[media-credit name=’JEFF SCHORFHEIDE/Herald photo’ align=’alignright’ width=’336′][/media-credit]Heading into the University of Wisconsin spring football game, the biggest storyline was the continuing battle for the starting quarterback job between Tyler Donovan and Allan Evridge. With neither player really separating himself from the other during the first 14 practices of the spring session, Donovan and Evridge squared off one final time Saturday.

Donovan led the Cardinal team onto the field for the first possession of the game and quickly got things going with a 40-yard completion to wide receiver Paul Hubbard on the first play of the game. After connecting with wideout Luke Swan for a 17-yard touchdown pass to conclude the drive, Donovan turned over the reins of the first-team offense to Evridge.

Playing in front of a Camp Randall crowd for the first time — an attendance of 18,020 was announced, nearly twice as many as last spring's game — Evridge quickly responded with a long pass on his initial play and a drive that concluded with a touchdown toss.

Afterward, Evridge insisted he was not trying to match the play of his competition.

"Not really, to be honest with you," Evridge said. "It was fun to see Tyler [Donovan] get out there and score quick. … Then my goal was to go in there and score, too. It was more fun to watch them go out there and put it in right away, then get out there and try to do the same thing. We're just trying to put points on the board and win games."

Head coach Bret Bielema was rightly pleased with how his competing signal-callers started.

"You like quarterbacks that start fast, and both of them started fast," Bielema said.

While the quick starts pleased the coach, both quarterbacks suffered setbacks through turnovers.

Inside the 10-yard line on a fourth down, Evridge badly overthrew an open Mickey Turner in the back of the end zone to turn the ball over on downs. While marching in the White team's territory, Donovan tried to force a ball into coverage and was intercepted by reserve defensive back Chris Eernisse.

"There were some things during the course of the game that we'll take back and review, make sure that those types of things don't happen," Bielema said. "I like the mentality they have carried through the spring, both of them."

That mentality Bielema lauded is one of focusing on individual improvement instead of getting caught up in all the hoopla surrounding the ongoing position battle.

"In my mindset, I'm trying to stay away from thinking about that stuff and just play within myself and keep helping this offense grow," Donovan said.

Double-stuffed

As would be expected, the starters realized their superiority over the backups in convincing fashion. Despite a final score of 35-6, the Cardinal defense managed to allow only a field goal from the White kicker Matt Fischer. Due to special scoring Bielema and his staff implemented for the game, all points scored by the backup White squad counted double.

As opposed to last season, when the Cardinal narrowly defeated the White 19-14 under the same scoring rules, the Cardinal defense looked absolutely stiffening and never gave the White team a chance to get in the game.

With the tremendous success the 2006 defense had during regular season play, the question begs to be answered: How good can next year's defense be?

"We can be as good as we want to be," defensive end Kurt Ware said. "We need to play our best and know what's going on, know the personnel, know what technique. … If we can do that, together, we'll be great."