It's safe to say that after Wisconsin stormed into Beaver Stadium and toppled No. 13 Penn State on the road, Badgers fans celebrated long into the early hours of Sunday morning as head coach Luke Fickell finally picked up his first true signature win three-plus years into his tenure.
But with Wisconsin now sitting at 3-1 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play , that celebration has devolved into legitimate optimism for what this season could bring and where this team could go.
The Badger faithful, in Madison and across the Dairy State, have an extra pep in their step as all of the sudden, their football team appears to be feisty.
"It's been great seeing all the Badgers fans and Badger students be so supportive. I think obviously last year, we didn't get very much of that. But it's a little bit different when you're winning," wideout Eugene Hilton Jr said as Wisconsin preps for its homecoming matchup versus Michigan State.
Hilton has always simultaneously come across as very media trained while still giving very blunt, honest answers. Once again, the young receiver told it like it is. Fan support has been a hot topic during the Fickell era, but it really isn't that complicated; the Badgers simply haven't been very good as of late. Winning has a way of curing all ills.
Wisconsin Badgers players celebrate with the fans. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
For years, Wisconsin fans have waited to see signs of life from Fickell and his team. Something. Anything. Last fall, later in the season, wins over ranked Washington and Illinois were embers in the ashes of the program. Not quite a full-on spark, but perhaps a sign that this wasn't a completely dormant football team.
Obviously, a road win - and not just any road win, as Beaver Stadium is just different - over a top-15 team is a little more than a spark. It's immediately a signature win for Fickell, and a win that has the potential to change the trajectory of this entire program. Hilton acknowledged that this win feels different, not only to the team but from an outside perspective.
"We gotta finish games. When people realize, 'okay, this team might be different.' You go on the road and you win one of those games, it feels a lot different, especially against a top-15 team."
Wisconsin still has plenty of work to do in order to get back to respectability. The season, while off to as good a start as anyone realistically could've asked, is far from over. But after a monumental win to open Big Ten play, the energy around the Badgers is rapidly proliferating.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/wisconsin as WR Eugene Hilton Jr on Support From Badgers Fans: 'A little Different When You're Winning' .
