The Wisconsin football team met under the lights of Camp Randall Wednesday night for one of its last practices of the spring. The team continues to prepare for Saturday's spring game, in which the Badger first-stringers will take the field against the rest of the team.
Head coach Bret Bielema said all of the work done this spring has been a build-up to Saturday's game, and that though players are excited to get into a game situation, the team still needs to continue to develop fundamentals.
I really think that Wisconsin is a program that develops people, and developing people means you can't skip a step,\ Bielema said. ""It's a process; they gotta learn how to line up, they gotta learn how to execute, then they have to learn the techniques and the fundamentals that they have to have to have success on any given play.""
Bielema said a particular area in need of work is gaining yards on first down. While the team executed well Tuesday on third down passing situations, the offense had trouble with the five first-and-10 plays in a mini-scrimmage toward the end of practice.
""Certain guys are doing good things,"" Bielema said. ""What we need is consistency, the offensive line in particular. Once we get Joe [Thomas] back in that mix and are allowed to put people in that positions we want, we'll make some strides.""
One player who does seem to be doing ""good things"" is junior wide receiver Paul Hubbard. Bielema praised his work in Wednesday's practice, saying that Hubbard understood where he was supposed to be and caught a lot of balls. Bielema said that though he hasn't fully developed yet Hubbard and sophomore wide receiver Marcus Randle El have both stepped it up and been pleasant surprises this spring.
While Bielema is still switching players in and out of positions, he said he will make his first and second string rosters official after Saturday's game. He plans to limit some of the players' time in Saturday's second half, especially junior quarterback John Stocco, but also said he expects everyone to compete in the first half more than any other spring game in the past.
""I think a lot will be said on Saturday, to see how our guys handle certain situations. At times, we've practiced very well in all phases of the game,"" Bielema said. ""What I want to do is ... put them in a pressure situation, and because we're going number ones against the world, the ones should be able to execute and do certain things.""
The team will hold a 12-14 periods practice Friday and afterward rehearse for Saturday's game, which will mark the end of the spring season. Players will then be off until they return for summer practice June 12.
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