The Badgers defense was seemingly making a ton of plays on Day 1 of camp.
The Wisconsin Badgers wrapped up Day 1 of fall camp on Tuesday, which was a no-pads day, but still one that head coach Luke Fickell characterized as a ‘good day of work.’
While it was just the first practice, the defense notably forced a few turnovers in the fumble department, knocking four or five balls loose, which Fickell acknowledged following the day of practice.
It was a difference in pace for Wisconsin, who struggled in generating fumbles last year, be it due to a lack of opportunity or sheer bad luck.
But, with a positive for the defense, it is also a concern for the offense, as the Badgers did have fumble issues a year ago, which they don’t want to stick going forward.
How does Fickell balance both sides of the equation?
“I think that there’s an emphasis on both sides of the ball, right. I mean, I think early on, you know, especially when you’re not in pads, it’s really hard to establish the stuff up front, right. And we’re trying to be smart about what we’re doing, but making sure that, you know, we’re not creating any bad habits,” Fickell said.
“So the one thing that jumps out you defensively, that they knocked a few balls on the ground. And I think that is a great sign defensively since we only caused four fumbles last year, and I think we may have caused legitimately caused, you know, four or five fumbles in practice today. It’s a great thing.
“It is a little bit alarming offensively since we had twelve fumbles last year. That is an area where we’ve got to do a lot better. So those are the things maybe to jump out at you that you recognize from the defense a little more.”
Now, with the Badgers out of pads, everything does need to be taken with a grain of salt, but it’s a good sign that the defense is wreaking havoc early and forcing turnovers.
We know that the opportunities will come in the air, as Wisconsin should have a fairly good group of defensive backs, led by Ricardo Hallman, who picked off seven passes a season ago.
But, if they can also generate fumbles on the ground, the defense could take a bigger step forward and help the offense out as well.
On the offensive side though, ball protection will be key and could be a major factor in who the coaching staff trusts heading into the season, especially at running back.
We’ll see how things ultimately start to trickle out as fall camp progresses.