Following a disappointing performance against No. 3 Alabama to open the season, the Wisconsin football team will head back home to Camp Randall to take on Miami (Ohio) on Saturday. Here are five questions Wisconsin hopes to have answered as they look to rebound from defeat.

1. Is Stave here to stay?

Despite the loss, fifth-year senior quarterback Joel Stave was as impressive as he has ever been in the season-opener against Alabama, completing 26 of his 39 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns, consistently making quick, efficient passes to a total of eight different receivers.

Stave’s 39 passes, however, were uncharacteristically high for a traditional Wisconsin offense that in the past has made its mark as a ground and pound attack. But, after a groin injury sidelined junior running back Corey Clement for a majority of Saturday’s matchup with the Crimson Tide, Stave was forced to throw a high volume of passes.

Now, while the quarterback may not throw as many passes this upcoming game, it is possible he tests his range against a weaker opponent in Miami (Ohio).

The Badgers remained conservative for the most part with their short passing game, but given that redshirt senior receiver Alex Erickson and junior receiver Robert Wheelwright both have the potential to serve as deep threats in the passing game, Stave may look to see if his accuracy has the potential to reach greater lengths.

2. Can McEvoy bounce back from Week 1 and prove his worth at WR?

Redshirt senior Tanner McEvoy was listed as the No. 2 wide receiver going into the meeting with the Crimson Tide — his first on-field time as a receiver. But, an unimpressive showing from the former safety and quarterback, as he finished with zero catches, is leaving some major question marks surrounding McEvoy’s role in the offense.

There were times Saturday where McEvoy looked lost and uncomfortable as a wide receiver and his route running was not very crisp throughout the game. While Wisconsin coaches are unlikely to give up on the McEvoy experiment after just one week against one of the best defenses in the country, there is a real possibility that his position as a receiver is reconsidered should he fail to impress against a lesser opponent in Miami (Ohio).

3. How much will Caputo and Clement be able to play?

If fifth-year senior Michael Caputo had it his way, he would have never left the field after suffering from a concussion Saturday against Alabama, as the safety is the anchor of the Wisconsin defense both as a player and a leader.

However, after going through the concussion protocol, head coach Paul Chryst announced Thursday that Caputo has been cleared to play. While nothing is official until the second-team All-Big Ten performer takes the field this weekend, it is an encouraging sign for the Badger defense that there appears to be no lingering effects.

On the other side of the ball, Clement, who is dealing with a groin injury, said Tuesday he felt 75 percent healthy and has every intention of playing Saturday. Whether Clement has limited time on the field is still up in the air, but assuming the running back is as healthy as he claims to be, expect a full workload from the junior, unless UW builds up a large lead.

4. Can the linebackers keep bringing the heat?

Senior Joe Schobert and redshirt freshman T.J. Edwards lead not only the UW linebackers, but the entire defense in their losing effort to Alabama, combining for nearly a third of the team’s total tackles.

This was expected out of Schobert — who had a team-high 13 tackles — as he had high expectations coming into the season, but Edwards exceeded expectations with his 12 tackles and ability to breakthrough Alabama’s offense front with relative ease.

With the team’s seemingly toughest task out of the way, it appears as though the linebackers’ production will only increase as the season goes on and could ultimately make this Wisconsin defense one to be feared for the second season in a row.

Fellow outside linebacker Vince Biegel didn’t have as impressive of a showing on paper against the Crimson Tide, as he only recorded five total tackles, but he still serves as the emotional leader of the defense and will find a way to make his mark as he looks to build on his 2014 second team All-Big Ten season.

5. Can the offensive line continue to grow together?

The offensive line, as is, has played together as a unit for only a few weeks, and the lack of a running game against Alabama showed they still have some work to do and chemistry to build between them.

They will likely see Saturday as a prime opportunity to work on creating bigger holes for the team’s running backs to run through and giving Stave time in the pocket to make the throws he needs to make.

It is also possible that the UW coaches decide to do some more shuffling of the starting line, as Chryst hinted at the idea that redshirt freshman Micah Kapoi could get more playing time with the Badger front five. Regardless of who is out there, improvements will need to be made, especially if Wisconsin wants to get their rushing attack back on track.