SB Nation - Kyle Jefferson

Grading out the Badgers: A midterm report card

Adam Hoge — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:49:08 -0000

More photos » by Terry Gilliam - AP

The fire under Bret Bielema's seat has cooled down a bit this season, but he, his coaching staff and team could still grade out better . (AP Photo/Terry Gilliam)

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With six games in the book, it's amazing that we are already halfway through the 2009 regular season schedule. At 5-1, it's safe to say the Badgers are playing a little bit above expectations, but one could easily argue they still have a lot to improve on.

Wisconsin's six opponents are a combined 18-15 so far this season, which is not a bad number when you consider its opponents have played tough schedules (Fresno State lost to two Top-15 schools, Minnesota lost to California and Ohio State lost to USC).

If the Badgers can get by Iowa this weekend, an 11-1 regular season record would not be out of the question with the remaining schedule. Not including the Hawkeyes, UW's remaining opponents are only 14-15. But if that is going to happen, UW will have to improve in some areas.

Here's a unit-by-unit report card for the first half of the season:

Quarterback - B

Scott Tolzien has yet to give himself an "A" performance this season even though I might have after a couple of his efforts. He's at least been a B+ at home and more like a C+ on the road, but when you consider the prospects for UW's quarterbacks coming into the season, it's hard not to give a B grade here. Wisconsin is still only ranked seventh in passing in the Big Ten, but Tolzien still ranks third in passing effeciency with a 139.60 rating.

Running back - B

Expectations for running backs at Wisconsin have gotten so high that most fans would be shocked to know UW leads the conference rushing despite it being a struggle at times this season. John Clay is the conference's leading running back (106.8 yards per game) and has only started one game. When's the last time that happened?

Still, fumbling has been a problem and while Clay came up big with a 72-yard touchdown run at Fresno State and singlehandedly took over the second half of the Minnesota game, the rushing attack could still be more consistent.

Receivers - C+

Don't get me wrong, the receivers have improved and while a tight end (Garrett Graham) still leads the team in catches and touchdowns, Nick Toon leads the team in receiving yards (322) and averages 53 yards per game. But the reality is that UW's receivers are still not great. They only have three touchdowns on the season and Issac Anderson hasn't caught a touchdown pass since the first offensive play of the season when he caught an 80-yard bomb from Tolzien. David Gilreath, Maurice Moore and Kyle Jefferson have a combined 13 catches.

Tight ends - A-

What more can you ask for from Garrett Graham? With 27 catches, he ranks third in the nation for catches among tight ends (the leaders have 28) and he has four touchdowns on the year, including three in one game. Meanwhile, Lance Kendricks is fourth on the team in receptions and has two touchdowns himself. That's right, UW's tight ends have double the touchdowns than the receivers. What's new?

Offensive line - B-

Roughed up by injuries, the line has been better, but still inconsistent. Ohio State called the UW offense line "the best we've seen all year" and that included USC. But that was before the game. Tolzien was sacked six times, and while the line had only given up two sacks all year in its first five games, the reality is that it really hadn't been tested yet. The return of John Moffitt helped the running game, but in the first four games, John Clay and Zach Brown found few holes to run through.

Defensive line - B+

O'Brien Schofield continues to perform like an All-American. That's right, I said it. He leads the country in tackles for loss with 14.5 and is twelfth in sacks with 6.5. His TFLs add up to 74 yards lost. That's 12 yards more than David Gilreath has accumulated on all his end-around rushes combined this season. After a hot start, J.J. Watt has cooled off a bit, but he, Dan Moore, Patrick Butrym and Louis Nzegwu have all been key contributors this season.

Linebackers - B

The linebackers have been solid all season. None of them will be first-team All-Big Ten, but you can't complain about the performances of Mike Taylor, Jaevery McFadden and Culmer St. Jean. They certainly haven't made any major mistakes. And you have to be happy that redshirt freshman Taylor leads the team with 43 tackles and has contributed 6.5 tackles for loss, a sack and an interception.

Defensive backs - C-

This would be a "D" if were not for free safety Chris Maragos' 28 tackles, three TFLs, one sack and three interceptions. Otherwise, Jay Valai has made no one miss Shane Carter and Aubrey Pleasant, who were kicked off the team in August, but the cornerbacks have not been good.

Who would have thought sophomore Aaron Henry would have zero interceptions and only three pass break-ups halfway through the season? All four cornerbacks have been beat deep and given up touchdowns they could have stopped with easy fundamentals. For the most part -- save the first half against Fresno State -- the corners have put together solid games. Unfortunately, they consistently give up two or three big plays a game that put the entire team in a hole or allow the other team to dig out of one.

Special teams - D

Here's a trivia question for you. How many total yards does David Gilreath have on punt returns this season? The answer? An astonishingly low 29 yards on seven returns. That's 4.1 yards per return. And seven returns is also a low number because he has played head games with himself all season long, calling fair catches in situations where he could have returned the punt and not called a fair catch in situations where he should have.

