You know it's bad when a head coach gets asked whether or not the season is over after his first loss in almost 13 months. But it's also hard to blame fans for panicking when they know two true freshmen will be lining up at wide receiver next week, offensive players are falling faster than the fall leaves, and the defense would be hard pressed to tackle a four-year-old running the spread offense.
Thus, the question was posed to head coach Bret Bielema Monday.
Yes, I'm sure as a double-bad weekend, if the Badgers and the Packers lose, it sends a lot of people in Wisconsin into turmoil,"" Bielema said. ""But, you know, the one part that we really try to install into this program is a 1-0 mentality, and everybody has made note of it. You know, you win so many in a row, you've won so many in a row, how do you keep them on focus, and then we say the 1-0. But really, the conception of the 1-0 mentality is its strongest in dealing with a situation like that.""
I couldn't agree more, Bret. The 1-0 mentality is great, but when it gets turned into 14-0 it gets a little stale. A loss makes it mean something again because the players now remember what 0-1 feels like. Unfortunately, the Badgers are at a tough cross road where a mentality might not be enough to save them. If you can't tackle, you can't tackle. If you can't make a stop, you can't make a stop. And if you don't do those things enough times in a row, you have no chance of winning.
The better football team won Saturday. And if Illinois is the better team, how many other Big Ten teams are better than UW? Penn State, Indiana, Ohio State, Michigan? They are all still on the schedule and Badger fans across Wisconsin are simply wondering who the better teams really are. If all four of those teams can tackle and make stops, wondering whether or not the season is over might not be that crazy of a question.
Graham the Savior
While the defense has been busy tackling invisible opponents as the real ones run down the sidelines, the offense has done a lot to keep UW in games and, in many cases, has come up with the big play in the fourth quarter to win the game.
One of the emerging stars of the season has been sophomore tight end Garrett Graham who emerged in training camp as a threat. When senior tight end Andy Crooks was bothered by a leg injury, Graham got playing time and took advantage of it. Graham has 13 catches on the year for 162 yards and three touchdowns. And Saturday the sophomore showed he can be relied on in the fourth quarter.
On third-and-11 early in the fourth, senior quarterback Tyler Donovan hit Graham on a classic Owen Daniels screen pass for 14 yards. Later, on UW's final scoring drive, Donovan hit Graham for 20 yards on a crucial fourth-and-eight from their own 31-yard line. Graham then finished the drive with a nine-yard touchdown catch where he caught the ball in traffic and finished hard by bouncing off three defenders to get into the end zone.
""Garrett has really come along doing all types of positive things, not just in the catching game, but in what he's doing blocking and setting up certain things for our offense,"" Bielema said Monday.
With the injuries to senior receivers Paul Hubbard and Luke Swan, it's scary to think about where the Badgers might be without Graham. With Crooks back and Swan out, look for UW to run more plays with junior tight end Travis Beckum at receiver to alleviate some of the pressure off the freshmen receivers that must step up. Graham has proven he can be just as effective as Beckum as a receiving tight end, and he is probably a better blocker.
Bad or Good T.D.?
It's unfair to use the Grossman question on a guy who racked up 392 passing yards Saturday, but it's also unfair to ignore the danger Donovan put his receivers in during the first half. The offense has been saving the defense over-and-over again this season, but there is still something missing, and that is the great decision making that John Stocco brought to the table and now reportedly puts to use at Wando's.
Stocco went out and won football games. Donovan seems to be just surviving them. Stocco hit his receivers in stride, while Donovan is making his receivers make the play while defenders close in fast for a big hit.
Unfortunately, this happens in college football and there is no way around it. Guys graduate and new guys come in. Stocco was no different when he was a first-year starter his sophomore year. I wanted to pull my hair out hundreds of times that season when he would make mistakes.
So look, the ""Tyler Donovan: Wisconsin's worst QB (Put in Everidge NOW)"" Facebook group is a little unwarranted. First off, spell the guy's name right. It's Evridge. But I think we can all agree that Donovan needs to be sharper now with Swan out. He's the quarterback and that is not going to change. However, if he wants to beat Penn State, Indiana, Ohio State and Michigan, he's going to have to do more than survive.
If you think UW can still go 1-0 for the rest of the season or if you'd like to meet Adam for a fish bowl at Wando's, e-mail him at hoge@wisc.edu.
