The Wisconsin Badgers take on No. 23 Washington this Saturday in Madison. This game is the first meeting between the two “UWs” since 1992, when the Huskies defeated the Badgers in Seattle, 27-10, in Barry
Alvarez’s third season at Wisconsin. The Badgers are 0-4 all-time against the Huskies.
Wisconsin has had two weeks to prepare for this Washington squad and potentially secure a victory in what should be another late-season cold-weather game at Camp Randall Stadium. With a bowl game appearing unlikely, this Saturday’s game should be a test to see which players, particularly the underclassmen, possess the talent to be difference makers for next season.
Here are three keys to this game for Wisconsin.
Contain Demond Williams Jr.
Williams Jr. challenges defenses not only as a passer, but as a mobile quarterback who can pull the ball down and take off. Wisconsin must find a way to keep Williams Jr. from escaping the pocket while simultaneously disrupting his timing with his receivers.
Against Michigan, we saw what happened when Williams Jr. was unable to get into a rhythm. The sophomore quarterback threw three interceptions and had -19 rushing yards. The Badgers cannot allow Williams Jr. to beat them.
Better QB play
The Badgers continue to deal with inefficient quarterback play in Big Ten play, which is one of the many reasons this team has failed to win a conference game. After Hunter Simmons had another poor outing at Oregon, Fickell hinted at a change at quarterback.
It seems Wisconsin is leaning towards Danny O’Neil making the start this week, and he’ll need to show improvements from earlier in the season.
Playing hard for Luke Fickell
On Thursday, athletic director Chris McIntosh announced the embattled head coach Luke Fickell will return in 2026. I’m speculating here, but I have to imagine Fickell’s job status weighed on the minds of many Badger players, especially those who were recruited by Fickell.
But now that Wisconsin has chosen to stick with Fickell, the players must show some fight for their head coach, who received “Fire Fickell!” chants on more than one occasion.
