Luke Fickell gives head-scratching update on Wisconsin Badgers QB Billy Edwards

As the clock ticked down in a Wisconsin Badgers blowout loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes, Wisconsin football head coach Luke Fickell asked an odd question to his QB

Oct 11, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Luke Fickell leads his team out of the tunnel at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ross Harried-Imagn Images | Ross Harried-Imagn Images

After a 37-0 blowout loss at the hands of the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Wisconsin Badgers are looking for help anywhere they can find it. In a rivalry that spans 99 meetings and over 100 years of history, Wisconsin football took its second-worst loss to Iowa by margin of defeat. The only time the Hawkeyes have ever put together a more dominant performance against the Badgers was in a 41-0 victory in 1968.

As losses in rivalry games pile up, the "fire Fickell" chants get louder, and frustration from former players reaches a boiling point, Fickell is still hoping he can turn to his injured starting quarterback at some point this season.

Billy Edwards Jr., who suffered a lower-body injury in his Badgers debut, has been largely unavailable since exiting that Week 1 matchup with the Miami Redhawks. The Maryland Terrapins transfer did start against his former team in Week 4, but left that game after appearing to re-aggravate his injury and has not played since.

Apparently, with "about six minutes left in the game, five minutes left in the game" against Iowa, Fickell approached Edwards, in hopes that the embattled QB could provide a light in a dark 37-0 tunnel.

Related: Wisconsin Badgers' 37-0 loss to Iowa ended Luke Fickell's last chance to save his job

Luke Fickell hoping Wisconsin Badgers QB could be 'one of those sparks that can help'

Injured Wisconsin quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. (9) is shown during the second quarter of the game against Middle Tennessee Saturday, September 6, 2025 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the closing moments of Fickell's third loss to the Hawkeyes in three tries, he sought out something of an injury update from Edwards. Fickell said he was "trying to pick his brain a little bit to see where he is." Ultimately, Fickell said he does "not really know" when his QB1 might return.

The moment shared on the sideline between the two came as QB Hunter Simmons finished his poor showing on UW's homecoming weekend. Simmons completed eight of his 21 attempted passes, amassing 82 yards through the air. The Southern Illinois Salukis transfer was also responsible for all three Wisconsin turnovers, throwing two interceptions and a backwards pass recovered by the Iowa defense.

"We'll figure it out," Fickell said of Edwards' injury status. "But I'm sure, to him, in some ways, he wants to see some positives too. And I know that he can make a difference, that's some of those things that we just gotta find a way. That's maybe one of those sparks that can help."

Any "spark" for the Wisconsin football passing game would be a welcome one for Badgers fans. Between relief appearances by Simmons and fellow reserve Danny O'Neil, Wisconsin QBs have thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in 50% of games this year. In two more games, Badgers signal callers have thrown one touchdown pass and one interception. Only once this season has the UW offense finished a game with more touchdown passes than picks.

"But I don't have a good indication on when exactly [Edwards] is going to be available," Fickell admitted. "Is he going to be available at 85%? Is he going to be available at 90% I can surely tell you that [Iowa's] quarterback wasn't available at 100%. I'm not saying what the injuries are; we're just gonna have to figure that out. But I don't know."

Fickell may have been publicly making a case for Edwards to play, even if Edwards is not 100% healthy. In contrast to Edwards, Iowa football quarterback Mark Gronowski played Saturday despite recently battling through a left knee injury. Gronowski completed 17 of 24 passes for 107 yards, one interception, and added a rushing touchdown in the win ove

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