Considering senior quarterback John Stocco's knee problems during the off-season and the still-tenuous condition of his health, it is no surprise that Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema stressed the importance of quarterback protection at his press conference Monday.
Stocco took several hard hits over the course of Saturday's victory against Western Illinois and, following a touchdown pass to junior tight end Andy Crooks midway through the fourth quarter, weathered one final hit and did not return.
""It's gotta be an emphasis from our offensive coaches as well as our players that we need to keep No. 7 healthy,"" Bielema said. ""It's a team effort.""
Bielema used freshman running back P.J. Hill as an example. Though Hill garnered headlines by rushing for 101 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries, Beilema highlighted a missed block which resulted in Stocco being hit.
""From the outside looking in, you see two games at a hundred yards plus. You see the energy that [Hill] brings and the things that he does to show that he's got a little bit of a savvy to him,"" Bielema said. ""P.J. needs to take as much pride in his blocking assignment as he does in running that counter play for a touchdown.""
Stocco also ran into the problem Saturday of having several passes dropped by receivers. According to Bielema, the verteran quarterback and new line of receivers are still going through a transitional phase and are not yet completely accustomed to each other.
""Paul [Hubbard] had one hit his hands in particular that I thought he could have had. Another one would have been a tough catch at the back of the end zone,"" he said. ""But they're guys that have shown that they can catch the football.""
Bielema quickly proceeded to point out positives he saw within his core of receivers, including a crucial third-down catch by sophomore Travis Beckum after dropping a pass a few plays earlier. He also praised the offense's ability to spread the ball around, as Stocco found seven different targets throughout the course of the game. Bielema named junior receiver Luke Swan, who recorded three receptions for 49 yards, offensive MVP.
""Luke Swan did a great job getting his first couple catches and being able to convert that into positive yardage for us,"" Bielema said.
As Stocco came out of the game, so did the majority of the Badgers' offensive starters. Junior backup quarterback Tyler Donovan took over the group of second-stringers and was picked off on his first pass attempt by Leathernecks cornerback Kevin Almlie, who returned the interception 17 yards for Western Illinois' only touchdown. The offense proceeded to go three-and-out on its remaining two possessions, but Bielema was happy with the experience gained.
""We went through some growing pains for nine plays that are well documented and well read about from the media point,"" he said, ""but what those nine plays taught our players hopefully will be invaluable in the future.""
Looking ahead to Saturday's match-up against San Diego State, Bielema said much of his attention will be focused on containing the Aztecs' own second-string quarterback, sophomore Darren Mougey. Mougey entered the Aztecs' last game against UTEP in the third quarter and rushed for two touchdowns, almost bringing SDSU back from a 27-3 deficit.
""He definitely can run, and he can throw,"" Bielema said. ""How much they use both will be determined on Saturday. What I'm expecting Saturday is they're coming in with the idea and the philosophy that they're going to be able to be very fast.""
Mougey and the rest of the Aztecs' offense will provide Wisconsin's young defense with its last chance to mature before the Badgers' Sept. 23rd game at Michigan. Bielema said he hopes Saturday's meeting with SDSU will provide the same level of preparation as did Wisconsin's tight road win over North Carolina before last year's Michigan game.
