Badgers DC Mike Tressel Names Two Key Areas Where his Defense Must Improve

Lost in the despair of Wisconsin's abysmal 4-8 season last fall was the fact that the Badgers' defense was actually pretty good.

Some Saturdays were exceptions, of course, like Week 3 in Tuscaloosa and the 37-0 implosion against Iowa. Still, defensive coordinator Mike Tressel deployed a very solid unit when all was said and done.

Wisconsin boasted the No. 24 total defense in the country, and was particularly strong against the run (No. 15 nationally in yards per game). Though the secondary left a lot to be desired (No. 62 nationally in passing yards per game allowed), the front seven and especially the pass-rush was the strongest yet in the Luke Fickell era; the Badgers' 32 sacks tied for 12th-most in the country.

What's more, this defense finally passed the eye test. Wisconsin had some legit players on the edge and at inside linebacker, and their enormous, experienced defensive tackles were largely stout all season long.

Still, this defense obviously wasn't good enough last season. It didn't exactly get much help from the offense, but Alabama, Iowa, Ohio State and Indiana all hung 30-plus points on the Badgers. This unit wasn't ready to go toe-to-toe with the most electric offenses in the country.

After adding 15 defensive players via the transfer portal and revamping the coaching staff with the addition of cornerbacks coach Robert Steeples and the promotion of Tuf Borland to inside linebackers coach, Wisconsin's defense looks poised to keep improving in 2026. But in what areas does Tressel want to see the most growth?

Tressel eyes improvement in key categories

Wisconsin football defensive coordinator Mike Tressel. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"There's two, I'm gonna say takeaways first and I'm gonna say third down and long needs to be dominant," the coordinator said at local media day.

"There's other areas that are important, but we were pretty good in those other areas. The ones we have to take the big jumps are takeaways, put the offense in great position, and third-and-long has to be dominant."

Those two areas are key indicators of success for any defense, but Tressel is spot on; Wisconsin must improve dramatically in both categories.

Last fall, the Badgers created just six turnovers, sitting in a three-way tie with Virginia Tech and Georgia State for dead last in the nation.

They were better at third-down stop percentage, checking in at No. 59 nationally while allowing opposing offenses to convert 38 percent of their third-and-longs.

What constitutes success in these areas? Tressel was happy to give a concrete figure: two takeaways per game and a 75 percent stop rate on third-and-longs.

Those would both be absolutely elite numbers. Only one team in the country last fall (Texas A&M) stopped opponents on 75 percent of third-and-longs, while two turnovers per game was a slightly less rare feat but still extremely difficult to pull off.

Wisconsin's defense is going to need to be elite this fall to carry what should still be an underwhelming offense that lacks skill position talent.

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