler is gonna have a real nice season.

[edfunderburk]

I already miss Jim Leonhard

[pitchleague]

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

sigh

First quarter just as blah as before 

[yourout]

At this point I would be glad just to get this one in the w column.

Yuck.

[HarryDoyle]

Oh, come on. How do you drop that?

[yourout]

What a terrible int.

[HarryDoyle]

Well that was a disappointing two play series.

[edfunderburk]

Uh Oh … Mordecai with an awful pass … that was Mertz-like

I’m concerned this could be a difficult year

We are struggling at home against Buffalo - good grief

This was supposed to be a “gimme” 

[DuWayne Steurer]

good grief this is not a top 25 team based on what they're showing so far.

[yourout]

If you're going to run the spread you have to have a decent passing game or your opening run blitz Lanes.

[nate82]

This team looks awful right now.

[HarryDoyle]

I wonder if Mordicai is really the quarterback to go with.

[yourout]

And we still don't have a good qb.

[adambr2]

If this is what Mordecai looks like against Buffalo, Big 10 defenses will eat him alive. 

[adambr2]

Badgers caught a huge break on that punt, not sure how roughing the punter wasn't called. 

[yourout]

That was a nice pitch and catch.

[yourout]

59 minutes ago, edfunderburk said:

I already miss Jim Leonhard

So undisciplined.

 

[yourout]

Big ten West looks like absolute dog crap again

[pitchleague]

Am I watching a replay from last season?  Ugh!

[Jim French Stepstool]

Mordecai threw down the field twice IIRC. Both very nice throws. The rest of the time was spent throwing the type of patterns you use if you can't run vs your opponent, which isn't really the case here. Throwing to set up the run (or in place of a run game) is a bad look when it's unnecessary.

 Let's not jump off a bridge. Not a powerhouse, but Buffalo isn't a typical "gimmie" opponent either. I was sorta skeptical of how easy this might be when we ran twice for 15 yards right off the bat, then started throwing, apparently "just because".

Plenty of teams look subpar their first week, esp with a new staff & a lot of free agents thrown together. Let's see what happens coming out after halftime. Bulls have some momentum after the FG, so we're being challenged. In a way that's good.

[edfunderburk]

Buffalo looks like the better team

Wisconsin is out of sync 

I don’t miss Chryst or Mertz - but this may take far more time than I assumed 

Disappointed in Game 1 under Fickell (bowl game doesn’t count)