Meanwhile, Bret Bielema replaced Gilreath on kick returns -- where he is actually averaging an OK 21.5 yards per return -- instead of on punt returns. Bielema's coverage teams have not been good either. While UW's punt coverage team ranks a very average 51st in the country, its kickoff coverage team ranks 120th out of 130 FBS teams, giving up 26.28 yards per return. Maybe its finally time the head coach gives up his special teams duties.

Coaching - B-

There's no question the players bought into a new mindset this offseason that encouraged focus, physicality and commitment. But UW is still averaging six penalties per game (No. 42 in the country) and that is costing them 52.5 yards per game.

The game plans have been better this year, but there is still a void in execution (see Ohio State game). Baby steps, my friends.

What the Hell is Wrong with Terrelle Pryor?

Law Buckeye — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:39:13 -0000

More photos » by Tony Dejak - AP

2 months ago: Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor (2) tries to hold back Wisconsin defensive tackle O'Brien Schofield (50) during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009, in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State won 31-13. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

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The numbers do lie. That's the case if you're talking about Ohio State's 31-13 win over Wisconsin. I'm feeling two very uniquely common things in its wake. The first is that the Buckeye defense -- a unit I saw pre-season as a brick and mortar line covered by a thin beard of young ivy -- may well be one of the best in the country.

The boys were kept on the field for 42 minutes -- or 70 percent of the game, yet they hounded, hustled, and hollowed-out an empty Wisconsin threat. Four of Wisky's 13 offensive possessions ended in punts. Two ended in missed field goals. Another two ended in touchdowns -- for the Buckeyes.

Despite being treated to little to no rest, our boys continued to perform. Perhaps most impressive was a late game stand that saw Wisky with the ball and a fresh set of downs on Ohio State's 8 yard line. The following four plays ensued:

Sack by Nathan Williams for a loss of 9 yards to the Ohio State 17.
Completed pass to Kyle Jefferson for 8 yards to the Ohio State 9.
Sack by Ross Homan for a loss of 9 yards, fumbled at the Ohio State 18.
Incomplete pass.

Ohio State's defense left positively nothing on the field. After stifling USC, shutting out Toledo and Illinois, and manhandling Indiana, we've come to expect nothing less. But we've got a problem in Columbus and it's not the offensive line, the running backs, the wide-outs, or the kicking team.

Take away the defense and special teams and the Badgers win 13-10. Hilary swears..

It's Terrelle Pryor -- the pre-season Big Ten offensive player of the year. Sure, Pryor can be an unbridled thoroughbred of size, speed, and potential. But he can also be a cardboard cutout of a quarterback. Where once there was decisive interchange and escapeability, we now are looking at a wooden replica of a signal caller.

Could Terrelle Pryor actually be devolving? I'm not ready to play the Juice Williams card just yet, but it appears that Pryor's natural instinct has been channeled into an awkward mess of mechanics, multiple reads, and cold downs by a coaching staff hell bent on turning him into a proficient passer. Instead of tight-rope throws, we're treated to lame bounce-passes. In the process evasion has been replaced by hesitation.

But is it really the coaches' fault? Let's look at a comparsion of how Pryor was forced to begin drives this year against Wisconsin versus last year:

2008: Pryor rush for 11 yards for a first down, Pryor rush for 9 yards, Wells rush for 6 yards, Wells rush for 2 yards, Wells rush for 4 yards, Pryor incomplete pass, Wells rush for 54 yards, Wells rush for 5 yards, Wells rush for 15 yards, Pryor complete pass for 5 yards, Pryor incompete pass.

2009: Pryor incomplete pass, Saine rush for 4 yards, Pryor incompete pass, Herron rush for 4 yards, Pryor incompete pass, Pryor rush for 27 yards for a first down, Saine rush for no gain, Pryor pass complete for 17 yards for a first down, Saine rush for no gain, Saine rush for 2 yards.

Last year, Pryor ran on a quarter of opening run downs for an average of 10 yards a carry. He completed just one third of his opening passes. This year, Pryor ran on just one sixth of opening run downs for an average of 27 yards a carry. He completed just a quarter of his opening passes. Still, despite delivering the greatest gain on a drive opener using his legs, Pryor was forced to pass three times as often as he was permitted to run. Not cool.

The problem is the trend doesn't hold up on a larger scale. Last year Pryor kept the ball on the ground 8 times, to 16 pass attempts. This year, he ran the ball the same amount of times, to 15 pass attempts. So while the playcallers seem less willing to let Pryor run out of the gate on drives, they're giving him a similar degree of latitude overall.

So what's got the kid spooked? I say it's the formalism. Bogged down in multiple reads, and welded to open looks, Pryor has become a proverbial deer in the headlights. Where there once was rhythm, there now is regret.

To fix the Ohio State offense, Jim Tressel and Darrell Hazell need to find a way to let the freak out of the box. Whether it's running out of the shotgun, or fine tuning the option it has to be done before November or the Buckeyes will become a victim of their own medicine.

An early guess at the offensive depth chart

Adam Hoge — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 04:21:17 -0000

Catch the The 5th Quarter Radio Show Monday night at 7 PM CT right here. We will wrap up the 2009 Schedule Tour by breaking down the Northwestern Wildcats and the Hawaii Warriors. Jay from Lake the Posts and Mark Carman from WGN Radio 720 in Chicago will join us to talk about the Kitty Cats.

