Lipstick on a Pig Victory: Wisconsin

Originally posted on Mike Farrell Sports
By Mark Pszonak | Last updated Nov 9, 2025 8:31 AM ET

Even when Wisconsin (3-6) manages to win a game this season, it creates more jokes nationally than accolades. That was the result after the Badgers’ 13-10 victory at home over No. 23 Washington (6-3) yesterday. Despite a dominant defensive effort, more attention was paid to the pathetic passing display and the fan’s reaction.

The victory snapped Wisconsin’s six-game losing streak this season and its 11-game losing streak against P4 teams, which stretched back to last October.

And as mentioned, the defense deserves most of the credit for this victory. They held Washington to 251 yards of offense and 3.3 yards per rush attempt. And in what was an extremely ugly weather game, Washington quarterback Demond Williams completed 20 of 32 passes for only 134 yards.

That brings us to Wisconsin’s passing game. As mentioned, the weather was far from passing friendly, plus starting quarterback Billy Edwards was once again out with an injury. However, Wisconsin managed to complete 6 of 18 passes for 48 yards.

Punter Sean West was the most successful passer of the game by completing his only attempt during a fake for 24 yards. Which means the quarterbacks on the roster completed 5 of 17 passes for 24 yards. And the Badgers won.

This can easily be a serious critique against Washington and head coach Jedd Fisch. It is extremely difficult to lose a game when the opposing starting quarterbacks pass for 24 yards, but the Huskies found a way.

But considering the bigger news this week was about Wisconsin and their decision to bring head coach Luke Fickell back for the 2026 season, it becomes just another sign of how far the program has fallen.

Wins are important, and the Wisconsin players deserved this victory. They deserved the joy that they felt afterwards, as they were able to overcome months of negativity. And the fans also deserved to celebrate.

And they did, but this also shows how far Wisconsin has slipped. The fans stormed the field after a win against the No. 23 team in the country. Badgers’ fans will remember October 16, 2010, when Wisconsin defeated No. 1 Ohio State. Not surprisingly, the fans stormed the field and that made plenty of sense.

The storming of the field last night was more about relief than celebration. And it also might be the reality that the fans don’t know when another P4 victory at home will happen.

But this is what athletic director Chris McIntosh seems to want. He dropped the bar so low in Madison that any P4 victory is seen as a reason to celebrate as if it’s a monumental victory. That is the currently reality of Wisconsin football.

This article first appeared on Mike Farrell Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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