As the college football season gets closer, there are still unanswered questions on every roster around the country. While coaches are often careful with how much information they release, watching practice can clarify the potential depth charts for the season. Here’s how Wisconsin’s defense is shaping up.
At the beginning of each season, college football rosters are always in a state of flux. With players graduating, transferring or leaving early to the NFL, there is a level of turnover unlike anything in professional sports. It’s tough to gauge how the Badgers will look this year based on a handful of practices, but several trends on the offensive side of the ball have emerged.
CHICAGO—With the Big Ten Media Days in Chicago coming to a close Friday, four key storylines dominated the flurry of questions the representatives from Wisconsin faced.
CHICAGO—Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez briefly addressed the university’s admissions process after highly regarded recruit Jordan Stevenson, a running back from Texas, was denied enrollment to UW based on academics last week.
Wisconsin has become known for producing good, if not great, college running backs in the last two decades. These running backs have had some spectacular individual performances, but none were better than what Melvin Gordon accomplished last season. Gordon finished last year with 2,587 yards and 29 touchdowns, but a major chunk of that yardage came in one game in November against Nebraska when he rushed for 408 yards, a single-game NCAA record.
Despite a national championship appearance for basketball and a successful 2014 football season, the 2015 Outback Bowl between the No. 18 Badgers and No. 19 Auburn Tigers proved to be the most memorable sports moment for me during my freshman year.
Facing a third-and-10 near midfield Sunday, Brett Favre rolled left, zipped a pass up the sideline and hit Dorsey Levens in stride, who raced into the end zone for the touchdown.
“If we can change one kid’s life, the mission is accomplished. Because that one kid could change a generation, could change a culture. That’s the idea.”
Instead of providing a solid idea of what 2015 has in store for Wisconsin, the official account of events offers a window into an enigmatic whirlwind that hasn’t settled.
As the Wisconsin basketball team celebrated earning the first NCAA Tournament 1-seed in program history, unaware of the thrills, laughs and, ultimately, tragedy they would encounter, they were unknowingly cheering another achievement. A far more enduring, and impressive, accomplishment.
In a surprising move, the St. Louis Rams selected Wisconsin offensive tackle Rob Havenstein with the No. 57 pick overall Friday night at the NFL draft in Chicago.
The San Diego Chargers clearly had their sights set on Melvin Gordon.
The 2014 NFL Draft was the first since 2010 that did not feature a Wisconsin Badger walking across the stage in the first round. Melvin Gordon should be able to put the school name back in the spotlight Thursday, like he did all season on the field.
It’s no secret that Corey Clement is going to be the star of Wisconsin football next year. He’s already got four multi-touchdown games under his belt, and has a career average of seven yards per carry. That’s a higher rushing average than James White, Montee Ball and John Clay. Everyone’s waiting with bated breath to see what he will do, and that’s a lot of pressure.
Wisconsin wide receivers not named Alex Erickson combined for 39 catches and 427 yards in 2014. Wisconsin receivers named Alex Erickson compiled 55 catches for 772 yards. When Joel Stave and Tanner McEvoy dropped back to pass, they didn’t have a whole lot of consistent options on the outside to throw to.
Josh Gasser put on an absolute dazzler Saturday afternoon, as he racked up 35 points, while Duje Dukan chipped in seven of his own.
After losing their star player and head coach from last season’s Outback Bowl champion squad, the Badgers will trot out a different looking team to open the 2015 season when they take on Alabama Sept. 5. But before that, there figures to be plenty of intrigue entering Paul Chryst’s first spring game as Wisconsin’s head coach.
John Settle’s deep, clear voice cut through the pounding music projecting from Camp Randall Stadium’s sound system and the cacophony of whistles and smacking shoulder pads during individual position drills at a recent spring practice.
When Gary Andersen shocked the college football world by darting for Corvallis last December, it set the wheels in motion for yet another coaching staff shuffle for the Wisconsin Badgers.
It’s no secret that teams live and die by their quarterbacks, both at the collegiate and professional level. As Wisconsin fans have endured for years, a team can only go so far on the shoulders of its running backs. When it gets to those crucial third-down situations late in games, teams have to throw the ball, and the ones with the better quarterback usually finish on top.
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