With the win vs. No. 23 Washington, Luke Fickell gets the monkey off his back

After two and a half frustrating seasons, Fickell finally beats a ranked opponent with the Badgers.

Photo by: 2025 David Stluka/Wisconsin Athletic Communications

This week, Wisconsin Badgers athletic director Chris McIntosh confirmed that Luke Fickell would be back as the head coach of the football team despite the Badgers’ 2-6 record this season. It was a move everyone knew was coming, but the announcement was still met with negativity and frustration.

Maybe it was more about the comments McIntosh made while discussing Fickell’s return, saying success isn’t ‘limited to wins and losses.’ Either way, fans weren’t happy with the announcement, especially for a coach who came in with a ton of hype and still hadn’t won a game against a ranked opponent during his time as the Badgers’ head coach.

Until last night.

The Badgers took down the No. 23 Washington Huskies, ending Fickell’s losing streak against ranked teams at 10 games.

Freshmen step up, giving us a glimpse of the future

We already saw the linebacking duo of Mason Posa and Cooper Catalano two weeks ago against Oregon, combining for 21 total tackles in their first starts of their young careers.

Last night, the duo topped that performance, making some of the most impactful plays of the game. Catalano racked up 19 total tackles (12 solo, 1.5 tackles for a loss), setting a record for most tackles in a game by a freshman.

Posa wasn’t far behind with 11 total tackles, but he had 2.5 sacks himself, including a strip sack and fumble recovery deep in Washington territory to set the Badgers up for their lone touchdown of the game. Posa also sacked Washington quarterback Demond Williams on 4th and 5 with 1:13 left in the game, ending the game.