Wisconsin earns biggest win of Luke Fickell era with comeback

Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Wisconsin gets biggest win of Luke Fickell era with comeback over No. 13 Penn State

By Andrew Wright | Last updated Sep 26, 2026 9:42 PM ET

When the Wisconsin Badgers went down 17-0 on the road against No. 13-ranked Penn State, it felt like every other letdown performance in a big game since the arrival of head coach Luke Fickell.

Instead of the result being the same, though, the Badgers scored 24 of the game's final 27 points on the way to a shocking upset win in Happy Valley over the Nittany Lions by a final score of 24-20

Luke Fickell gets his signature win at Wisconsin

Fickell is in his fifth season at Wisconsin, and a signature win is something that had eluded him up until Saturday.

Fickell entered the day with a record of 19-22 with the Badgers and was widely considered to be on the hot seat. Now, with his first road win over a ranked opponent, he has signed off as the Wisconsin head coach and his seat may have cooled down considerably.

Additionally, the win for the Badgers in Happy Valley was their first since a 3-23 win all the way back during the 2003 season.

Hard not to feel good for Luke Fickell. He is a good football coach who has been through hell the last few years. pic.twitter.com/qSVelxSJKf
— Ari Wasserman (@AriWasserman) September 27, 2026

Can Wisconsin build on the momentum for Saturday's win?

The upset victory for Wisconsin is excellent in the moment, but how the team responds will be worth watching. The Badgers had two wins over ranked opponents last season but lost the following games after both wins.

If the program wants to get into serious Big 10 consideration, that certainly can't happen in Week 5 at home against Michigan State, a game that Wisconsin will likely be favored in.

A loss in that game would ruin all momentum that the Badgers built for themselves in Saturday's win, and Fickell would return to the hot seat just as fast as he left it.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

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