With less than two minutes remaining in the first half, quarterback Brooks Bollinger lay face-down on the Camp Randall turf. On the opposite side of the field Bollinger’s backup, Jim Sorgi, grabbed his helmet and took his place in the huddle.
And in that instant UW’s quarterback controversy gained new life.
With the injured Bollinger taken to the hospital for treatment on what head coach Barry Alvarez later identified as a contusion of the liver, Sorgi used his opportunity to ignite the offense the way he did for part of last season.
“Me and Brooks are friends, and I hate to see him go down in any circumstances,” Sorgi said following the August 25 game. “But [replacing him when he gets hurt has] kind of been my role all along, last year and this year, just coming in and having to do the job when the job has to be done.”
Sorgi took over the quarterback duties last season when Bollinger was sidelined with injuries in games against Michigan State, Purdue and Indiana. Sorgi’s offensive production of 630 yards and six touchdowns in the five games he played in last season spurred the coaching staff to give consideration to both quarterbacks before deciding to stay with Bollinger as the starter again this season.
But after last Saturday’s game Sorgi is building a case for himself once again.
The backup entered the game when Wisconsin led 10-3 late in the second quarter and created enough offense to tally a final score of 27-16. En route to producing 17 points for UW, Sorgi connected on five of 11 passing attempts for 150 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Before Bollinger left the game, he completed only five of his 13 passes for 41 yards, no touchdowns and one interception.
Sorgi’s most noteworthy plays were two long touchdown passes he threw to flanker Lee Evans.
With the preseason talk surrounding the Badgers focused on using the receiving corps more, Sorgi showcased Evans’ talents when the two connected, once for an 8-yard reception and the other time for a game-long 78-yard touchdown.
“My job, when I’m in there, is to make big plays and just lead the offense,” Sorgi said. “Today was the perfect example, Brooks going down and me being the backup quarterback having to step in and make plays. But everybody made big plays out there today; it wasn’t just me. It was just my passes being caught. That was the only difference.”
Following that statement during post-game interviews, a media member pointed out to Sorgi that the difference between him and Bollinger was that Sorgi’s passes were being caught. The backup shrugged off the comment, saying that other players made big plays to make the offense successful when he was running it.
But Sorgi is well aware of the competition that currently surrounds the Badger quarterback position. He accepts his role as the backup quarterback for now, but he wants consideration for the No.1 spot.
“I want the coaches to have confidence in me to be able to run the same plays when I’m in there [that they run] when Brooks is in there, and know that this team is going to be successful no matter what quarterback is in there,” Sorgi said. “I’m trying to get to a point where they’d be comfortable with both of us, and I think we’re getting there.”
As for the coaches point of view?
“I want two of everything,” Alvarez said.
Offensive coordinator Brian White echoed his boss.
“We’ve got two good quarterbacks,” White said. “We’re going to need two quarterbacks, too.”
But Wisconsin actually needed three quarterbacks against Virginia. In the second half Sorgi took a hit that knocked the wind out of him, and with Bollinger receiving treatment for his liver contusion, third-string quarterback Scott Wille took the field while Sorgi recovered.
“I had my mouthguard knocked out, and I was rolling all over the place, so I was like, ‘What’s wrong with me?'” Sorgi said. “But I just laid back, took a couple of deep breaths and told the trainers, ‘I’m all right, I’m all right.’ But they said, ‘You got to come out for a play, so just give [Wille] more time to warm up.'”
While Sorgi laid on the ground prolonging his injury, Wille scrambled to find his helmet and had to take a couple of quick snaps to warm up. The third-stringer only played for one play — a hand-off to running back Anthony Davis for a two-yard gain — but he bought Sorgi enough recovery time that he was able to resume his role on the next possession.
With all three QBs seeing action against Virginia, all eyes now turn to the one quarterback that will earn the start against Oregon. Bollinger was listed as day-to-day following the Virginia game, and Sorgi prepared either to be named the starter for the game or to watch tape in case he has to enter the game in a replacement situation.
In any case, he’ll be ready and waiting for his call.
