Days after it was reported that Luke Fickell would remain Wisconsin’s head coach through the 2026 season—removing him from the hot seat—Fickell led the Badgers to an unconventional win over No. 24 Washington on Saturday.
The Badgers defeated the Huskies despite only passing for 48 yards in the game. Their leading passer was their punter, Sean West, who threw one pass for 24 yards in the third quarter during the victory.
Wisconsin pulls off the fake punt 🤩 @BadgerFootball
📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/qy7REqPSZO
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 8, 2025
After getting benched for Hunter Simmons earlier this season, Danny O’Neill was named Wisconsin’s starter again on Saturday. However, O’Neill was carted off the field with an injury in the first quarter after attempting just two passes. True freshman Carter Smith primarily filled in for O’Neill, but he struggled in his debut, going just 3-for-8 for eight yards in the game. Simmons also attempted a few passes, going 2-for-3 for 16 yards.
Despite the team’s non-existent passing game, Wisconsin managed a 13–10 win over Washington thanks to its defense, who sacked Demond Williams Jr. four times, forced two turnovers and held them to just 1-3 on fourth down. Washington’s only touchdown of the game came after they blocked a Wisconsin punt that put them at the 1-yard line. Williams then connected with Denzel Boston on a one-yard touchdown.
Similarly, Wisconsin’s only touchdown came after it forced a fumble that placed them at Washington’s 7-yard line. Two plays later, Smith ran in for a one-yard touchdown to tie the game at 10 apiece. They later took a 13-10 on a field goal in the third quarter. Washington had a chance to tie the game in the fourth quarter, but missed a 50-yard field goal attempt in less-than-ideal conditions.
Wisconsin has lacked strong quarterback play throughout the season. They have not had a quarterback throw for more than 100 yards in over a month, and a Badgers signal-caller has only thrown for over 200 yards in a game once this season, against Middle Tennessee. On Saturday, they got away with a poor offensive performance to earn their first win over a ranked opponent since 2021. The victory also broke a 10-game losing streak in the Big Ten.
Meanwhile, Washington should travel back home with regret as their mistakes came back to bite, and the loss could drop them out of the AP Top 25 as they fall to 6-3 on the season.
