Luke Fickell Media Availability || Wisconsin Football || August 17, 2024

this was going to be a mixed day like we wanted to go live in the beginning of the set and we did and we got an opportunity for the ones on both sides to go live for about 10 12 15 plays um and then we kind of thed it up which is what we wanted some situation stuff but more of a true kind of you know as close to the game before the 30th that we could possibly do and you know there's some there's some risk to that I mean I think we maybe got a twisted ankle and a twisted knee but again it's that's all kind of a part of it we knew that uh you know this was probably one of the last days where we could really truly kind of get after it um in a way that you know we would like to before we find out on the 30th what we really got so that doesn't mean we're done doesn't mean Camp is over I mean there's a different mode here as we as we move forward I think we're in a really good place I think it's uh it's a little bit unique now to say okay we got to continue to work we got to continue to you know do the things we need to do but we also need to to get ourselves healthy we need to try to find a way to get our legs and our minds back um in this next kind of phase of where we're headed here but Platville was a great opportunity and it was a great 13 days and I think the last you know six or so here has been exactly what it is that we need and so we feel good about that um now we've got to you know find a way to say okay you know who are these 45 guys who are these 65 guys that we really feel like we could trust and can can go with and that's what I keep harping to our team about like last year I think by the end of the year you know we had 40 or so guys that you you know felt confident and trustworthy and and you know it's hard and as you go through a season you get you get a guy like like CJ gets last year that has to take so many reps every game that he's a shell of himself by the time the the season ends and um that was as big a focus as as a start of campus to say who who are these 1 A's and 1bs and who are the guys we really got to make sure that uh you know are going to play a role each and every week and um that's to me as I was the only thing I was hard upon at the end here was the consistency of that crew of guys that that next group of guys that all are going to want to play on the 30th but you know will there be opportunities um for that based on you know what it is that they've shown us and so you know where we are where we still got to be able to go to I think has a lot to do with that next kind of group guys that uh we got to find out um you know in these next 68 10 days where are we with that with that crew when uh when Tyler entered entered the portal in the offseason he was obviously coming up a tough year what did you feel like you needed to learn about him at that time and what have you learned about him since I I I don't I think that when when you come off a tough year if you're able to take ownership if you're able to be humble about the things that have happened then it's a positive really I mean um that's one of the things that I was most excited about is you know it wasn't guaranteed that he was going to be the starter you know and sometimes say guys say things and and and do they really mean them because you don't know them I mean it's a short short amount of time that you had an opportunity to you know get to know him a little bit before he you know he was you know brought into the program um but in my heart I felt like hey he had gone through some UPS some Downs he had had some really good high moments he's had some low moments I'd seen him kind of respond and come back at the end of the year last year uh I felt like those are the best things that you could possibly have if you can be humble about it if you can own own it take ownership and uh and find ways to grow and I really felt like he was that and since he's been here he's done nothing but prove that to us could you put an added emphasis on on fourth down in this Camp just feels like some of the competitive periods yes yes and yes uh you know everybody says they want to be aggressive right as you get out there on the field and we always have an opportunity for you guys to to second guess that based on what happens not it's just the nature of the Beast right I'm not nothing against you it's it's what we all do I do it myself I just don't write it in a in a story um but we all say we want to be aggressive but then there's a difference like I keep stressing our guys there's a difference between aggressive and stupid and where is that fine line so what we got to do and what we've have done is put ourselves in those situations to see where and how we can execute and um that will help determine you know as we get into the into the body of the Season that how aggressive can we be you know and there's a lot of other factors that come in there obviously with some confidence and how both sides of the ball are playing um but it has been a major emphasis L you mentioned trying to get healthy before week one saw Riley try to come back earlier this week and had to miss some more time is there any concern with him going forward or I don't think so I think he could have gone a little bit today um you know we decided that that probably wasn't the best thing so you know we feel good um but again that's where these next 10 days are going to be really important for us um so there's a few guys that are like that you know I don't think Jake play Cheney played as much tonight I don't think Hunter played as much today and all things that we you know wanted to be able to do and to make a lot of put out a lot of other guys in those situations um but you know that's what we got to figure out in these next 10 days cuz there's a few guys that are in that situation I say same thing with like Aaron wit and Christian algo even just like yeah yeah both both both are guys that Aaron got dinged up a little bit earlier in Camp uh Christian um I think it was the last scrimmage we had out at Platville um they kind of got a little tweak on the on the hamstring um would assume he would be fine this coming week it could have been one we you know maybe could have pushed today but not not necessary not that he doesn't need the Reps we we but there's a there's