'There's really no secret sauce': How Wisconsin Badgers plan to rebound from ugly start to season

In the two-plus seasons since Luke Fickell took over at head coach, the Badgers ended a 22-year bowl streak, lost four of their six rivalry games with trophies on the line and haven't beaten a ranked opponent.

Frustrations over Fickell's shortcomings in Madison boiled over Saturday against the Terrapins. Fans booed and chanted for Fickell's firing, and the Badgers looked lost from start to finish.

With matchups against No. 19 Michigan, No. 1 Ohio State, No. 6 Oregon and No. 11 Indiana left on the docket, it's hard to find a light at the end of the tunnel.

Witt and his teammates are left looking for answers.

'Pound the rock'

Fickell provided a clear course of action during his postgame press conference: Show up every day and work hard to get better. He used the phrase "pound the rock" to represent Wisconsin's way forward, chipping away at the difficult task with each passing day.

His message reverberated throughout the McClain Center.

"I don't really think there's any magic secret," junior linebacker Tackett Curtis said. "You've just got to come out here and practice and get better. We've got to put an emphasis and focus on standing together."

Witt echoed a similar sentiment.

"There's really no secret sauce, sadly," he said. "You've just got to show up and just keep striving to get better."

Even in the preseason, Wisconsin was intentional about embracing their difficult schedule. And now, more than ever, they're focusing on standing tall and facing adversity head-on.

"It starts with the leadership in the locker room, and not allowing guys to slip," redshirt junior offensive lineman Joe Brunner said. "You've got to stick together through these times."

That's where Wisconsin will have to grow from 2024.

At Badgers' local media day this summer, outside linebacker Darryl Peterson admitted that players quit in the final weeks of the regular season, and that belief in the locker room declined as the losses piled up.

Being tough and resilient was an emphasis for Wisconsin this offseason, and now they'll find out if the message was received.

"You've got to be tough, nasty and disciplined. That's what we talked about [all offseason]," Brunner said. "Let's see who's not, and who is."

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