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At his weekly press conference Monday, UW head football
coach Bret Bielema announced wide receiver Marcus Randle El would be leaving
the team because of injury issues.
"Going into the year, we didn't think he would be able to
make it through our double-day sessions," Bielema said, adding he and Randle El
made the joint decision after the wide out's surgically repaired knee really
began to bother him in recent weeks. "He gutted it up and got to the point
where he is today, but he is going to pursue a medical scholarship at this
point, hopefully be able to duplicate what we've done with Justin Ostrowski."
Ostrowski, a former defensive tackle, gave up playing football during the past
offseason after knee injuries continued to nag him. He is still around the team
somewhat, and was introduced Saturday along with his classmates during the
team's pregame Senior Day festivities.
The younger brother of former Indiana quarterback and
current Washington Redskins wide receiver Antwaan Randle El, Marcus Randle El
was hampered by injuries during his time with the Badgers. He caught four
passes for 45 yards and a touchdown over parts of three seasons.
"Marcus, obviously because of his name and what he brings to
the table, came in with a lot of expectations and played as a freshman and then
was injured," Bielema said. "It's just been something. Personally for him, it's
been a hard, hard struggle, and we're trying to help him through it as much as
we can."
Axe game
Saturday's game will mark the 117th time Wisconsin and
Minnesota have faced off against one another on the football field, making the Boarder
Battle the most played rivalry in NCAA Division I college football.
While Bielema has only been a part of the rivalry for Paul Bunyan's Axe the
past three seasons, he has already embraced the history that goes along with
such a storied, lengthy series.
"One of the great things that coach Alvarez taught me was
how much he emphasized the history of the Axe and how we use it in recruiting
to display it," Bielema said, continuing on to say he is educating his players
all week on the history of the rivalry, going as far back as the early 1900s.
In a series marked by occasional wild games and finishes,
Bielema knows he and his staff have their work cut out for them to avoid a
shocking loss at the hands of the woeful Gophers (1-10, 0-7 Big Ten).
"What I pointed out to our players is this: You're going to
have a group of seniors that are going into their last home game like our
seniors just did this past Saturday," Bielema said.
"And to go through the season they had this year and played very competitive in
all the ballgames … it just hasn't turned out the way they wanted in the end.
And I'm sure we're going to get their best effort of the year."
Injury report
Despite not practicing at all last week, running back P.J.
Hill was able to play sparingly Saturday against Michigan, running five times
for 14 yards.
While the team hasn't practiced yet this week, Bielema said
he expected his sophomore tailback to practice Tuesday and be available for the
upcoming game.
As for quarterback Tyler Donovan, who left the Senior Day
win in the fourth quarter after banging his hand on a helmet on the follow-through
of a throw, Bielema was cautiously optimistic.
"We expect him to be involved in some capacity on Tuesday and just see how he
progresses throughout the course of the week," Bielema said.
Shaughnessy honored
Defensive end Matt Shaughnessy was honored by the Big Ten
this week as the conference Co-Defensive Player of the Week, sharing the honor
with Penn State linebacker Dan Connor.
Shaughnessy led the Wisconsin defense Saturday with seven
tackles, including 1.5 sacks and 2.5 tackles for a loss.
Linebacker DeAndre Levy was the last Wisconsin player to
earn Defensive Player of the Week honors. Levy was recognized for his play in
Wisconsin's Oct. 27 game against Indiana.
