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#12 Wisconsin Badgers Preview

J J Pesavento |Aug 18,2008

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#12 Wisconsin Badgers Preview

Year in and year out, the Wisconsin Badgers always seem to be in the hunt to contend for the Big Ten title. In the last 10 years, they have had only one losing season. But as impressive as they may sound, they've only won the conference title twice in that same span of time with their last title coming in 1999. Can the Badgers change that trend? J J Pesavento looks at Wisconsin and how they stack up in 2008.

Wisconsin Badgers
Head Coach-Bret Bielema
2007 Record-9-4

2007 Review
As a surprise to no one, the Badgers came out of the gates 5-0, although it wasn't easy at times. Both Iowa and Michigan State didn't lay down for Wisconsin by any means. But the Badgers went on the road for their next two games and were shocked by an up and coming Illinois team, then clobbered by Penn State the following week. They won their next two but then dropped another roadie, this time to Ohio State. They finished with wins over Michigan and Minnesota to earn a spot in the Outback Bowl where Tennessee edged Wisconsin 21-17. When the smoke cleared, the Badgers had gone a respectable 9-4, but the road losses killed them.

Team MVP
Junior P.J. Hill rushed for 1,212 yards with 14 touchdowns a year ago. While the Badgers may not be the same ground and pound team they've been in the past, it still all starts with the big horses up front and the running game. Without an experienced quarterback under center, Hill becomes all that more vital to the offense. Look for the Badgers to get him the ball early and often until they're comfortable with their new quarterback.

OFFENSE

Quarterback
With Tyler Donovan gone, senior Allan Evridge takes over as the starting quarterback for the Badgers. Evrdge has the size and arm to do the job, but will have to show he can run the offense and be productive. The word out of Madison is that he has not performd up to expectations thus far which may be room for concern despite him already being named the starter by coach Bret Bielema. If Evridge cannot deliver, it will likely be a choice between junior Dustin Sherer and sophomore James Tolzien. But again, the lack of experience issue plays a role in whoever Bielema decides to go with. From the looks of things, there is nothing settled at the quarterback position just yet.

Running Back
Hill is the main man in the ground game after posting 1,000 yards seasons the past two years, but he won't be the only one toting the rock thanks to a good amount of depth at the position. John Clay is another big back who has made his presence felt on the field since the spring. The redshirt freshman is the biggest of the backs at 6-2, 230.There is also sophomore Zach Brown in the mix. Brown has more experience than Clay, but Clay has been impressive and will be part of the rotation once his shoulder is healthy. Bradie Ewing would step in if Clay wasn't ready for the season opener. Senior Chris Pressley is the starting fullback who weighs in at close to 260. Backing him up is another big body in senior Bill Rentmeester, who tips the scales at around 250. With the amount of depth in the backfield, don't expect one back to carry the entire load for the Badgers. Injuries have been a plague on the team and Bielema doesn't need more of them.

Wide Receivers/Tight End
Sophomore Kyle Jefferson is the returning starter but from all accounts, it is sophomore David Gilreath who is making the most noise at this point. On the downside, star tight end Travis Beckham re-injured his hamstring and will be out for at least a week. But Bielema is hopeful he will be ready for the season opener. There are a lot of options at receiver if needed. Junior Xavier Harris and sophomores Maurice Moore, Isaac Anderson and Daven Jones will also be part of the mix at receiver. And keep an eye on redshirt freshman Nick Toon as well. Behind Beckham are a number of candidates at tight end. Sophomore Lance Kendricks has been doing well and Bielema also has juniors Garrett Graham and Mickey Turner available.

Offensive Line
The line has been a strength for the Badgers for some time now and this year should be no different. All five starters on the line have some amount of experience. Senior Keith Urbik has 39 career starts; seniors right tackle Eric Vanden Heuvel and left guard Andy Kemp each have 23 starts to their credit; sophomore Gabe Carimi started all 13 games last season; and sophomore center John Moffitt had six starts at left guard a year ago. The amount of experience, along with the fact that Carimi, at 6-8, 300, is the smallest of the group in terms of weight, is good reason for optimism. Brad Thorson has left the program but the Badgers still have depth in redshirt freshman Josh Oglesby, junior Jake Bscherer and sophomore Bill Nagy.

DEFENSE

Defensive Line
Senior end Matt Shaughnessy appears to be back after breaking his leg in spring drills. Shaughnessy is the leader of the group and has the potential to be one of the best in the conference at the position. Sophomore Kirk DeCremer will man the opposite end spot if he can get over the back problems that plagued him. Senior Mike Newkirk appears ready to start at tackle as he is having a solid summer up to this point. Senior Jason Chapman is coming off a torn ACL which means junior Jeff Stehle may get more reps at right tackle. Juniors O'Brien Schofield and Dan Moore are the top reserves at the end position.

Linebacker
Senior Jonathan Casillas is the leader of the linebacking corps after leading the team in tackles a year ago. Casillas injured his knee in a recent scrimmage but it doesn't appear to be serious. Senior DeAndre Levy will start on the strongside after finishing second on the team in tackles a year ago. Junior Elijah Hodge starts in the middle for the Badgers. All three are returning starters and Wisconsin should be fine if they can remain healthy. Junior Javery McFadden and sophomores Blake Sorensen and Culmer St. Jean are the backups.

Secondary
The secondary was hit with injuries and it will affect the Badgers at the cornerback position. Sophomore Aaron Henry tore his ACL in the Outback Bowl and now needs additional surgery on the same knee. He will be re-evaluated at a later date. Senior Allan Langford also is coming off a torn ACL and reportedly isn't yet back to full speed. That leaves sophomore Niles Brinkley and redshirt freshman Mario Goins as the frontrunners to start at the corners. Juniors Aubrey Pleasant and Shane Carter both return with starting experience at the safety positions but. Pleasant will have to fight off sophomore Jay Valai to keep his job.

Special Teams
Redshirt freshman Philip Welch and junior Matt Fisher will fight it out for placekicking duties. Welch may have the edge at this point but both have struggled. Redshirt freshman Brad DeBauche will have to fend off true freshman Brad Nortman if he wants to nail downt the job as punter. Gilreath is probably the best option as returner, but that may change if his role in the passing game increases.

Outlook
The schedule is not a killer. The Badgers will have to find a way to beat Fresno State on the road early before the tough part of the schedule kicks in. After an open date following the Fresno game, the Badgers go on the road to play Michigan then host Ohio State and Penn State. The Michigan game may not be a killer but the clashes with the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions will show how good this team really is. There are a few major questions that need to be solved before the Badgers get to that stretch. The most question being the one at quarterback, the other being how well the young corners adapt to being starters. And on top of it all will be the general health of the team, which has become possibly the biggest concern of all. The Badgers have the horses to go a long way, but they will have to stay healthy, win their road games, and take advantage of playing their two toughest opponents at Camp Randall Stadium.

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