Luke Fickell knows Wisconsin Badgers have to play a lot better at Alabama than they did in Week 2

Head coach Luke Fickell admitted the 2-0 Wisconsin Badgers haven't played well enough yet to take on Alabama in Week 3, and improvement needs to happen quickly.

Sep 6, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Cade Yacamelli (25) runs the ball against Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders linebacker Muaaz Byard (35) during the second half at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images | Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images

The Wisconsin Badgers blew out Middle Tennessee State in Week 2, but head coach Luke Fickell knows his team's performance on Saturday won't be good enough next week against Alabama.

They have to be a heck of a lot better on the road in Tuscaloosa, and they don't have much time to make improvements.

When asked after the game whether the Badgers are ready for the step up in competition next week and beyond, Fickell answered bluntly: "Right at this moment? No."

Despite the 32-point victory, he gave a stark assessment of his team's struggles in the first half, knowing they won't be able to get away with slow starts like that moving foward.

"We can’t play the way we did in the first half. There’s no doubt about that," Fickell said. "We've got our work cut out for us, but that's where you've got to find out what you are."

Late into the first half, the Blue Raiders had outgained the Badgers on offense, and MTSU eclipsed their Week 1 yardage total in the first two quarters against Wisconsin.

It didn't keep UW from pulling away in the second half, but they won't have that same luxury to bounce back against Alabama.

What did Luke Fickell have to say about the Badgers slow start? pic.twitter.com/L93qrUYZej

— Ryan Harings (@RyanAndBucky) September 7, 2025

The Crimson Tide looked vulnerable after a Week 1 loss to Florida State, but they responded by dominating UL-Monroe on Saturday 73-0.

"We're going on the road to, obviously, an incredibly hostile environment, to a team that beat us pretty bad last year at home," Fickell said. "We understand what the journey in front of us and the mountain looks like, and we've got to continue to climb."

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