Badgers news: Hear Luke Fickell’s comments after the 38-21 loss to USC

The Wisconsin Badgers lost their second game of the season with a tough 38-21 loss to the USC Trojans on Saturday, losing their first conference game of the year.

While Wisconsin’s 42-10 loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide in Week 3 was tough from the start, the Badgers had their best half of football in the first half, taking a 21-10 lead.

Things went haywire from there, however, as USC outscored Wisconsin 28-0 in the second half, taking advantage of the Badgers’ mistakes and great offensive performance to complete the comeback win.

On offense, Wisconsin got some explosiveness early when Vinny Anthony caught a 63-yard touchdown pass on the first drive by hitting his 1-on-1. Braedyn Locke also got a 35-yard pass to Bryson Green, who was also playing 1-on-1 in this scenario. Additionally, the running game was a success, with Tawee Walker rushing for 55 yards and two scores, while the Badgers totaled 105 yards on the ground at 4.4 yards per carry.

Defensively, the Badgers held firm early, forcing Miller Moss into an interception while allowing just 10 points, despite USC dominating time of possession and consistently pushing down the field. However, third downs were their downfall, as the Trojans converted 11/17 on those situations and also scored on their two fourth downs.

Speaking to reporters watching the game, head coach Luke Fickell pointed out the game’s underlying factors and said the team had the first half it wanted but needed to find a way to stay the course and do so to play throughout the game.

Listen to Fickell’s entire opening statement following the Badgers’ 38-21 loss to the USC Trojans today.

In case you missed it, here’s our immediate reaction to the game: Rohan Chakravarthi provides his analysis of Wisconsin’s 38-21 loss to USC.

Stay tuned for all of the Badgers postgame coverage coming soon!