Spring is in the air. The brutal Wisconsin winter has
subsided, the ice on Lake Mendota has begun to melt, March Madness has come to
an end, and outdoor football season is now underway.
Yup, I said football. That wasn’t a typo.
America’s pastime is now just over two weeks old as well,
but here in Madison — where we have no baseball team to get excited about —
it’s the gridiron gang that dominates the spring, post-basketball season.
Saturday, the Badgers practiced on the Camp Randall field for
the first time since the 2007 campaign. It was loud, and the players were
excited to be back in their holy place; there was energy in the stadium despite
the thousands of empty seats. And as I lay back on an empty bench behind me in
the stands, sunglasses on in 60-plus degrees of pure paradise, my mind began to
wander, and I began to ponder: What needs to happen for this football team to
succeed next season?
Here’s what I came up with (in no particular order):
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Evridge must minimize mistakes
It goes without saying that to win football games, all
quarterbacks must take care of the ball and limit turnovers. But because the
Wisconsin offense has a run-first mentality (and rightfully so), a lack of
turnovers becomes even more crucial.
In back-to-back road losses against Illinois and Penn State
last season, quarterback Tyler Donovan threw for a combined four interceptions
(two and two). That was no coincidence. Turnovers, especially on the road in
the Big Ten, will be lethal for this team because they don’t have enough
firepower on offense to overcome such blunders.
Evridge must take care of the football.
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New kickers must step up
The kicking game is often an overlooked aspect of football.
But a good punter (like Ken DeBauche) and a clutch kicker (like Taylor
Mehlhaff) are essential to success on the football field. Field position can
provide a huge advantage throughout the course of a game; a poor punter puts a
ton of pressure on a team’s defense. Kickoffs — Mehlhaff’s specialty — are also
pivotal in the field position game, and obviously late-game field goals can
make or break a season.
After the loss of both Mehlhaff and DeBauche, the sense of
nostalgia can be subdued if the newcomers successfully fill their shoes. Either
incoming freshman Bradley Nortman or Ken’s little brother Brad should take over
the punting duties. Freshman Phillip Welch, who is listed as a kicker, can also
do some punting, which was evident Saturday when he booted a gorgeous
55-yarder. Welch is also the top candidate to succeed Mehlhaff with the kicking
duties.
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Linebackers need to improve
The biggest disappointment on the defensive side of the ball
last season may have been UW’s linebackers. Elijah Hodge and DeAndre Levy
looked lost at times, especially against Illinois’ spread offense. As those two
struggled, Jonathan Casillas looked like he was trying to do too much, which
only made matters worse. With Michigan implementing the spread this season
under new coach Rich Rodriguez, the Badgers will be forced to contain the
triple option, or they will be in serious trouble.
Good thing they practice it on a regular basis now.
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Secondary also must improve
At times, the UW secondary got torched for big plays and
some serious yard totals (i.e., Michigan, Michigan State and Minnesota). With
Evridge at the helm, the Badgers do not want to get involved in Pac-10,
shootout-type games, meaning they must be able to stop the pass.
The loss of Jack Ikegwuonu to the NFL will hurt, but it may
not be fatal for Wisconsin, assuming corners Aaron Henry and Allen Langford
fully recover from their respective ACL tears from last season.
Jay Valai is making a case to take over for Aubrey Pleasant
— who looked like a deer in the headlights more often than not last season — at
strong safety and Shane Carter provides some experience at the free safety
spot.
If this corps can force some turnovers and reduce opponents’
big plays, it will take a ton of pressure off Evridge, and the Badgers will be
able to compete with anyone in Big Ten play.
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Paul Chryst needs to be consistent
At times last season, Paul Chryst’s playcalling seemed
suspect (a third-and-short end-around to Travis Beckum in Columbus and a
fourth-and-two Donovan bootleg in the Outback Bowl come to mind). With four
weapons in the backfield (P.J. Hill, Lance Smith, Zach Brown and John Clay),
Wisconsin needs to run, run, and run some more. Cute, gimmicky plays are
unnecessary when a team’s run game — thanks in large part to a massive,
talented, experienced offensive line — is so strong.
That said, a solid running attack will open up the play
action for Evridge to players like Beckum, Kyle Jefferson and David Gilreath
(watch out for Gilreath in the fall; I saw a little of the Panthers’ Steve
Smith in him Saturday).
Chryst needs to utilize Beckum — UW’s best overall player on
offense — more, unlike in Tampa on New Year’s Day, when the Badger tight end
was MIA for the better part of four quarters. Also, Chryst needs to find ways
to get Smith the ball (via screen passes, perhaps?) because he showed glimpses
of greatness last season and can only improve by playing in every game as
opposed to just home games last fall.
Also, don’t be surprised if you see a little spread offense
from Evridge and Co. He has experience running it at Kansas State, and when I
asked him about it last week, he smiled and said, “We’ll see.”
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The injury bug cannot hit too hard
In football, injuries are inevitable. Should Wisconsin be
plagued with injuries (like they are currently) come fall, it will be tough for
them to compete for a conference title. Evridge must stay healthy, because
after him, there’s zero experience at the quarterback position.
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Let-down games cannot happen
Fortunately, the Badgers’ schedule is a favorable one next
season. They have Ohio State, Penn State and Illinois at home, and Michigan in
September — remember Michigan last September? Now imagine them with a new
coach.
That said, if they want to compete for the Big Ten crown,
they can’t lose the easy ones. If they take care of business against the
Minnesotas and Akrons of the world, things could fall into place
ever-so-nicely.
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Derek is a sophomore majoring in economics. Have any keys
to the Badgers’ upcoming season of your own? Shoot him an e-mail at [email protected].
