Wisconsin football fans have seen enough.
The Wisconsin faithful might have just witnessed one of the worst halves of football at Camp Randall Stadium after a horrendous opening 30 minutes for the Badgers against Maryland in their Big Ten opener.
And they showed their disgust with boos raining down as coaches and players left the field for the locker room.
The student section is also chanting “Fire Fickell.” The same reaction was taking place on social media.
And you can’t blame them.
Wisconsin was shut out by Maryland, 20-0.
Badgers fans have watched this brand of football all too often under Luke Fickell, a coach brought to Madison with a lot of hype that hasn’t panned out.
On Saturday, it’s been mistake after mistake after mistake for Fickell’s team. Coming off a blowout loss at Alabama, there was the thought the Badgers could have some sort of “get-right” game against Maryland back at home before a bye next week. Hey, they were even 10-point favorites by the Vegas oddsmakers.
Well, the game began and the Badgers showed everyone who they are and have been for the last few years. Here’s how the first three possessions went for Wisconsin: Blocked field goal, interception, blocked punt. And that was all just in the first quarter.
The miscues led to easy touchdowns for Maryland. Wisconsin’s quarterback play is a mess, they can’t snap the ball and the once proud run game is gone — they’re averaging 1.5 yards per carry. Ditto for the offensive line, which is getting overpowered. It’s the second straight week they haven’t scored a point in the first half.
Here’s how social media is reacting to the Badgers’ horrendous first half:
Wisconsin football vs Maryland social media reactions: Badgers trail 20-0 at halftime
Wisconsin football quarterbacks
Billy Edwards Jr. started the game after missing the last 2 ½ games with a knee injury. But he was slowed by the injury early on and left the game in the first quarter and has not returned. Backup QB Danny O’Neil, who started in Weeks 2 and 3, is 5 of 10 for 50 yards, zero TDs and one ugly interception in the first half.
O’Neil also exited the game when he was injured late in the 27-10 loss.
Luke Fickell contract
While fans are calling for Fickell’s firing, UW athletic director Chris McIntosh, after the game, stood behind the Badgers’ head coach.
Even so, decisions can change quickly. If Fickell would be fired, it would come with a price. Fickell would be owed nearly $28.8 million for his buyout.
Fickell is making over $7.7 million annually this season.
Fickell, for his part, understood the fans’ frustrations.
“I feel what their pain is,” Fickell said. “But there’s nothing that we can do other than keep grinding, keep working. We have to play better. So I don’t get upset, I don’t lose my mind because of the way they feel. They’re passionate about what they do and what they want to see, and that’s what you love about this place. That’s what you know you signed up for when you came here.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: ‘Fire Fickell’: Wisconsin football fans boo profusely over Badgers’ disastrous first-half performance vs Maryland at Camp Randall
Reporting by Christopher Kuhagen, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
