Badgers focused on climbing back to top of Big Ten West
MADISON – If you listen closely to Paul Chryst’s players, they’ll tell you forcefully Wisconsin’s performance in 2020 was an anomaly.
“Twenty twenty-one’s going to be a lot different,” cornerback Faion Hicks said. “We’re going to shock a lot of people.”
UW’s 4-3 record last season, a season marred by high COVID-19 numbers that led the Badgers to cancel two regularseason games, may not have been shocking.
However, it clearly was not the norm since Chryst took over as head coach before the 2015 season.
UW recorded at least 10 victories in four of Chryst’s first five seasons and posted a winning percentage of .773 in Big Ten play and .765 in all games.
After opening last season with a 45-7 drubbing of Illinois, a COVID-19 outbreak led UW officials to cancel games at Nebraska and home against Purdue.
Despite the disruption, which included key players and coaches contracting the virus, UW routed Michigan, 49-11, in its return to action Nov. 14.
At 2-0, the Badgers had the look of a team capable of winning the West Division.
Consecutive losses to Northwestern,
Indiana and Iowa changed that perception and left UW as an also-ran in the West.
The reasons were several.
No one adequately replaced tailback Jonathan Taylor. Injuries to wide receivers Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor limited the offense and revealed a lack of quality depth at the position. Quarterback Graham Mertz, among those players who tested positive for COVID-19, didn’t perform well after passing for 248 yards and five touchdowns in the opener.
Yet several players also pointed to a lack of bonding/commitment caused in part by the disjointed season.
“You’re all in or you’re all out,” safety Scott Nelson said. “If you’re not all in, you’re welcome to leave. This isn’t something where we’re going to carry dead weight around and have people act like they want to be here.
“If you’re here, you better be all in and willing to do whatever it takes to reach our goal as a team. You’re either with us or you can leave.
“Just having everybody all in and becoming a better team I think is something that will show very clearly in the fall.”
According to Nelson, the issues began before the Oct. 23 opener against the Illini. Summer workouts and camp were disrupted by COVID-19 protocols and then the season was put on indefinite hold in August.
“I feel like with COVID last year there were so many things that were optional,” Nelson said, “and players had the ability to opt in or out whenever and the culture of the program and team wasn’t able to be spread to everyone.
“The line was very gray last year about being all in because of that optional aspect of things. But now it’s very clear, so if guys weren’t sure about where they stand, it will be much more clear now. I think everyone will just be so much more bought in and closer as a team this year as a result.”
Fellow safety Collin Wilder concurred and noted the importance of having normal, full-team workouts in the winter and spring.
“I think we learned a lot last year,” he said. “We grew. The biggest thing this year there’s not separate groups in the
“I think we learned a lot last year. We grew. The biggest thing this year there’s not separate groups in the locker room. What I really like this year is that everybody is so close.” Collin Wilder,
UW safety
locker room.
“What I really like this year is that everybody is so close. Everybody is willing to talk to each other, about things on the field, things off the field.”
UW, which advanced to the league title game in 2016, 2017 and 2019 under Chryst, is expected to challenge for West Division title this season.
Phil Steele’s preview magazine projects UW to win the West Division, followed by Iowa and Northwestern.
Athlon magazine’s projected order of finish has UW first, followed by Iowa and Minnesota.
Chryst, tight end Jake Ferguson, linebacker Jack Sanborn and Hicks are scheduled to appear at the Big Ten preseason meetings, set for Thursday and Friday in Indianapolis.
Ferguson could have entered the 2021 NFL draft but opted to return for one more run.
His reasoning? In short, he didn’t want to leave with the 2020 season as his final memory. No fans in the stands. No clowning around with teammates outside the facility. A disappointing 4-3 record. His final game in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against Wake Forest.
“It’s a big jump going from 80,000 in the stands to zero,” Ferguson said. “Just the little things, too. Being able to interact with your guys outside of the stadium. Going to get food with your guys or just going to hang out, take a little stress off. Anything.
“You can’t do it. That bond you’re trying to create with your guys to go out there and go to battle, you can’t do that.
“So you’ve got to find little ways, whether it be video games or calling somebody on the phone, face-timing somebody. You’ve just got to make it happen.
“Then the rhythm of the season was disrupted. I just … 2020 sucked. That’s all I can say.”