Grading the 2013 Wisconsin Badgers

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The Wisconsin Badgers began the 2013 football season ranked 23rd in the AP Preseason polls. At the time I was disappointed in the ranking but could understand reason for doubting the team given the significant changes in coaching staff. Gary Andersen brought a lot of energy and a whole new posse of coaches with him and the team looked sharp, but not many knew what to expect. The result was a very solid season, capped off by a poor showing against Penn State on senior day and a disappointing ending to the Capitol One Bowl against South Carolina. The team finished with a 9-4 record and a 6-2 showing in the Big Ten. Kickers are kickers and punters are punters, but the best way to understand what went well and what didn’t for the team in 2013 is to take a look at each position on the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

Quarterback – C. After breaking his collar bone several games into the 2012 season, Joel Stave won the starting quarterback job in camp, beating out sixth-year senior Curt Phillips and transfer Tanner McEvoy. What the coaches most like about Stave is his throwing accuracy and ability to get the ball down field. With Jared Abbrederis returning as arguably the top wide receiver in the Big Ten, many thought it was wise to go with the best throwing QB of the bunch and give the offense its best opportunity to stretch the field. The result was a mediocre season for Stave. He made many great throws, but also missed A LOT. He finished with 22 passing TDs to 13 interceptions and threw for 2,494 yards. He was arguably a better player on the road, throwing just 4 interceptions in 6 road games, versus 9 in 7 games at home. The most glaring issue with Stave seems to be his inability to find the open man. As a young quarterback, this is somewhat understandable, but Stave became a bit predictable in games as he would often seem to lock on a single receiver (usually Abbrederis) before the start of a play and abandon any sense of progression as the play developed. He will most likely have a firm grasp on the starting job heading into 2014, but there is certainly room for improvement.

Melvin Gordon will return for his junior year.

Running Backs – A. The running game was yet again the bright spot for Wisconsin in 2013. The Badgers finished 8th in the country in rushing, combining for 3,689 yards. Melvin Gordon emerged as one of the best backs in the country, leading the team with 1,609 yards while reaching the end zone 12 times and ranking fourth in the country with an impressive 7.8 yards per carry. James White wasn’t far behind, totaling 1,444 yards and 13 scores. Gordon raised eyebrows as many thought he might enter the draft as a potential second or third round draft pick, but the sophomore announced after the regular season that he will return to Madison in 2014 for his junior season. The third shining star in the backfield in 2013 was youngster Corey Clement. The freshman ran for 547 yards on just 67 carries and reached the end zone 7 times. With Clement and Gordon returning in 2014, there’s no reason to expect anything less than another 3,000 rushing yards from the Badger backfield.

Receivers – B. Heading into 2013 the Badgers knew they had something special in senior Jared Abbrederis, the former walk on who had earned first team All-Big Ten honors as a junior. Senior tight end Jacob Pederson was also returning after winning the Big Ten’s Kwalick-Clark award as the league’s top tight end. Beyond these two however, questions remained unanswered heading into the season opener as to who would answer the bill as the team’s number two wide receiver. The questions never really got answered, as no wide receiver outside of Abbrederis caught more than 12 passes. Abby hauled in an impressive 78 catches for 1,081 and 7 touchdowns while Pedersen snagged 39 balls for 551 yards and 3 scores. James White was also incredibly reliable out of the backfield, catching 39 passes for 300 yards and 2 scores. “Old Reliable,” Jeff Duckworth was next on the team with 12 catches for 176 yards and 2 touchdowns. The team will look heavily to youngsters Jordan Fredrick and Alex Erickson in 2014 to step up and carry the load as a receiving corps. Melvin Gordon will also need to play a bigger role out of the backfield than he did in 2013, catching just one pass for 10 yards.

Offensive Line – B. After losing starting center Travis Frederick to the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the NFL Draft, the Badgers offensive line needed some returners to step up. They did fairly well, once again blocking for one of the best rushing attacks in the country and keeping quarterback Joel Stave on his feet. The team ranked 17th nationally with 16 sacks allowed, an average of just 1.2 per game but loses left guard Ryan Groy to graduation. This is a hole that has to be filled, but the unit remains young and full of potential heading into 2014.

Defensive Line – B. With new defensive coordinator Dave Aranda came a new 3-4 scheme that worked surprisingly well for the Badger Defense in 2013. As a unit, Wisconsin ranked 15th in total defense, 6th in scoring defense, and 5th in rushing defense throughout the campaign. The one glaring statistic that keeps this unit from an “A” rating is the disappointingly low sack total. The team totaled just 26 sacks on the season, with 4 of those coming from backup nose tackle Warren Herring. Beau Allen has garnered attention leading into the NFL draft and Pat Muldoon and Tyler Dippel did well managing the ends. Look for the defense to remain consistent in 2014 but look to create more pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

This will always be my favorite Chris Borland picture.