Eric and I will also have the latest from Fall Camp and we'll check in with our Badger Insider, Ben Worgull from BadgerNation.com.

Don't miss it. 7 PM!!

The official two-deep for the Northern Illinois game will be announced Wednesday, but so much information about the offense has come out of camp in the last week that we can make an educational guess at what it will look like.

Here's an early stab at it:

Quarterback
Curt Phillips, Fr.
Scott Tolzien, Jr.

We still don't know who the starter will be, but we know senior Dustin Sherer has fallen behind Phillips and Tolzien. Phillips didn't exactly end the week on a high note. He struggled in Saturday's scrimmage and didn't look good when I was at practice Thursday. Tolzien still has a realistic chance at winning the job, but I'm sticking with Phillips.

Running back
Zach Brown, Jr.
John Clay, So.
Montee Ball, Fr.

Brown leapfrogged Clay in practice last week, which is by far the biggest shocker of fall camp. But it's important to realize that this happened because Brown has worked incredibly hard all summer and simply wants the job more than any of the other backs. Clay still looks like a star and the fact that Brown passed him only means that UW is packing the best backfield in the conference. Ball looks like a future star too and he will play this season.

Wide receiver - Z
Issac Anderson, Jr.
Kraig Appleton, Fr.
Kyle Jefferson, Jr.

Wide receiver - X
Nick Toon, So.
David Gilreath, Jr.

I'm going out on a limb a little bit by saying Appleton will be the back-up, but when I saw him last week in person he played great and he just looks like a receiver out there. The bottom line here is that a lot of receivers are going to get a lot of reps. Don't forget about Maurice Moore and T.J. Theus. Freshman Jeff Duckworth will likely redshirt.

Tight end
Garrett Graham, Sr.
Lance Kendricks, Jr.

Mickey Turner is still a tight end, but he will lineup as a fullback most of the time.

Left tackle
Gabe Carimi, Jr.
Ricky Wagner, Fr.

Carimi is still nursing an injury, but he should be ready for the opener and no one is unseating UW's best offensive lineman.

Left guard
Jake Bscherer, Jr.
Jake Current, So.

Center
Travis Frederick, Fr.
John Moffitt, Jr.

No one has had a better inaugural camp than Travis Frederick who has had to do a little bit of everything since coming on campus early in the spring. The true freshman's ability has been more reliable than the status of Moffitt who has missed all of camp with a shoulder injury. It's a stretch, but he could start.

Right guard
Bill Nagy, Jr.
Kevin Zeitler, So.

Nagy's status is still questionable right now as well. Like Moffitt, Nagy has missed all of camp as well. Still Zeitler hasn't impressed like Frederick and Nagy should be back in time for the opener.

Right tackle
Josh Oglesby, So.
Peter Konz, Fr.

Football is here! Our 10 questions for Fall Camp

Adam Hoge — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 04:55:09 -0000

The 2009 football season officially starts today at 3:50 p.m. when the Wisconsin Badgers open their first practice of the season at Camp Randall Stadium.

Finally! Trust me, eeking out content on this site all summer long has been no easy task. From today until late March we're going to have plenty to talk about on Bucky's 5th Quarter.

What's on tap for camp

As camp opens, here's what you can expect:

After completely closing the media's access to practice last season, Bret Bielema has graciously opened up practice from Aug. 17 to Aug. 25. That is going to give us all a better idea of what's going on as Bielema sets up his final two-deep depth chart 10 days before the opener (Aug. 26).

I will personally be attending a few of those open practices, although when is yet to be determined.

For the first week, we are going to have to go strictly off post-practice interviews from coaches and players and every day we will have all the links to the stories that come out of camp.

Questions, questions, questions

Every camp opens with questions. The difference between a good football team and a bad football team depends on how many of those questions get answered before the season opener.

In Wisconsin's case, the following questions need to be answered before Sept. 5 at 6 p.m. when UW hosts Northern Illinois:

1) Has Dustin Sherer developed into a Big Ten-caliber quarterback capable of leading the Badgers back to a New Year's Day bowl game? If not, are freshmen Curt Phillips or Jon Budmayr good enough to take over the reigns this season?

2) Who will fill the void left by the departed Jonathan Casillas and DeAndre Levy at linebacker? Are Blake Sorensen and Mike Taylor ready?

3) Are there any young guys capable of fixing the serious depth issue apparent on the defensive line?

4) Who starts opposite of Aaron Henry at the other cornerback position?

5) Are any of the veteran members of the secondary (Aubrey Pleasant, Shane Carter, Jay Valai, Chris Maragos) ready to put together an all-conference season?

6) Is Josh Oglesby the real deal or a bust?

7) Can Jake Bscherer cut it at guard?

8) Who will start at fullback? Will Mickey Turner have to become a make-shift fullback?

9) Which formerly young wide receiver (David Gilreath, Issac Anderson, Kyle Jefferson) becomes a dependable go-to veteran? Will Nick Toon be that guy as a sophomore?

