Before the Badgers' magical run toward a Rose Bowl berth crumbled in Iowa City, their 9-0 start had people talking about the best defense in the country. Names like Erasmus James, Anttaj Hawthorne and Jason Jefferson made national headlines in \Sports Illustrated,"" while Jim Leonhard and Scott Starks continued to impress. Now, with all five moving onto professional careers, as well as others out of the Badgers' system, the pressure mounts on an offense that was far from impressive in the 2004 campaign.
Lead by junior quarterback John Stocco, the Badgers had the second-worst scoring offense in the Big Ten Conference, beating out only Penn State with an average point total of 20.8. Their passing offense ranked last in the conference, averaging only 167 yards through the air.
With the departure of offensive linemen as Dan Buenning and Jonathan Clinkscale, the demands on Stocco to make quicker and shrewder decisions will be in play. Stocco, who showed signs of brilliance and even heroism in games against Minnesota and Ohio State, often wavered at times under pressure, especially in the final regular season game against Iowa. In a game the Badgers needed to win, Stocco completed only 18 of 38 passes, failing to reach the 150 yard mark and tossing two interceptions.
If Stocco slips up before the Big Ten season opener against the defending Big Tehn Champion Michigan Wolverines Sept. 24th at Camp Randall, do not be surprised to see head coach Barry Alvarez pass the offensive reigns to junior sparkplug Tyler Donovan.
Although both quarterbacks struggled in the spring game, completing only 20 passes on 51 attempts for a measly 245 yards, the pressure remains on Stocco. Donovan, who played sparingly last season throwing only three passes, showed the ability to scramble. The Hartland, Wis. native rushed for 117 yards on 11 carries last season, demonstrating the ability to create in the pocket that Badger fans have not seen since Brooks Bollinger was under center.
What will help the Badgers quarterbacks this coming season is a more mature receiving core. Losing only Darren Charles, the Badgers return a strong set of wide outs. The senior leadership of Jonathan Orr, Brandon White, Brandon Williams, Owen Daniels at tight end and, hopefully, the emergence of sophomore Marcus Randle El can provide some stability to the Badgers' offense. Alvarez will look to use the fleet-footed Randle El as a wide receiver only, where as last year he was used in quarterback situations as well. This could be the year where Randle El comes into his own and shows off his natural skills.
The big addition to the Badgers' offense this upcoming year is the running game of Colorado transfer junior Brian Calhoun. Calhoun, who transferred from the Buffaloes after the 2003 season, is a gritty runner out of the backfield, and has the ability to catch passes as well. The Badgers' recruiting staff prepared well for the loss of Anthony Davis, who was drafted in the seventh round by the Indianapolis Colts.
Since legal issues leave the status of junior Booker Stanley unknown at this point, look for sophomore Jamil Walker to take many of the carries when Calhoun needs rest if Stanley is not with the team.
With two major offensive linemen leaving and a major running threat possibly sidelined, the only thing Badgers truly have to bank on is offensive maturation. Will Stocco grow into a good decision maker at all times? How will the senior receivers contribute to the direction of the Badgers offense? What kind of leadership can Brian Calhoun bring to the Badgers backfield?
It is all up in the air, and everyone will just have to wait and see.
""Defense wins championships""-however clich?? one might think this phrase, for the Wisconsin Badger football team last year, truer words had never been spoken.
Through nine games the Badgers had allowed just 9.1 points per game, tops in the nation. Unfortunately, defense also loses championships, and hopes of a Big Ten title went up in smoke as Michigan State and Iowa torched Wisconsin for a combined 79 points in the final two games of the regular season.
With only four starters returning this fall, defensive coordinator Bret Bielema has a tough task-replicating the success of the first nine weeks with nearly a completely new cast of performers.
A former strength is now a question mark, as the Badgers must replace all four starting defensive linemen this fall. At the defensive end positions, junior Joe Monty and sophomore Jamal Cooper will attempt to fill the shoes of Jonathan Welsh and Erasmus James. Fans should be hopeful that Monty can display the same talent as his brother Pete, who played linebacker for the Badgers from 1993-'96 and is still Wisconsin's all-time leading tackler. On the other side, Cooper is fast but must add some bulk to his slight 6'4"" 217-pound frame if he is to survive against Big Ten offensive lines.
As for the defensive tackles, the Badgers hope a pair of sophomore 300-pounders, Justin Ostrowski and Nick Hayden, can effectively replace Anttaj Hawthorne and Jason Jefferson. Ostrowski saw action as a backup in all but one game last season, while Hayden looks to play to the level that earned him Wisconsin Defensive Lineman of the Year after his senior season at Hartland Arrowhead High School in 2003.
Last season Wisconsin's linebackers were young and inexperienced, but come fall they will have to become leaders. The corps is led by strong-side junior linebacker Mark Zalewski, who started every game last season. Also returning is sophomore Andy Crooks, who took over at middle linebacker halfway through 2004. Zalewski and Crooks led all returning linebackers in tackles, with 55 and 38, respectively.
At weakside linebacker, senior LaMarr Watkins gets the nod over unproven redshirt freshman Jammar Crane, although the 6'1' 200-pound Garland, Texas native showed explosiveness and a nose for knifing into the offensive backfield during the spring game. Look for Crane to push Watkins all season long.
Fan favorites safety Jim Leonhard and cornerback Scott Starks have moved on along with cornerback Robert Brooks, but the Wisconsin secondary should again be solid if their replacements step up. Leading the way will be senior cornerback Levonne Rowan, an occasional starter over the past few seasons. Much like Starks early in his career, opposing quarterbacks have abused Rowan in the past, but he is looking to follow a similar path to become a shutdown corner this season. The other corner spot is up in the air after senior Brett Bell suffered a knee injury in the offseason. For now, the coaching staff has tentatively penciled in 5'11' 187-pound freshman Allen Langford.
The competition for the starting safety spots should be fierce. Junior Johnny White returns after a season in which he lost his starting strong safety job to Brooks in the third week of the season. White will be pushed by junior Joe Stellmacher. As for free safety, replacing Leonhard and his school record-tying 21 interceptions will be no easy task, but juniors Roderick Rodgers and Zach Hampton are up for the challenge. While Rodgers started in the spring game, the coaching staff raved about Hampton, a converted wide receiver whose nose for the ball reminds some of the All-American Leonhard.
