The Wisconsin Badgers had a tough 21-7 loss to the No. 6 Oregon Ducks on Sunday, falling to 2-6 on the season with their sixth-straight loss.
The story was the same as it’s been for the Badgers: an anemic
offense unable to sustain any momentum. On Saturday, it was one of the worst quarterback showings in recent memory for the Badgers, as quarterback Hunter Simmons started the game 1/13 for 12 yards.
Simmons was anointed the Badgers starter at the beginning of the month after a rough performance from sophomore Danny O’Neil against the Maryland Terrapins. In his first game, which was a 24-10 loss to the Michigan Wolverines, Simmons threw for 177 yards and an interception on 18 of 29 passing.
Since then, it’s been completely downhill. Simmons had an ugly performance against the Iowa Hawkeyes, completing 8 of 21 passes for 82 yards, while turning the ball over three times in the first half. Then, against Ohio State, Simmons was just 6 of 12 for 54 yards and an interception.
After starting the game 1/13, the Badgers senior threw for only 86 yards on 7 of 21 passing, while throwing a touchdown and an interception.
Wisconsin had no movement yet again to start the game, having five punts, a turnover on downs, and a drive that ended the half through the first three quarters. They finally broke through with a touchdown drive, but also came hard as the Badgers needed 12 plays and 78 yards, and a huge 42-yard play by Eugene Hilton Jr. on a 3rd & 14 on a well-underthrown deep ball.
After the game, head coach Luke Fickell said that the conditions of the game (weather + O’Neil’s lack of reps) led to the decision not to make a quarterback change, but acknowledged that a decision should’ve probably come.
“Yeah, there was [an idea of a quarterback change],” Fickell acknowledged. “There was. And we thought about it again and talked about it before the game, too, just based on, ‘hey, if the first couple drives don’t go, we want to give Danny, get him in there and get him an opportunity.’ As we were rolling, I didn’t ask as much until halftime.
“I do think the conditions of things make it difficult to throw another guy in there that hasn’t taken the snaps, hasn’t been in that situation. Whether it was pouring, whether it was the wind was blowing sideways. I mean, there was a lot of other factors, but it might be one of those ones where you kind of go back and kick yourself to say, ‘I think there’s some opportunities there for Danny.’ And we’re going to need Danny down the stretch, and we need Danny to stick with us and stay with us and see how this thing rolls.”
The conditions definitely played a factor, but Simmons was inaccurate and gave the Badgers zero chance to win a game they certainly had a chance in. Quarterback play has been Luke Fickell’s biggest kryptonite at Wisconsin, and some decisions will have to be made at the bye week.
