Forty-eight hours after the Badgers' 35-14 win over Bowling Green, first-year head football coach Bret Bielema met with the media Monday to discuss the victory and his sentiments heading into Saturday's home opener against Western Illinois. He focused most of his time on the performances of the team's new players and the role he expects them to play come Saturday's game and throughout the rest of the season.
Bielema praised the performance of freshman running back P.J. Hill, who, in Wisconsin's first game without star rusher Brian Calhoun, ran for 130 yards on 22 carries and one touchdown.
""One of the big clichAcs that we use around here is ‘finish,'"" Bielema said. ""P.J., because of the abilities that he brings to the table, was able to do that on Saturday and I think it's something you'll see for a long time coming.""
Freshman running back Lance Smith also made his debut for the Badgers, picking up 14 yards on his first career rush and finishing the game with 41 yards on 8 carries. Though Bielema lauded Smith's game-changing speed, he said Smith will continue to share time at the No. 2 position with senior running back Dywon Rowan.
""What we need for [Smith] to have success, he needs to play within our scheme and our rules,"" Bielema said. ""I do believe you'll see an added role in his playing time, but also know that Dywon is a player that we know we can count on every play and until [Smith] gets to that level, we'll probably see a little bit more of both.""
Bielema also discussed the performance of sophomore tight end Travis Beckum, who was one of five Badgers to record their first career reception Saturday. It was Beckum's first career game at tight end, as he played defense last year.
According to Bielema, Beckum is ""just beginning to scratch the surface of how good he can be,"" and his athleticism allows the offense to stretch the field vertically. But Bielema also noted that Beckum needs to become a more complete player and expand his game to feature more than just the passing aspect.
While much of the media attention Monday focused on rookies on the offensive side of the ball, the majority of defensive talk revolved around veterans. Senior linebacker Mark Zalewski set a career high with 14 tackles and senior defensive back Joe Stellmacher totaled 12 in Saturday's game.
Stellmacher also recovered a fumble in a play that was later overturned by officials in the Falcon's favor. Bielema named him the game's defensive MVP and announced he had made him the team's fourth captain.
""He just embodies everything that we ask and there's not a better competitor on our team,"" Bielema said of Stellmacher. ""What sets him apart from the rest is he's able to understand the game before it happens, and he's able to anticipate the plays as they come, which allows him to react faster.""
The defense may be a point of concern heading into Saturday's game against Western Illinois, a team that Bielema described as speedy. The Badger defense had trouble with mobile Falcons quarterback Freddie Barnes and appeared vulnerable when he easily marched Bowling Green down the field for a touchdown on last Saturday's first drive.
Bielema said the defense struggled with footwork and technique on that first drive, but that its recovery was impressive and gives him confidence heading into Saturday.
""They got it down in the second and third quarter respectively,"" Bielema said. ""It's not so much what happens, it's how you react. I like the way that there was teaching going on on the field.""
