PLATTEVILLE — The University of Wisconsin football team’s first week of preseason practice at UW–Platteville was a success by all accounts.

First-year head coach Luke Fickell brought his Badgers to town last week, in what could possibly develop into an annual tradition, to begin the first week of fall practice away from the usual distractions of Madison.

This was a similar approach Fickell used at his previous stop at Cincinatti where he maintained the program’s long tradition of holding part of training camp at Higher Ground Conference and Retreat Center, a church camp located in West Harrison, Ind.

“It’s so much better,” Fickell told the Wisconsin State Journal earlier this summer. “You are completely away from distractions, you’re completely away m     m your norm. And I think it gives you so much more time to focus on football and hanging out together.”

Fickell reiterated that sentiment at the preseason media day in Madison last Tuesday, saying leaving Madison for training camp is also about team bonding.

“You will sit in the meal room or the snack room at night and talk with your guys and hang with your guys, and I think there’s a lot more opportunities for us to get to know each other,” Fickell added.

For UW–Platteville, the partnership is a chance for the local university to show off its facilities to a major Division 1 program.

“This brings great visibility to our campus for individuals to want to come here and it is great for our recruitment efforts,” said UW–Platteville Director of Athletics Kristina Navarro. 

Navarro said her school is providing the facilities to the Badgers just about at cost. UW also was looking at athletics facilities at UW–Whitewater before deciding to take the start of its training camp to Platteville.

Platteville also beat out Whitewater four decades ago when the Chicago Bears chose UWP as its training camp site over Whitewater. The Bears held training camp in Platteville from 1984 to 2001.

“We were not trying to make a buck on this,” Navarro told the Wisconsin State Journal. “We were trying to do a good service for the state. Yes, it brings some great exposure to our campus as well. So we saw it as kind of some intrinsic value.”

The Badgers had exclusive use of the Pioneer Athletic Center, which includes two weight rooms and the athletic training room, as well as use of the turf at Pioneer Stadium and an additional field, and access to the locker room facilities and meeting rooms.

The practices were closed to the public, but a handful of UW fans set up folding chairs atop the hill behind roped off yellow tape to watch practice through the fence and gaps in the trees that line the north side of Pioneer Stadium.

A number of things stood out on the first two days of practice from this new-look Wisconsin team.

TANNER MORDECAI IS INCREDIBLY ACCURATE

Senior quarterback Tanner Mordecai, a sixth-year transfer from Southern Methodist University, rarely missed a pass during one-on-one and seven-on-seven passing sessions, and was nearly as accurate in full-team 11-on-11 sessions as well.

The 6-foot-2 Mordecai from Waco, Texas completed 66.4 percent of his passes for 7,152 yards, 72 TDs and 22 interceptions the past two seasons as the Mustangs’ starter and will have ample opportunity to put up similar numbers for UW in new offensive coordinator Phil Longo’s Air Raid offense. 

THE OFFENSE WILL LOOK A LOT DIFFERENT THIS YEAR

It’s no secret that Longo has brought a new multi-receiver, pass-happy offensive that Wisconsin fans are unaccustomed to, after UW rose to national prominence on the back of an old school ground and pound rushing attack that was often near the top of the NCAA in rushing yards each year.

But Longo is also bringing tempo — the Badgers practice no-huddle and hurry-up situations on multiple occasions during practice on both Wednesday and Thursday — and weapons.

Using the transfer portal, UW landed a trio of possible impact wideouts in redshirt junior Bryson Green from Oklahoma State and sophomores C.J. Williams from USC and Will Pauling from Cincinnati, who will join UW’s three leading receivers from last year in senior Chimere Dike (47 receptions, 689 yards, 6 TDs), sophomore Skyler Bell (30-444-5)  and junior Keontez Lewis (20–313-3).

THE BADGERS OFFENSIVE LINE IS HUGE, SO IS RUNNING BACK BRAELON ALLEN

It’s one thing to read the listed heights and weights on a roster; its an entirely different thing to be up close and personal.

Junior left tackle Jack Nelson (6–7, 311 pounds) will protect Mordecai’s blind side, while junior guard Tanor Bortolini (6–4, 310), junior center Jake Renfro (6–4, 310), senior guard Michael Furtney (6–5, 316) and sophomore Riley Mahlman (6–8, 320) were taking first team snaps last week.

The biggest physical differences between the Badgers and the Pioneers is the size of the linemen.

As for Allen, listed at 6–2, 245 pounds, is still just 19 years old and has legs that resemble tree trunks — I can’t imagine having to meet him in the hole trying to tackle him one on one.

NJONGMETA, TURNER LOOK LIKE FUTURE PROS

Inside linebackers senior Maema Njongmeta (6–4, 240) and junior Jordan Turner (6–1, 238) will play keys roles on the Wisconsin defense this fall. 

Both have the looks of players that will soon play key roles on the next level after their time as UW is over.