Badgers fans call for changes after Wisconsin football's loss at Iowa
Columnist Jim Polzin took the pulse of Badgers fans on Twitter following the 24-10 loss at Iowa. Here's what they are saying.
Mayo hands?
Is it just me or has Graham Mertz not been the same since dropping the Duke's Mayo Bowl trophy? A 16-for-35 passing day for 176 yards with one TD & two picks with a quiet running game is not the kind of spark that will mask short-comings in the offense.
— Rob Hernandez (@RobHernandezGLF) November 13, 2022
It's slipping away
Gonna be tough to even qualify for @DukesMayonnaise bowl
— Tom Shepherd Sr. (@TomShepherd_Sr) November 13, 2022
Something to build on
The defense is fun to watch! Hope we can get the Axe back!
— Bill_Woj (@Slough_Creek) November 13, 2022
Any objections?
- D was SPECTACULAR x 1000
— Chris Davis (@cdavis20000) November 13, 2022
- Special teams still horrible.
- Offense still horrible.
- 3rd quarter still horrible.
- Mistakes still frequent.
- Mertz: just when we started to believe
- Allen clearly hurting.
- Team not very good.
Down in the trenches
Offensive line continues to be horrid. Their poor play translates to offensive struggles.
— MadCityCrain (@TherealJoeCrain) November 13, 2022
Defense deserved the win.
A vote for Leonhard
Frustrating for offense and ST to struggle, but Defense played great and the battled. Doesn’t change the fact that JL should be the HC.
— Todd (@pilprin) November 13, 2022
Job not secured yet
Offensive line play, special teams, and QB Graham Mertz all reverted back to what led Jim Leonhard to be named head coach. This was game #10 & AD Chris McIntosh has to really look at everything, including whether to hire the current head coach as the permanent replacement.
— Jeff Ostach☮️ (@jeff_ostach) November 13, 2022
Who are they playing for?
If we didn’t know any better, would’ve thought Paul Chryst was on the sideline for this one. Pathetic offensive and special teams performance. Seemingly zero accountability. Defense played well against a horrendous Iowa offense, but still couldn’t keep them out of the end zone
— Brian Eich (@Brian_Eich) November 13, 2022
Pump the breaks
Is not sure leonards the guy. Brought them more excitement but didn't improve their mental part of the game to eliminate mistakes. Total team loss. I'd rather have an average consistent quarterback than supposed superstar that's inconsisent & good 10% of the time. Awful.
— David Zeier (@CheeseheadinOH) November 13, 2022
Coaches coach
They should give Leonard the job tonight. Make a statement. Bad QB, line and special teams lost that game. Not the head coach.
— Eric M. Tostrud (@EricTostrud) November 13, 2022
Time to move on?
This should signal the end of the Mertz era at UW. It’s time. Same mistakes in his third year as a starter. I wish he had been the QB we all thought he’d be. He’s not.
— Sam Oleson (@sam_olesonFDL) November 13, 2022
Sweeping changes
Leonard needs to get the job in time to fire the offensive staff, re-hire, and hit the trail for signing day & to capitalize on the portal. Move Bostad back to ILB if he wants to keep him. Mertz doesn’t need to take another snap for UW.
— Billy Lowry (@bilow88) November 13, 2022
Revolving door
No matter who the HC is this team is maddeningly inconsistent. The QB and special teams wasted a great defensive performance. Mertz is a coach killer
— Fred Ehle (@FredEhle) November 13, 2022
Upgrade needed
@BadgerFootball had better be all over every available Quarterback in the transfer portal. Can’t go into next season with this level of play at the position.
— Jordan Steward (@Jordan__Steward) November 13, 2022
Division of mediocrity
A reminder of how far we have to go just to reach average. Also a reminder of the irrelevance of the #B1G West.
— Russ Evansen (@waunaruss) November 13, 2022
Defense deserved better
Mertz wouldn’t cut it at a D3 school. His only good performances are against abysmal defenses. Herbig, Benton, Torchio and the rest of that defense deserve far better than what they were given today.
— Eli (@ElijahJ1997) November 13, 2022
Zero dimensions
Badger offense all around was brutal. The Iowa D wanted to make the Badger offense one dimensional. The WI passing game made the offense zero-dimensional. Not sure if anyone was open or not but Mertz passes didn’t give many players a chance to make plays.
— Erik Grinde (@egrinde) November 13, 2022
They played how poorly?
I'm gonna guess that's the first time in college football history a team was held to 146 total yards (on 64 plays) and won by two touchdowns.
— Bill Pfeiffer (@billt209) November 13, 2022
Offense needs fixing
A systemic failure. Mertz was very poor, but this program is paying the price for ignoring a serviceable passing game for years. Dreadful OL play, Allen has been bad all year, and the WRs are not Big Ten level players. Engram is not the answer. Throw $1.5 mm at a real OC.
— ryebadger (@ryebadger1) November 13, 2022
Where's the creativity?
Given the constant ineptitude on offense, I'm just curious why no jet sweeps, no wildcat with Allen taking snaps, no Myles Burkett for a play or two. Anything! Acts of desperation are logical when you are desperate.
— Tom Nicholas (@NicholasCSI) November 13, 2022
Sad state of football
Seems like the same thing we see in this state on Sundays…….
— Steven Stewart (@stew_stev) November 13, 2022
Shot of optimism
The hour that it looked like the badgers might be relevant was fun anyway
— Cappelle (@adamcappellein6) November 13, 2022
Bingo!
Super frustrating. The game was there for the taking and we blew it. Can't be giving an offense that is as inept as Iowa's a short field.
— Texas Chain Saw MATTacre (@popculturepsych) November 13, 2022
There's an idea
Time to hire a special teams coach
— Scott Hettenbach (@Hetty714) November 13, 2022
More deserving?
We won’t go anywhere with Mertz I hope Allen enters the portal to get somewhere where he is better used meaning a team that has a QB that compliments his skills, Mertz is garbage and scares no defense
— Scott Davis (@chilid19) November 13, 2022
A frosh start?
Has to be a Burkett start next week
— Brian Gile (@briangile) November 13, 2022
Packers' triple-A team?
I didn't know GB had a farm system AAA club in Madison.
— J. Burnett (@IntheweedsBigIE) November 13, 2022
Fair
Nope. No thoughts at all.
— Peter Healy (@PeterRHealy) November 13, 2022
Christmas came early
Feels like we gave this entire game to them.
— Benjamin Saxon (@BenjaminSaxon) November 13, 2022
'Tis the season
Basketball school,
— Jake Lund (@Jake_Lund) November 13, 2022
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