10) Which incoming freshmen earn playing time with a solid camp?

What questions do you want to see answered in the coming weeks? Leave them here and we will see if they get answered as we break down camp on a daily basis.

Bielema: Flying under radar 'a good place to be'

Adam Hoge — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 02:37:09 -0000

More photos » by David Banks - AP

Wisconsin head football coach Bret Bielema talks to reporters at the Big Ten football media day in Chicago, Monday, July 27, 2009. (AP Photo/David Banks)

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CHICAGO - Bret Bielema couldn't help but notice a lack of interest in the Badgers at Monday's Big Ten Media Days in Chicago.

'I was expecting more [questions]," Bielema said after only fielding five questions and finishing the day as the only coach to not use his allotted 15 minutes of press conference time.

When asked if it meant the Badgers were flying under the rader, he replied, "Could be" and said it reminded him of 2006 when Joe Thomas and John Stocco accompanied him to Chicago and told him, "Coach, they don't think much of us."

He responded by telling his '06 seniors that it was "a good place to be" and of course the Badgers went on to win 12 games in Bielema's inaugural year as UW's head coach.

Naming a quarterback

As was the case the last two seasons when UW entered fall camp without a certain No. 1 quarterback, Bielema said a starter would be named 10 days before the Northern Illinois game at the very latest. That means UW will have its starter by Aug. 26.

As for who that starter will be, there's no question Dustin Sherer has the upperhand, but Bielema said he is "excited to see what Jon Budmayr can do ... He throws as good of a ball as anybody."

Freshman impact

Bielema said he currently sees 14 freshman that "can do something for us." He said that number usually gets reduced to six to 10 freshman, but he thinks "this class might be different."

Among the freshmen mentioned as possibly having an impact were RB Montee Ball, WR Kraig Appleton, OL Ryan Groy, OL Travis Fredrick, LB Chris Borland, DL David Gilbert and DL Tyler Dippel who is battling a knee injury.

Bielema said if there are freshmen ready to play then he doesn't mind saving the red-shirt.

"I kind of like having it in your hip pocket because injuries do happen," Bielema said.

Clay dancing his weight around

NCAA rules prevent coaches from weighing their players during the summer, but Bielema is happy with John Clay's efforts to manage his weight.

"[Clay] says he is 235 pounds, but "he's dreaming." Bielema said. "If he gets to 235 then he'll be on the dancing show somewhere. That's not his football weight"

Meanwhile, Kyle Jefferson is over 180 pounds and Bielema said the two helmet-to-helmet hits he suffered the last two seasons have not phased him.

Hidden talent

Bielema mentioned that Wisconsin tends to harbor a lot of hidden talent, like when P.J. Hill came out of nowhere to have a breakout 2006 season after red-shirting his freshman year.

Bielema said linebackers Culmer St. Jean, Blake Sorensen and Mike Taylor are among this year's "hidden talents."

A way too early look at the 2009 Schedule - Week 5 - Wisconsin

GopherNation — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:30:10 -0000

The battle for The Axe is the highlight game of the year, imo. A year ago the Gophers went down to Madison and played arguably their best game of the year, nearly pulling off the huge upset on the road. Instead the game was the last competitive game we would see out of the Gophers and 2008 finished in a tailspin not easily forgotten. 2009 cannot come soon enough for the Gophers and you can bet this game is one they are looking forward to winning.

This game is the Big Ten opener for TCF Bank Stadium, it is the longest rivalry in all of college football, ~~we have Brett Favre on our team now~~ and it is our anual chance to house Paul Bunyan's Axe where it rightfully belongs. I love this game and I love rivalries of this nature. I have queried a couple quality Badger blogs to get their thoughts on the Badgers. Bucky's 5th Quarter is an SBN sister and On Wisconsin is a lesser known blog full of great content. Let's get to the game...

The Badgers on Offense

Much like the Gophers the Badger offensive strengths lie with their skill position players. Dustin Sherer returns to likely start at QB, John Clay and Zach Brown should be one of the best RB tandums in the conference, Garrett Graham may be the best TE in the conference and the WRs with David Gilreath, Nick Toon and Isaac Anderson are all pretty good. Outside of Graham, those names are not going to be appearing on any All-American radar screens but they are all experienced and talented.

Where the Badger offense may struggle is along the offensive line. This group reminds me of the Gopher OL heading into last year. They are coming off a strong season from the prior year (2008) but have to replace three starters. All likely starters have experience and had started in the past just not full time. Neither B5Q or OnWisconsin seemed concerned but replacing three starters is a big deal. Here is college football expert, Phil Steele on offensive line returning starts...

When most folks judge a team for the upcoming season they look at the QB, RB and WR's that are returning. A few may take the time to look at star defensive players that are back (those with a lot of sacks or interceptions). Very few look at the offensive line and yet the team that controls the line of scrimmage wins the game more often than not. Now experience on the Oline is not the only criteria for an offensive lines potential for the next year. You have to add in Blue Chips, how last years line performed (YPC rushing and sacks allowed), size, etc.

Minnesota ranks 8th nationally with 102 returnings starts and Wisconsin ranks 95th out of 120 schools with 49 returning starts. I think this is a bigger issued than either of my respected blog-egues care to admit.