Linebackers – A. Moving to a 3-4 scheme as a defense meant shifting Brenden Kelly from his defensive end position to and outside linebacker spot. This freed up middle linebacker Chris Borland to be more aggressive in attacking the ball carrier. Borland had his best season yet, recording 112 tackles and earning consensus first team All-Big Ten honors. Ethan Armstrong and Conor O’Neill were third and fourth on the team with 51 and 41 tackles, respectively and were a big reason for the team’s success against the run. The unit needs to find a way to replace Borland in 2014, but I believe the 3-4 scheme will continue to promote future success.

Secondary – B. After losing both starting corners and a safety to graduation heading into 2013, the Badger defense faced a lot of question marks in the secondary. The unit was good, however, ranking 17th nationally against the pass, allowing 202 yards per game. Senior Dez Southward returned and provided consistency for the group, totaling 40 tackles and nabbing one interception. The bright spot here was true freshman Sojourn Shelton. Shelton made his share of mistakes, as should be assumed from an 18 year old, but also pulled down 4 interceptions and primarily manned opposing team’s top wideout. Shelton receive praise from former Badger standouts Jamar Fletcher and Scott Starks for his confidence and competitive nature, but needs to sure up his coverage, as he was burned a few times too many throughout the course of the season. Michael Caputo was another bright spot, moving from linebacker to safety and looks to have a hold on the spot heading into 2014. Look for this young unit to grow and improve under Aranda.


Until next time, Beers, Brats, and Championships.

-Joseph Norton (@JoeP_Norton)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Packers, Brewers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live in-game commentary, breaking news, rumors, previews, and post game discussion. Follow the entire writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, and @10iskristin

Week 4 Recap Badgers v. Boilermakers

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The Badgers opened Big Ten play shaking off the hangover from the poor officiated game last week handling Purdue in methodical fashion. It was a decisive response from what had to be a frustrating week dealing with the aftermath of the Arizona State game. It was nice to get back to deciding games on the field instead of analyzing screen shots of Stave's knee and highlighting the rule book. Without further ado, the week 4 Buckys!

James White en-route to the end zone against Purdue

Badgers running game has been nearly unstoppable this year. James White and Melvin Gordon are caught up in an exciting game of ‘anything you can do I can do better’ which has been a treat to watch for Badger fans, and misery for opponents. Currently the Badgers have three running backs in the top 40 for rushing yards Gordon(1), White(10) and Corey Clement (36). Additionally it seems the Badgers are finding ways to get White and Gordon on the field at the same time more often putting even more pressure on defenses. While the rush yards are likely to come a little bit harder in Big Ten play, the Badgers running back traditional is alive and well.

Joel Stave remains inconsistent. For whatever reason he has lost accuracy on his deep throws and has yet to shake off the habit of staring down receivers. Stave will need to be better in order to win at Ohio State this week and come up with two or three big throws to sustain drives or connect on long touchdown pass to swing momentum. As good as the running game has been, Ohio State’s defense will be good enough to shut it down if the offense becomes one dimensional.

One week after struggling big time to shut down the high octane Sun Devil offense, the Badger defense came out and reestablished themselves against Purdue. The Boilermakers came into the game averaging 272 yards of total offense per game, not a juggernaut but any stretch of the imagination, yet the Badgers held them to 180 yards total and just 3.1 yards per play. Sophomore(or hopefully redshirt freshman if his application ever gets approved from the Big Ten) Vince Biegel started at linebacker and was extremely disruptive in the Purdue backfield. True freshman Sojourn Shelton continued his excellent play adding another interception and is really developing into a top flight lock down corner.

Honorable Mention Bucky – no matter how often these happen or how cliché they might seem, they are still awesome

Looking Forward – Ohio State

Another big road test for the Badgers and getting a win over the 4th ranked Buckeyes in Columbus would go a long way to forget the shenanigans that lead to a loss on their last road trip this season. Much like the Badgers, Ohio State has started out the year with an unimpressive non-conference slate. Unlike the Badgers they won their Pac12 road game against California. The biggest question facing the Buckeyes this week is who will start at quarterback? Kenny Guiton has started the past two games for preseason Heisman hopefully Braxton Miller, but most accounts indicate Miller will be healthy enough to play Saturday against the Badgers. The good news is Badger DC Dave Aranda should have enough film on Guiton in the 2+ games he's played to have a plan of attack for either QB. The key to both will be slowing down the read option. Urban Meyer's offense is predicated on getting fast athletes in space to make plays. The front seven has been stout against the run so far and the overall team defensive speed is improved compared to years past. This years defense has the pieces to slow down the Buckeyes offense but it will definitely be the biggest challenge they’ll face all year.

