When a team loses a talented skill position player, it hurts. But when a team loses two of them, it is downright awful.
UW senior wide receiver Paul Hubbard went down in the second game of the season with a sprained knee. Adding to that, against Illinois, UW senior wide receiver Luke Swan was lost for the season with a torn hamstring.
With only junior tight end Travis Beckum remaining from what many considered a very impressive receiving core at the beginning of the season, the tight end position is going to be even more important if the Badgers want to remain effective on offense.
The way coach Chryst uses the tight ends in the offense, the way we can make a play on a lot of pass plays, it just frees us up and we've been able to make plays,"" sophomore tight end Garrett Graham said.
Graham has been a sound addition at a vital position for the Badgers as he has recorded 13 catches for 162 yards and three touchdowns, and he is becoming a solid target when UW gets into the red zone.
""You know, Travis did it last year, but I'm really impressed with how Garrett has progressed,"" senior tight end Andy Crooks said. ""He had been an [H-back] kind of before and then they switched him ... and he has just been able to step in, and what he has been able to do is just amazing.""
Since UW will have to start two true freshmen in David Gilreath and Kyle Jefferson at wide receiver, opposing teams are really going to be locking in on Travis Beckum who is leading the team in both receptions (41) and yards (485), which should allow others on the field to succeed.
""It's great. When teams focus so much on Travis, I think that opens things up for me to have an opportunity to make plays,"" Graham said.
A season ago, Graham was not as involved in the offense because Beckum and Crooks led the way for UW at the tight end position. Crooks would come in as the blocking tight end, while Beckum was in during passing situations.
This season, however, Crooks has been hampered by injuries that have decreased his playing time.
Against Illinois, Crooks was involved in only a handful of plays and did not record a catch. But the uplifting fact for Crooks, who scored four touchdowns a season ago, is that he is healthy enough to see some playing time.
""I couldn't really play before this,"" Crooks said. ""I just couldn't do it. I couldn't run, I couldn't do stuff like that. But now, I am just looking forward to whatever role, stepping in there and doing the best I can.""
Heading into Happy Valley, which suddenly has turned into a must win for the Badgers, will test the moxie of a team many predicted to be a major player in the Big Ten race. The tight ends will play a big role, but no major changes are in the works for a team that will start two freshmen in one of the most hostile environments in the entire nation.
""No we haven't really talked about [changes],"" Graham said. ""You'll see me and Travis split out every once in a while. As of right now, I think we're just going to keep doing what we've been doing.""