B5Q - Last year's offensive line wasn't all that special so I don't think it is that big of a deal that they lost some guys. The three new guys all have seen playing time in the past and sophomore RT Josh Oglesby should live up to all the hype he has received since high school. The point is that these guys are definitely good enough to allow John Clay to have a big season.

OnW - Of the three new starters, all have started in their careers, and all have logged many minutes. Oglesby was a 5-star recruit, Bscherer started over him their freshman year when injuries dictated the need, and Nagy started several games at guard last season. The first string will be fine. The concern is the depth. The second string has no experience, and I don't think there is a true two-deep at guard. Not counting incoming true-freshman, we don't have four guards. So the starters are fine, but injuries could pose a huge problem for the line.

I'm not convinced. The three starters they are losing all received some level of post-season recognition in the Big Ten. Kraig Urbik was 2nd team All-Conference and drafted in the third round, Andy Kemp and Eric Vanden Heuvel were both honorable mention. They weren't the most dominant players in school history or anything but they will be missed.

John Clay and Zach Brown return to form one of the deepest and more talented backfields in the conference. Assuming the OL can create some holes they should easily combine for 1,600 + yards on the season. Last fall in Madison the Gopher defense did a much better than expected job of containing this rushing attack. Clay was held to a season low 35 yards (with at least 10 carries) and PJ Hill had 117 yards but 38 of those was on one play with a missed tackle in the backfield. When the game was finished the Badgers had been held to their lowest rushing total of the season. This is a good ground game but for whatever reason the Gophers did a very good job gameplanning and executing in Madison.

Wide Receiver and Tight End are also areas of strength for the Badgers. David Gilreath was 2nd team All-Big Ten a year ago and keep an eye on sophomore, Nick Toon who may be their best receiver this year. Garrett Graham is an outstanding TE.

B5Q - As far as the receivers go, I think you are going to see a much improved group. Gilreath will continue to cause some problems and Kyle Jefferson should be healthy again. But the guy defenses should be worried about is sophomore Nick Toon who started to come on late last season and has the size and speed to be the best receiver on the team. True freshman Kraig Appleton could surprise too.

OnW - This is the best four-deep (Jefferson is the fourth) WR corps the Badgers have had in some time (at least since Williams/Orr). But the biggest concern opponents should have in the passing game is the Badger tight ends. Consider that the last three starting Badger TEs are playing in the NFL (Daniels was in the last pro bowl). Garrett Graham is the real deal and should be on all-American watch lists. Lance Kendricks is very athletic, and while slower than Beckum was, is bigger, approximating true TE size, but still fast enough to split wide. Finally, Turner is a decent true-TE, too. Expect a lot of two-TE sets that drive linebackers and safeties nuts in coverage. That's where the Badger passing game is toughest to defend. A competent quarterback could make this a very dangerous offense.

Hmmm, a compent quarterback huh? Dustin Sherer should be competent but unless he surpasses expectations he'll be in the bottom half of Big Ten QBs this season. I'm not going to spend a ton of time on Sherer as he isn't a game-changer. The 5th year senior is solid and reliable. Expect about 58% completions, slightly more TDs than INTs and somewhere between 180-199 yards per game. He'll be required to hand off more than most Big Ten QBs and hit open receivers. As long as he doesn't try to do more than that (be like Brett Favre) he'll be find and this offense will be potent.

The Badgers on Defense

The key figure on the Badger defense is 5 returning starters. They lose three on the line, two linebackers and one in the secondary. That is five of their front seven that need replacing. In 2008 the Badgers finished 5th against the run giving up 133 yards per game and the second most rushing TDs in the conference. Expect more yards to be allowed this year as the front seven is a major question mark. I asked Bucky's 5th Quarter to give me a breakdown of the position groups and here are his thoughts on the defensive line and linebackers.

LBs - Honestly we don't really know what to expect here. Jaevery McFadden is the lone returning starter, while Culmer St. Jean (who has seen playing time, but never played extremely well) takes over in the middle. Kevin Rouse, who has been one of UW's better special teamers the last two seasons, should start on the outside as well, but he wasn't exactly spectacular in the spring.
DL - Again, Wisconsin has to replace three starters, but the coaches love DE J.J. Watt and a number of talented freshmen could provide depth. Still, it will probably be a tough year on the defensive line, a problem that could end up being the Achilles heel of this team.

He doesn't sound too overly optimistic about the 2009 Badger defense. But On Wisconsin is downright negative.

As for the front 7? Oy. Your guess is as good as mine. Transfer J.J. Watt, at DE (and maybe moving inside on passing downs) is expected to be a spark on the line, but he's among three new starters, so who knows? Linebackers McFadden and St. Jean will be fine (McFadden is returning, but moving outside), but I'm worried about Blake Sorensen on the weak side, and it isn't as though the former two will be on any pre-season all-conference teams. As dangerous as the Badger offense could be (with a decent quarterback), the defense is a total question mark, and were I guessing, I would say soft against the run, especially inside.

