Luke Fickell 'impressed' after analyzing Tyler Van Dyke's debut

How did Van Dyke perform in his Badgers debut?

Aug 30, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Tyler Van Dyke (10) during the game against the Western Michigan Broncos at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports / Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Miami (FL) transfer quarterback Tyler Van Dyke made his long-awaited Wisconsin debut in Friday night's season-opening win over Western Michigan. It looked like there was still some room to grow for the Badgers' offense, but head coach Luke Fickell saw some things he liked.

Van Dyke played 84 snaps and had 39 dropbacks. He completed 21-of-36 passes for 192 yards and added eight rushes for 21 yards and one touchdown. Pro Football Focus (PFF) gave him a 68.2 offensive grade.

"I think it starts with taking care of the ball. I think he made some really good decisions. The red zone is the one spot where he started to maybe force some things," Fickell said. "We were fortunate that the ball hit other guys' hands in those situations. That's what we can't do."

According to PFF, Van Dyke did have one turnover-worthy play, which essentially means it was an errant throw and he was lucky did not result in an interception. Wisconsin opened the game with four straight drives into the red zone but ended up with only 13 points.

"If I was being most critical, it would be the red zone situations, when we're in those positions where we know we've got points," Fickell said. "Not that we don't want field goals, we want to take our shots... but that's where we got to be better. Efficiently running the football, but also on Tyler as well and then his ability to kind of work the whole field."

The Badgers had 46 carries as a team, totaling 196 yards and three touchdowns. It came out to 4.3 yards per carry. They were missing the big play all night and didn't have a single run go for more than 15 yards. Only three rushes went for more than 10.

"I think he took what was given to him. He wasn't overly aggressive in Week 1, where you think you got to be the guy to make all of the plays and pull the ball and throw the ball down the field. Let's take what they give you let's make sure we stick to the game plan and he really did those things," Fickell said. "I was impressed with how he handled everything. A new guy coming in, wanting to kinda showcase everything and do things like that, he really stuck to the plan and did what we needed him to do."

While Friday wasn't the blowout win that Wisconsin was hoping for, Van Dyke did not turn the ball over and he was only sacked one time. With their offensive line and defense, the Badgers might not need him to throw for 400 yards and three touchdowns every week, but if they want to compete with Alabama in two weeks, they will need better from the quarterback position.