that balance between where's where's uh smart and where's you know trying to push him too much um but that's what these next really these next8 nine days are going to be critical for us as far as you know having a little more physical camp this year have you have you already seen maybe the benefits of that and if so where you think Point how do we see the benefits right I'll tell you on the 30th you know uh that's when we really see it right I mean like yes we do we believe do we feel better do I feel better about how we're going to take care of the football how how we're going to tackle yes because of spring football going live because of fall Camp as much as we went live uh I feel much much better about where we are as far as a team taking care of the football and as a team tackling um but does it how much does it pay off you know obviously we'll see you know and um but I think we're all in a better place and we there's a lot more confidence not just from me but I think in these guys when they actually get to play the game like that camp done you guys still have next week no we still have next week we not we're not in school which is we got to take advantage of but now you kind of get to that balance where what's what's enough and what's too much right there's a there's a mental side of these things that we have to make sure we're fresh as well and um that's where this next week we got the great Advantage right we don't start school till till whatever September whatever 2nd whatever that is so we can take advantage of not having our guys in school that routine um where we can spend more time and that's where you know not too much but spend more time where that's even taking care of themselves physically um and that's what we got to do your program obviously made a big jump in Year too at Cincinnati I I know that it's a while but in general how important do you think it is to show now that you've got a transition year of sorts out of the way that you're making always trying to show progress I mean every one of us I me these guys they hear it every single day you know they're evaluated every day I we're evaluated every day uh progress is something that is is continual I don't care if you win 11 12 games like you're still going to want progress and does progress always mean more wins you know it's easy for everybody else to say but there's a lot of progress that has to continue um you know the buzz word is culture right culture is kind of evolves every single year so there's there's a process to that as well um you know so what's to say you know is it going to be the similar do you have jumps like that we all know that this is a part of the process and a part of I say transition um but the Perpetual development and that's what we got to make sure we continue to focus on that process that development that you know like I told him this morning sometimes takes a little longer than you wish right we all want it now you think just because we work really hard and we dedicate ourselves with than everything else is supposed to pay off doesn't quite work like that Amari shared this morning or maybe it was yesterday that he lost his mom and he said that you and Coach been really supportive through that like how do you try to help a young man through that I I I don't have any like you know nothing to fall back on and um to say I've been through it you know so it's it's difficult but I think when you have a relationship with those guys when it starts in recruiting and it it's it continue it's not like there's some magic words you can say um but that's why I think it's so critical for that's hard on anybody a guy could be in the NFL you know but 18 to 22 the first time you're away from home that's one of the things I worry about with where the evolution of college ball could be going into more of a transactional world that things like this on an 181 19yearold you know can get lost right I mean they could just pass it off to you know some expert when that's good but I think if they don't have the support from around them and the relationships around them it's going to be really really really difficult for those guys and so fortunate enough that known the family for a long time and and he feels comfortable coming up and talking and being able to air some of that and so um from both sides that makes me feel really good you know about the relationship we do have as well as as far asari goes I mean have you been surprised at how he from a performance standpoint just how he's been able to kind of maybe compartmentalize yeah I try to I try to put myself in the shoes and I don't know how I would handle right and and he's been really solid you know he's you can tell there's when you know a kid you can see the ups and the downs and it's not always by performance you know has a lot to do with the you know body language and the facial expressions and uh but he has done an unbelievable job he he believes in the guys that are around him and I think that's where he's kind of grasped his Solitude you know his family and Dad and them are are away um but he's had a family that he's created here that I think he feels really comfortable with and uh you know I give him a lot of credit that that uh this is important to him as well as his family um but but he's been able to kind of use this as a as a balance and and use this family in a different way I know it's a little difficult but where do you think the defense especially run defense has grown from last year we'll see I mean we I tell you what we've seen about every single thing you could possibly see um run Wise from our offense and I think that that's that's been a great Challenge and a great test to us and uh so I think that they are well tested in a lot of different things now each and every week you know things are focused a little bit different um we have got to be able to show the physicality you know and our ability to sustain physicality throughout an entire you know not just game but season that's the thing to me I feel really good about what we've seen I feel really good that they understand you know the the different things that they can see you know because our offense has given us so much now do we have the the physicality as the season continues to go and as you get to that Red Zone to be a dominant run defense good thanks thanks