All of this sounds good for Gopher fans. The secondary should be OK. They lose Allen Langford at CB who was 2nd team All-Big Ten a year ago, but the other three starters return.

B5Q - It looks like Niles Brinkley will be the other starting cornerback, which is kind of a scary thought when you consider how lost he was on the field last season. Still, the coaches insist he has improved immensely. At safety, the Badgers return a lot of experience but not a whole lot of talent. But Jay Valai, Chris Maragos, Aubrey Pleasant and Shane Carter all have logged a ton of playing time and should be more than adequate.

OnW - There aren't any serious questions about the secondary. It should be solid. Henry is a very good cover corner and Brinkley isn't bad. Valai is a big hitter, but in obvious passing downs you might instead see Pleasant at strong safety as he has better size and doesn't give up much in talent. Either Maragos or Carter is a good option at free safety.

While they return the most in the secondary it isn't exactly a scary group. On paper this looks like a defense that most teams will be able to run on and I'll take my chances with Weber/Decker/Green against this secondary as well.

What is going to Happen

Well prior to researching this post I figured we had a coin flips chance of winning this game, maybe slightly better since it is a home game. But upon further review I am more confident now than I was a week ago. If Brewster wants to show that this team is improved and that he is capable of winning with the upgraded talent then he absolutely needs to win this game.

I'm putting this game into the "must win" category for a number of reasons. First and foremost this is year three of the Brewster era and he has yet to win a rivalry game. I'm not overly confident about our trip to Iowa this year and we don't have Michigan on the schedule, which means if he wants to win any rivalry game in his first three years on the job then this is the game he has to do it. Secondly the schedule gets really tough following Purdue and Indiana isn't on the schedule so the Gophers want to get back to a bowl game this is a must win. Lastly the Badgers are a bit down (at least replacing a number of starters) and the Gophers have a good nucleaus returning for 2009, this is in the must win category because it is winable against a good program.

I think the upper-classmen will remember last year's gut-wrenching loss in Madison and you will see a Gopher team that will play a great game. The Gophers avoid any semblance of a 4th quarter melt-down and for the first Big Ten game in TCF Stadium the Axe will be hoisted high as the rouser is sung by 50,300.

Wisconsin - 20
Minnesota - 34

The rest of the questions and answers from Bucky's 5th Quarter and On Wisconsin after the jump...

TDG - Does this game make you nervous? The Gophers nearly stole one from you in Madison a year ago and the Badgers have been playing Russian-Roulette with near losses to the Gophers for a while now. Will the bullet finally fall into the chamber or do Badger fans just pencil in the W on their schedule as soon as they are printed?

B5Q - Yeah, this game definitely makes me nervous. The Gophers would have won last year if the game was in Minnesota and now they have a "real" home stadium where it won't be 60% Badger fans. I expect for Minnesota to be favored in this game and have a good shot at finally getting the Axe back.

OnW - I don't know about nervous, but I've marked it as one of two losses in my overly optimistic 10-2 pre-prediction for the season. The Badgers certainly didn't blow Minnesota away the last two games, but have gone 8-2 over the last 10 (including the remarkable finish in Minneapolis in 2005, but that wasn't they only way we might have won that game). I think Minnesota has a good chance in this game, but I think many Badger fans find that idea reprehensible and assume we'll indoctrinate TCF the right way. These are probably the same fans who wanted Alvarez fired in 2002. Don't get me wrong, I think the Badgers can and should win this game, but for now I have it down as a loss (you always have to pick one . . .)

TDG - I'll trade you any Wisconsin native on the Gophers roster for David Gilreath, what will it take?

B5Q - Hmm... backup kicker David Schwerman looks pretty good. Wasn't he on "Friends"? No offense, but the Wisconsin natives on the Minnesota roster are probably there because they weren't good enough to play for the Badgers (unless we're talking hockey and Phil Kessel).

OnW - Gilreath is overrated. He's the third best receiver on the team. Anderson and Toon are the true 1 and 2. Gilreath is speedy, but small, with mediocre hands. For all his speed, he hasn't been a hero in the kicking game (if I remember correctly he ranked 11th in the conference in return yardage last season). Anderson has better size, better hands, and isn't exactly slow; same for Toon.

TDG - The schedule is rather weak in Madison this year. Heading into the Big Ten schedule the Badgers host Northern Illinois, Fresno State and Wofford. Is this weak schedule going to keep the Badgers fresh or will the schedule do them a disservice by not adequately preparing them for Big Ten play?

B5Q - Actually this schedule is a step up from previous years. Northern Illinois and Fresno State will compete for a bowl game and the Bulldogs actually have some of the better running backs in the country. I hate the Wofford game, but it seems like everyone is scheduling FCS schools these days so you might as well play the better ones and Wofford at least is a competitive FCS team. I actually think the first three weeks will help this Badger team. Northern Illinois is a decent Week 1 opponent and Fresno State will beat you up physically (we saw that last year), so the new starters will get tested early while the team should still start 3-0. Wisconsin also ends the season at Hawaii.

