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Madison, Wisconsin (AP) — Wisconsin’s new offensive coordinator, Phil Longo, wants to solve one idea.
Just because Longo has a reputation as a quarterback-friendly coordinator, as he used some form of air raid offense and other stops in North Carolina, doesn’t mean Wisconsin will stop running football.
Two days after Wisconsin formally announced the addition of new Badgers coach Luke Fickel to the staff, Longo said Thursday, “We don’t run football with the backfield and offensive line we have. It’s stupid,’ he said.
But Longo admits the Wisconsin offense has a new identity.
“We will probably be more diverse than we were here,” said Longo. “Maybe you want to throw the ball more effectively. Maybe you want to throw the ball more repetitively than you ever have. But you really want to be effective at both.
It’s the most he’s accomplished in North Carolina, having the most rushing yards and total passing yards per game of any team in the Atlantic Coast Conference during his four seasons as Longo’s offensive coordinator. There were many.
Wisconsin has been a big 10 contender for its tendency to produce star running backs such as Jonathan Taylor, Ron Dane, Monty Ball, Melvin Gordon and James White. Longo’s plan, he said, is to help the offense’s top playmakers, whether running backs or receivers, get the ball in as much space as possible.
“We really want to line up sideline to sideline, and we want the defense to stretch vertically and threaten, because in a perfect world, we would have all 11 defenders spread across the field. Because we want to spread them as far apart as possible,” he said.
North Carolina has threw the ball just over half this season, but the Tar Heels have run at least 55% of the snaps in the last three seasons Longo has coordinating. Wisconsin has run the ball at least 59.2% the last four seasons, including his 65.4% in 2021.
The Wisconsin numbers return with two experienced running backs in Braylon Allen and Chez Merci. Allen has run for over his 1,200 yards each in the last two seasons.
“The emphasis here in the past has been to build big up front, run downhill, have a big backfield and be physical,” Longo said. “I think those are the things you need to do to win a championship, no matter what you’re doing offensively. ”
North Carolina has ranked in the top 25 in passing yards per game in three of Longo’s four seasons as offensive coordinator, and is ranked 11th this year. Wisconsin states that it is the seventh straight season he has been below 92nd in that category, five of which were out of the top 103.
“What we want to do is increase how effective we can be in the passing game so the defense has to defend the entire field and all five skill players,” Longo said. . “That’s the real purpose of the air raids here in Wisconsin.”
Longo’s arrival has already made an impact, helping Wisconsin to attract a capable quarterback that the Badgers have seldom landed in the past.
SMU touchdown passing career leader Tanner Mordecai announced on social media last week that he is moving to Wisconsin. (Former starting QB Graham Mertz entered the transfer portal after Fickel was hired to play in Florida next season.)
Longo said he looked forward to working with Fickel, who nearly joined forces in Cincinnati a few years ago. Despite taking the position, Longo and Fickel continued to speak regularly.
“I felt it was a mistake not to work with him,” said Longo. “So when I got the chance to work with him this time, I wasn’t going to pass it up. Plus, it’s all over the place in Wisconsin. That’s a double positive for me.”
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