The bars are staying open late tonight in Madison, Wisconsin.
For the first time in 63 days, Wisconsin football has won a game, as the Badgers defeated Washington 13-10 at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 8. It is the first win for Luke Fickell’s squad in Big Ten play, moving their conference record this season to 1-5.
Given the drought the Badgers were on, fans didn’t hold back from getting their postgame celebrations underway as they stormed the field as the clock went triple zeros.
Wisconsin entered the week on a six-game losing skid, which featured losses to then-No. 19 Alabama, then-No. 20 Michigan, No. 1 Ohio State and two unranked defeats at home against Maryland and Iowa. The Badgers were a 10.5-point underdog against Washington, which was ranked No. 23 in the College Football Playoff top 25.
The Badgers also entered Saturday’s Big Ten game in a scoring drought at home, as they were shut out in back-to-back games against Iowa (37-0) and Ohio State (34-0) in their previous two home games. That drought was snapped at the 13:44 mark of the first quarter when Nathanial Vakos hit a 42-yard field goal.
The eventual game winner for the Badgers on Saturday against Washington was a 32-yard field goal from Vakos at the end of the third quarter. Badgers punter Sean West finished as the team’s leading passer, as he completed a 24-yard completion on a fake punt attempt.
Here’s another look at the field storming at Camp Randall from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s John Steppe:
The win also comes just a few days after Wisconsin athletic director Chris McIntosh announced Fickell would return for the 2026 college football season amid the Badgers’ struggles.
‘I can see a path forward,’ McIntosh told the Journal Sentinel on Thursday on keeping Fickell. ‘I can see a plan that we can execute and I can see a way for us to be successful and competitive in ‘26 and beyond.
Does the Big Ten fine teams for rushing the field?
No. Unlike the SEC, Big 12 and ACC, there is no fine in place for fans who rush the field in the Big Ten. According to an ESPN article from Feb. 26, 2024, the Big Ten does have ‘punishments’ in place for such events.
‘• Big Ten: A discretionary fine can result on a third offense for failure to ‘provide adequate security for visiting teams from their arrival for a game through their departure.’ There is a private reprimand for a first offense; a public reprimand for second.’
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.