OnW - The schedule is very weak. We get Michigan State and Iowa at home, we don't play Penn State or Illinois, and after Ohio State, our toughest road games are Northwestern and Minnesota. No offense to your program or theirs, but in the big picture of tough roadies, those aren't the two that normally get flagged. As for the weak schedule leading up the game at TCF? We open Big Ten play with Michigan State, in Madison, the week before so, I'm not terribly worried about the team being soft when it comes time for the trip west. The out-of-conference games should help keep the team healthy and hopefully will provide a little extra time for both lines to gel and for Sherer to get three more non-critical starts under his belt (though Fresno State has a history of pushing us). What concerns me more is the team's struggles on the road. Look at last season: nearly blew the Fresno State game, did blow the Michigan and Michigan State games, got annihilated in Iowa City, and folded in the Champs Sports Bowl. 2007? Losses at Illinois, at Penn State, at Ohio State, played you guys way closer than was appropriate in the Metrodome, and lost at the Outback Bowl vs. Tennessee. The road has not been kind to Bielema's Badgers.

Thanks be to B5Q and OnW, excellent responses from a couple of excellent blogs.

Poll

Who wins this critical match-up?

Wisconsin by a slim margin

11 votes

Wisconsin by a lot

7 votes

Minnesota finally eeks one out

46 votes

Minnesota dominates

36 votes

100 votes | Poll has closed

Golden Nugz 07-02-09

GopherNation — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:59:35 -0000

I've been researching a bit for my Badger game preview so the links today may be a little heavy on Badger links, but you'll make due.

Bucky's 5th Quarter had a good post this week on the rules of buying a Badger jersey. I enjoyed the read so I'm sharing it with you. There are 5 basic rules for buying a college team jersey..

1) If the player is a true freshman then he must be a No. 1 recruit who is not red-shirting and if he is a red-shirt freshman then he must be a starter and lead the team in at least one key statistical category. Too many highly regarded recruits fall flat on their face.
            Pass: ~~Ron Dayne in 1996~~ Lawrence Maroney 2003
            Fail: ~~Josh Oglesby in 2007~~ MarQueis Gray 2008 (you gt the idea)

2) If the player is a sophomore or junior then he must be a starter and lead the team (among returning players if it is the offseason) in at least one key statistical category. These are the guys you want to invest in. They have already proven themselves and they are going to be around for a while.
            Pass: ~~David Gilreath or John Clay~~ Adam Weber 2008
            Fail: ~~Kyle Jefferson~~ Brandon Green

3) If the player is a senior then he must be a Heisman/Player of the Year candidate or be a good candidate to have his jersey number retired at that player’s school. Sorry Garrett Graham fans, you missed your chance.
            Pass: ~~Alando Tucker in 2006-07~~ Maroney 2005
            Fail: ~~Kammron Taylor in 2006-07.~~

4) If the player plays football and wears No. 1, 7, 9, 12, 14, 18 or 80 then the previous rules do not apply to purchase the jersey, although the jersey can only be worn during seasons when the player currently wearing that number is a clear cut starter and leads the team in at least one key statistical category.
            Pass: ~~No. 12 Tyler Donovan in 2007.~~ - I'm not sure what he is getting at here, maybe those are retired numbers for Wisconsin?
            Fail: ~~No. 4 Allan Evridge in 2008.~~

5) Any former All-American is eligible for a jersey purchase, but the jersey must be from a year in which that player played.
            Pass: ~~Ron Dayne and Alando Tucker~~ - Kevin McHale
            Fail: ~~A No. 33 or No. 42 placed on a 2009 jersey~~

6) He forgot one rule.

Pass: Gopher Jersey
Fail: Badger jersey

A couple years back there was a post out in the blog-sphere giving the general rules about wearing a jersey (any jersey). His rules were things like don't tuck your jersey in, don't buy #69 (it's not that funny), don't wear average players no longer on your team (i.e. Brad Johnson, Vikings fans), etc.

Zombie Nation shares his Big Ten picks and he has Hassan Lipscomb as his pick to surprise the rest of the conference this year. Interesting.
Good article by Marcus Fuller on Mbakwe. This kid is going to help us a LOT next year.
On Wisconsin asked me a few questions, here are my answers.
This Badger sports fan thinks it will be a rough year for the Badgers, always good to read.

Five rules for buying your next Badger jersey

Adam Hoge — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 10:00:23 -0000

More photos » by Morry Gash - AP

You're crazy if you buy a Garrett Graham jersey this season.

Browse more photos »

So Travis Beckham is gone and P.J. Hill left early for the Canadian Football League. That No. 9 jersey you’ve been sporting for the last two seasons? It’s useless now. The $50 you dropped on that No. 39? Seems like a pretty silly purchase now.

That’s because you didn’t follow the rules for purchasing a college football jersey—which is OK because they don’t exist… until now.

Buying a jersey can be tough. They are expensive and they always expire (unless of course you are the guy who customizes a jersey with his own name). That’s why I have a set of five rules each for buying college and professional jerseys.

