Wisconsin is 13-8 in Luke Fickell’s second full season in Madison.

After a 2-0 start, the Badgers were drubbed at home by Alabama (42-10) and at Southern Cal (38-21) but lately have found their stride offensively.

The Badgers are riding a three-game win streak, having rolled over Purdue (52-6), at Rutgers (42-7) and at Northwestern (23-3) last week.

“The last three weeks, they’ve played their best football,” Franklin said. “They’re really coming on.”

Wisconsin’s offensive coordinator is Phil Longo, who, like Franklin, started his career at East Stroudsburg.

“I want to make reference to that,” he said proudly.

UW has always been a run-first team. Franklin said Longo “comes from a spread-RPO-tempo background, but he’s evolved, and I think part of that evolution is being at Wisconsin and being with Luke. There’s an obvious commitment to running the football. Just running the football maybe in a different way than we’re used to seeing Wisconsin run the ball, but still very effective.”

The Badgers’ quarterback is Mississippi State transfer Braedyn Locke, and their top runner is Oklahoma transfer Tawee Walker.

Franklin had a word of caution on the UW special teams, saying receiver-returner Vinny Anthony is explosive.

Wisconsin’s defensive coordinator is Mike Tressel, nephew of former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel.

Receiver growth

Prolific tight end Tyler Warren leads the Nittany Lions with 40 catches, but Franklin is also encouraged by the progress of his wide receivers, who have all contributed big moments.

Trey Wallace has 17 catches followed by Omari Evans and Liam Clifford, both with 11, and Julian Fleming with nine.

Two of Fleming’s receptions came on fourth-down plays that kept the Lions’ chances alive at USC.

“I’ve been pleased and impressed with our wide receiver room, with their production, with their ability to impact games, and then also different guys doing it,” Franklin said. “There’s not just one guy. We need to continue to develop it. We all know 44 (Warren) is going to get a ton of attention. There should be more opportunities for these guys because of that.”

Use of the bye

Franklin said last week’s bye was used to self-scout, recruit and get started on Wisconsin.

“We got a ton of work done,” he said.

There were several big games involving potential playoff opponents – such as Georgia-Texas and Tennessee-Alabama – but Franklin didn’t return from recruiting until late Saturday night.

Others on the staff got an early peek.

“With the staff sizes now able to get ahead on some other opponents or possible future opponents and things like that? Yeah, a little bit,” he said. “But again, you better make sure that the right amount of attention and focus and respect is paid to your next opponent on your schedule. The 1-0 mentality. But there are some work-ahead things going on too.”

Dose of Cael

Cael Sanderson, who has led the Nittany Lion wrestling program to 10 national titles in his 14 seasons at PSU, spoke to the football team during its off week.

Sanderson also visited with the team this past summer in what has been an annual tradition.

“Obviously Cael has done a phenomenal job and is universally respected, not only across campus and in the community, but I know on our team specifically and in our locker room,” Franklin said. “He came this summer, and I thought his message really resonated with our guys, so we brought him back to kind of double down on it.”

Franklin said Sanderson stressed “being present” and “controlling the things that you can control and not inhaling or reading or listening to outside voices or words.”

NOTABLE

• Franklin said he would like to redshirt true freshman running back Quinten Martin, who has appeared in three games and would lose a redshirt if he plays in two more. Martin is the third-teamer behind Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen.

• Franklin and safeties coach Anthony Poindexter met with K.J. Winston and his parents last week. Winston went out of the Bowling Green game and has not played since. Franklin confirmed a “long-term injury” but hasn’t said if there’s a chance Winston could return later this season. “Right now, K.J.’s focus is on getting healthy,” he said.

• Kickoff for the Nov. 2 game against visiting Ohio State was confirmed on Monday for noon. Fox will televise.