Wisconsin Coach Makes Concerning Comment About The Team

Luke Fickell seemed to indicate depth is a problem for the Wisconsin Badgers.

The Badgers lost a very disappointing game last Saturday to Penn State 28-13. Wisconsin was up 10-7 late into the third quarter when the wheels fell off following a horrible pick six thrown by Braedyn Locke.

Wisconsin was never able to find its footing following the interception, Penn State surged forward with momentum and the defense was clearly exhausted due to the fact it couldn't get off the field.

Luke Fickell indicates Wisconsin might have depth issues on defense.

The Badgers now sit at 5-3, and after a nice three-game winning streak, fans are back to being very disappointed and frustrated. There's no way around it. The loss to Penn State was completely avoidable, and now the team's head coach is admitting the defense might have a depth issue.

Fickell told the media the following this week, according to Badger of Honor:

"Maybe at the end of the game, we were a little bit worn down, defensively, and I think that, in the long run, cost us. And so that's one of those things we've talked about; we have to play more guys. We have to make sure that we're playing 24 guys of some sorts, and I mean that in some version of a significant role. That's not just one play here on dime on third-and-eight, but the ability to make sure that we're going to put ourselves in a position to, come the fourth quarter, to be able to execute and do the things, because guys are fresh enough mentally and physically. But that just doesn't happen, right? It's got to be deliberate on what you're doing, and it has a lot to do with the week's preparations as well."

The Badgers lost to Penn State 28-13 to fall to 5-3. The game fell apart following a pick six from Braedyn Locke. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)

Credit to Fickell for not trying to make excuses. The fact of the matter is that the defense was incredibly exhausted down the stretch.

A big part of that is the fact the offense simply could not get anything going when it mattered. The other factor is that there appears to be a pretty short depth chart, which is what Fickell is pointing out.

You can't win big games if the depth chart can't support a lot of guys being able to play. Did it look like Wisconsin could go deep against Penn State? No, and Fickell and everyone else watching knows it.

You might be able to beat mediocre teams with limited depth. You definitely aren't beating elite teams like Penn State.

Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell indicated depth might be a problem for the Badgers on defense. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)

The worst part is there's only four games left in the regular season. The team is what it is at this point. If there are depth problems, they won't be solved now. It needs to be taken care of in the offseason, and as a Wisconsin man, I hope they are. Let's see what Wisconsin can do Saturday night against Penn State, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.