So if you’re the guy with the No. 39 jersey hung in the back of your closet already, or you’re a freshman and want a jersey you can wear for the next four years, or you’re just a tool that wears a jersey every day of the week and is tired of wearing that Anthony Davis jersey, follow these rules when investing this fall:

For college teams (where players’ names are left off the jersey):

1) If the player is a true freshman then he must be a No. 1 recruit who is not red-shirting and if he is a red-shirt freshman then he must be a starter and lead the team in at least one key statistical category. Too many highly regarded recruits fall flat on their face.
Pass: Ron Dayne in 1996
Fail: Josh Oglesby in 2007

2) If the player is a sophomore or junior then he must be a starter and lead the team (among returning players if it is the offseason) in at least one key statistical category. These are the guys you want to invest in. They have already proven themselves and they are going to be around for a while.
Pass: David Gilreath or John Clay
Fail: Kyle Jefferson

3) If the player is a senior then he must be a Heisman/Player of the Year candidate or be a good candidate to have his jersey number retired at that player’s school. Sorry Garrett Graham fans, you missed your chance.
Pass: Alando Tucker in 2006-07
Fail: Kammron Taylor in 2006-07.

4) If the player plays football and wears No. 1, 7, 9, 12, 14, 18 or 80 then the previous rules do not apply to purchase the jersey, although the jersey can only be worn during seasons when the player currently wearing that number is a clear cut starter and leads the team in at least one key statistical category.
Pass: No. 12 Tyler Donovan in 2007.
Fail: No. 4 Allan Evridge in 2008.

5) Any former All-American is eligible for a jersey purchase, but the jersey must be from a year in which that player played.
Pass: Ron Dayne and Alando Tucker
Fail: A No. 33 or No. 42 placed on a 2009 jersey

The key here is to invest in a guy who ends up being a player Badger fans never forget. It’s not easy, because those types of players are rare. That’s why these rules are tough.

Under these rules, only two players currently qualify for a jersey purchase this season:

1) John Clay, So. – Clay is UW’s leading returning rusher, which means he qualifies under Rule 2. There is a small chance that he has so much success in 2009 that he leaves early for the NFL, but chances are he will be around for at least two full seasons, maybe even three.

2) David Gilreath, Jr. – Gilreath is first in receiving among UW’s returning wide receivers so he also qualifies under Rule 2.

This is a good year to wait out the first month and then re-evaluate the roster under these rules. These are the players to watch during the season:

1) Curt Phillips, R-Fr. – If Phillips ends up taking over as UW’s starting quarterback then he will most likely lead UW in passing and qualify for a jersey purchase under Rule 1.

2) Nick Toon, So. – Toon came on strong at the end of last season and could very well end up leading Wisconsin in receiving this season. If he does, he would qualify under Rule 2.

3) Kraig Appleton, Fr. – We don’t know if Appleton will play this season, but if he does and he ends up being the real deal then he could qualify under Rule 1.

The 2009 verdict: The No. 32 John Clay jerseys are going to be on shelves all over State Street and that’s the jersey you should be buying this season. I’m still worried he might leave early, but look at it this way, if he does that means he had a season that won’t be forgotten at Wisconsin any time soon.

Honestly, college jerseys are easier because names are left off and they can sometimes be used years later for a new player under Rule 4. Professional teams are tougher because names are on the jerseys and free agency changes everything. Of course, sometimes jerseys last forever because you bought Michael Jordan’s Bulls jersey in the 1980s.

It’s always a gamble, but here are five rules for purchasing a professional player’s jersey:

1) The player should have at least two years left on his contract and not have a history of trade rumors following him around.
Pass: Ryan Braun – Milwaukee Brewers. He’s got the long-term deal and the franchise is building around him.
Fail: Milton Bradley – Chicago Cubs. Some Cubs fans fell into the Nomar Garciaparra trap again. Bradley has the long-term deal, but he’s played on 312 teams.

2) If the player is over 30 years old then he must have at least two All-Star appearances.
Pass: Chauncey Billups, Denver Nuggets. Still two years left on his deal and the Nuggets love him.
Fail: Russell Branyan, Seattle Mariners. He’s become one of Seattle’s best players, but history says he won’t keep it up past this season.

3) Do not buy a rookie’s jersey unless it’s 2003 and his name is LeBron James. Half the rookies out there fail to materialize. Wait a year and then follow the rest of these rules. Do I even need to mention names like Darko Milicic, Kwame Brown, Ryan Leaf, or Rex Grossman?

4) Any regular contributor on a Championship team is eligible for a jersey purchase. This includes starters, key bench players/relief pitchers and even a very mediocre player who made a huge play in the postseason that will be remember forever (although in that case it would help to add a World Series, NBA Finals, Super Bowl, e.t.c. patch to the jersey).

5) Any Hall-of-Famer is eligible for a jersey purchase, but the jersey must be from a year in which that player played.
Pass: Carlton Fisk – Boston Red Sox or Chicago White Sox
Fail: Michael Jordan – Washington Bullets. I have actually seen a few of these. He didn’t play for the Bullets, you morons. He regrettably played for the Wizards.

If your player does not violate the rules that apply to him, then you can fork out the money for that player’s jersey. If none of your favorite players pass all five of these rules then consider buying a personalized jersey with your name on it. However, if you go that route, be prepared to be forever known as "that guy."