Wisconsin football head coach Bret Bielema noted the strong play of a trio of true freshmen Monday at his weekly news conference.
Bielema recognized wide receiver Kyle Jefferson, cornerback Aaron Henry and tailback Zach Brown for their strong performances in last Saturday's 38-7 loss at Penn State.
Jefferson, who has played the most snaps of any true freshman offensively, finished the game with six receptions for 124 yards, both career highs. The Cleveland native leads all freshmen nationally with an average of 19.7 yards per catch. He is 12th overall among receivers with at least 300 yards.
Bielema said he likes the way Jefferson has responded since replacing senior wide receiver Paul Hubbard in the starting lineup. Jefferson is now third on the team in receiving with 16 receptions for 315 yards and two scores thus far.
Henry saw extensive action Saturday after replacing junior cornerback Allen Langford due to Langford's inconsistent play in the game. Henry responded with five tackles, including a sack of Nittany Lions' senior quarterback Anthony Morelli early in the fourth quarter. Henry leads the team with 3.5 sacks, the most in one season by any defensive back in UW history.
I just like the way Aaron went out there and responded to the situation,"" Bielema said. ""There's really probably nothing on this earth that Aaron doesn't feel he can do when given the opportunity. That kind of stuff carries forward.""
Brown, the Badgers' primary backup tailback on the road due to sophomore Lance Smith's suspension, saw limited action, but impressed Bielema with his decision making and blocking.
""Zach Brown has been very, very effective for us on being assignment-sound in the passing game,"" Bielema said. ""Zach has really shown us some things on third down, as well as his ability to change the game with his speed.""
Hubbard making progress
Senior wide receiver Paul Hubbard ran routes Sunday with no contact, and has been cleared to practice this week, Bielema said.
Hubbard went down with a sprained right knee early in the second half in the Badgers' 20-13 victory at UNLV on Sept. 8.
""He began to return last week in certain phases of practice, but wasn't able to compete,"" Bielema said. ""He hasn't really pushed against a body yet, so we don't know how his body is going to react.""
The need for Hubbard's return was amplified when senior wide receiver Luke Swan, the Badgers' second-leading receiver, went down for the season with a torn hamstring at Illinois on Oct. 6. With the two fifth-year seniors out, Jefferson and true freshman David Gilreath have stepped into the starting slots.
No timetable has been set for Hubbard's return.
""He's a little bit ahead of schedule,"" Bielema said.
What's left to play for?
When asked how he keeps the team motivated each week despite the unlikelihood of reaching a top-tier bowl game, Bielema cited the team's '1-0' mentality, looking forward to the next game and next opponent rather than farther down the road.
""The season is a journey, and the more you focus on the end of the journey, the further off it'll become,"" Bielema said.
""We try to focus on the now, and the positives that are coming out of this program, and the more we do that, hopefully Saturdays will turn out even better,"" he added.
