Head coach Bret Bielema emphasized a back-to-basics approach for Wisconsin football at his Monday press conference, as the team looks to move on from its fourth straight loss.
Everybody is disappointed in the results of the last four weeks, that hasn't changed,"" Bielema said, echoing some of the frustration of Badger fans.
""For me to be in the situation I'm at now, a losing record, 3-4, it doesn't sit well,"" he said.
If Wisconsin wants to come away from Saturday's Homecoming game against Illinois with a win, Bielema said ""all phases of the game need to be better.""
For the defense, that means lining up correctly for every play and making good tackles downfield. On offense, Bielema wants more discipline and better execution. And on special teams he wants to get better protection on both sides of the ball, protecting freshman punter Brad Nortman and blocking for sophomore returner David Gilreath.
Part of Bielema's approach included starting junior quarterback Dustin Sherer over senior Allan Evridge at Iowa Saturday. Sherer completed 17-of-34 pass attempts for 161 yards against the Hawkeyes but also threw two interceptions.
Despite those difficulties, Sherer will start Saturday, while Evridge dropped into a tie for second on the Badgers' quarterback depth chart with sophomore Scott Tolzien.
""Dustin didn't play a clean game, didn't by any means set the world on fire,"" Bielema said of Sherer's performance Saturday, but added, ""we would like to see how much growth he can have [in] another week being the starter.""
Bielema did not commit to making Sherer the starting quarterback for the rest of the season, saying Tolzien, not Evridge, would get more time at practice behind Sherer.
Adding to the instability at quarterback, junior running back P.J. Hill's injury during the Iowa game makes him questionable for Illinois Saturday.
Bielema said he does not ""know where he'll be at by gameday,"" after Hill re-aggravated an injury to his lower leg that kept him out for a part of the 2007 season.
Freshman John Clay and sophomore Zach Brown would play in place of Hill if he cannot start Saturday. Bielema said that if Hill was unable to play he would ""be very excited to see what those two [Clay and Brown] can do.""
The Badger offense will need to produce more than it has recently - in their past five games, Wisconsin has scored more than 17 points just once: their 25-27 loss to Michigan.
The Badgers will try to end their four-game losing streak Saturday against Illinois, but the defense will not have an easy road to victory against junior quarterback Isaiah ""Juice"" Williams and the Illini offense.
Williams has thrown for 1,948 yards and rushed for 475 more this season. Bielema was quick to complement the Illinois quarterback, saying he ""creates plays with his legs.""
""He always has the ability to make something out of nothing,"" Bielema said.
Bielema also praised the Illini's ability to make quick scoring plays, and that when an opposing defense must overcompensate to contain Williams, they leave options open for the offense.
""We need to be focused ... and understand that Illinois brings in one of the most productive offenses in the Big Ten,"" Bielema said.
