Badgers OC Phil Longo: Year two of air raid at Wisconsin will be 'vastly improved' over 2023

Wisconsin offensive coordinator Phil Longo is optimistic about how his offense will perform in its second year in Madison.

“Year two is typically going to be vastly improved over the first one,” Longo said when meeting with the media on Monday in advance of the Badgers starting 2024 training camp practice.

His conclusion is based on the premise that continuity leads to better results. That continuity includes returning starters — such as both tackles, the right guard, two receivers, the tight end and the primary running back. It also includes players who did not start in 2023 but still spent the season within the new system, including three starting linemen and several top receiving options.

Importantly, that continuity also refers to Longo’s relationship with head coach Luke Fickell and the rest of his offensive coaching staff. The 2023 offseason included change at every possible corner of the program. This offseason was not that, which Longo thinks is aiding the team’s preparation for the upcoming season.

“The difference is we have so many people now, so many players in these rooms that know everything,” Longo said. “So the learning curve for this year for the new guys is not what it was last year. We still had coaches learning. I mean, I didn’t even know where the restroom was until April…And I had not worked with [Fickell] on a day-to-day basis. This year, there’s none of that.”

Longo is working to improve a Badger offense that finished No. 93 in scoring offense (23.5 points per game) and No. 71 in total offense (381.2 yards per game) in 2023.

He is looking for a similar second-year jump to the one that North Carolina experience from his first season as OC in 2019 to his second in 2020. The Tar Heels finished No. 31 in scoring offense (33.1 points per game) and No. 12 in total offense (474 yards per game) in 2019, then No. 9 in scoring offense (41.7 points per game) and No. 5 in total offense (537.3 yards per game) in 2020.

The Tar Heels were already a strong offensive team when Longo arrived, hence the strong early results. Wisconsin was far from that, and needed a top-down overhaul to adapt to the new system

Looking at 2023 in hindsight does point toward the Badgers needing a longer adjustment period than previously thought. That includes more time in the system and natural continuity within the building, but also a reworked roster built around an entirely new way of doing things.

It’s logical to believe those reasons will lead to a better 2024 output.

But the big question surrounds how much better the output will be. And importantly, is that improvement enough to prove Fickell and Longo’s long-term vision for the program.

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