Wisconsin Badgers Arrive in Phoenix for Bowl Date with Oklahoma State

PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Wisconsin Badgers have hit town as their Delta Airlines charter landed at Phoneix Sky Harbor Airport middle of the day. Wisconsin has new head coach Luke Fickell, who is replacing interim head coach and defensive coordinator Jim Leonard. Fickell was hired away from his successful run at the University of Cincinnati and in a rare move he will be the head coach in name for the Guranteed Rate Bowl against Oklahoma State in Chase Field on Tuesday night at 9:15 p.m. (central). The 6-6 Badgers will be trying to keep a string of winning seasons going that stretches way back. The Badgers have gone to a bowl for 21 straight seasons.

It is almost unheard of that Fickell will be on the sidelines as head coach, but he has enjoyed the lead time and feels like it has been good for the establishment of his tenure with the program.

Jonathan Mouer - Fiesta Bowl

Fickell speaks with meda after arriving.

It's obviously unique, and it's a different situation right now,” Fickell said in a press conference just after coming off the plane. “But it's been a great three, three and a half weeks. More than anything, I couldn't tell you exactly -- people ask about the starting quarterback and some of the situations aren't going to be my call, really. I am going to sit down and talk about them. Just having this opportunity to be around these guys for the last three, three and a half weeks has really given me an advantage in building relationships.”

He will be on the sidelines. He has been at the practices, but he is the first to say that Leonard and offensive coordinator Bobby Engram have a better feel for this group and what they are capable of and what they can do.

“It would be pretty arrogant of me to walk in here and think I could make a better decision in three weeks than what they have seen over a long period of time, whether it's Coach [Jim] Leonhard in his long time here or even Coach Bobby [Engram] in his one year here,” Fickell said. “Those guys have got a great grasp on what we have to do to be successful. We sat down, we talked about it. But you know what? It's going to be a little bit of a different situation. Hey, we got to do what's best for us. I believe they have got the best idea of what that is.”

The Badgers were getting established at their hotel Christmas Eve and have a team dinner tonight before their first practice on Christmas Day.

Oklahoma State has been in the area since Wednesday and we will have a report on their fourth practice, a special teams practice on Christmas Eve.