Offensively the Badgers need to find a way to be productive in the passing game. One dimensional offense will not cut it against Ohio State. Look for offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig to work the short to intermediate passing game early via screens and play action to build Stave’s confidence. Running between the tackles will be a challenge this week so anyway to get the ball into the hands of playmakers Gordon, White and Jared Abbrederis attacking the edges of the defense will be huge.

The Badgers quest to go to four straight Rose Bowls largely comes down to winning this game. Stealing a victory against a top five team on the road always requires a few breaks to go your way and this game might come down to a fake punt or other type gadget play to win. The Badgers have enough talent to compete but in the end the quarterback play is the difference.

Final Score: 21-27  Note – this is first Badger loss I predicted for the season, I’d be fine if I’m wrong

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Neal Olson (@olewr7)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @TABrown23, and @10iskristin.

Impact Freshmen for the Wisconsin Badgers

For any new coaching staff taking over a college program, one of the biggest challenges is securing commitments for their first recruiting class. Gary Andersen had the benefit of inheriting the start of an already quality class and did a phenomenal job of keeping most of those players on board during the transition to new coaches and new schemes.  The Badgers also have return players with starting experience at all but five positions. For a program like Wisconsin that recruits and develops players having a strong returning core is crucial. It means the opportunity for freshman playing time is hard to come by. The following are the five (ok six) players that have the best chance of getting on the field and contributing this year.

5 – Alec James (Brookfield East) – OLB and Chikwe Obasih (Brookfield Central ) - DE

It is fitting these players tied for the fifth spot. They are similar in size (James is 6’4” 230 pounds, Obasih 6’3” 240 pounds) and both played high school football in Brookfield . James and Obasih will fit in nicely with new defensive coordinators Dave Aranda 3-4 scheme. Last year at Utah State, Aranda’s defense was 11th in the country in sack percentage and 6th in sacks per game. Clearly Aranda loves to pressure opposing quarterbacks and to do that he needs pass rushers. Although the defensive line is deep with upper classman, none of them have experience in the new scheme which levels the playing field for the incoming freshman. James and Obasih will need to show they can get after the quarterback and playing time will come in sub packages as Aranda finds the right blend of aggressive pass rushers.

4 – Leon Jacobs (Golden Valley High School – Santa Clarita, CA) – OLB

Jacobs is part of Andersen and staff’s new recruiting formula targeting players out west which has traditionally not been an area Wisconsin has focused. Jacobs is a raw football prospect and flew under the radar by national recruiting publications mostly because he has only been playing organized football for two years. He spent most of high school playing basketball and winning a slam dunk competition (2010 National Prep Classic) as a sophomore. DC Aranda has already noted Jacobs flash plays during the first week of practice and along with Alec James is working interchangeably at both outside linebacker spots. His versatility in picking up both LB spots along with his athleticism means Jacobs will see the field sooner rather than later.

3 – Rob Wheelwright (Walnut Ridge High School – Columbus, OH) – WR

The Badgers spent all of last season looking for a compliment in the passing game to Jared Abbrederis. Unfortunately no one has been able to consistently provide that threat. Enter Rob Wheelwright. At 6’2” 198 pounds, Wheelwright has the size and physical capability to play right away. His brother Ernie played wide receiver for Minnesota  and his grandfather was a running back for the New Orleans Saints. With the size and genetics to be a big time player for the Badgers, Rob has to show  consistency in his route running. He has been impressing teammates during summer workouts getting mentions by James White and Tanner McEvoy as someone who stood out. Granted, the coaching staff is unlikely to rely heavily on Wheelwright this season, but he should find himself on the field in multiple receiver sets.

2 – Sojourn Shelton (Plantation High School – Fort Lauderdale, FL) – CB

Shelton enrolled early at Madison and was able to participate in spring practices. Shelton took full advantage of the opportunity in a defensive backfield looking to replace two starters from last season and was one of the more impressive corners on the field during the spring game. He has great footwork and anticipation for a young player and jumped a couple of routes getting his hands on two or three balls. Though he is slight at 5’9” 172 pounds, he also showed a willingness to come up and tackle and did not shy away from contact. Time will tell whether Shelton can withstand the physicality of the Big Ten but he has already added ten pounds since arriving in January. Shelton also brings some “South Florida Swagger” which has produced a lot of quality defensive backs throughout the years. Shelton figures to see action this year as the third corner in the nickel package during passing situations.

1 – Corey Clement (Glassboro High School – Glassboro, NJ) – RB

Clement has taken full advantage of the reshuffling of the running back depth chart. Junior Jeff Lewis was switched to defensive back and sophomore Vonte Jackson suffered another torn ACL and just like that Clement was all alone as the #3 RB. Andersen initially toyed with getting lead blocker Derek Watt some reps carrying the ball, but Clement has been so impressive during the first week of practice the idea was quickly scrapped. James White is an elusive runner, Melvin Gordon is explosive speed and Corey Clement is a sledgehammer. For a freshman, the first full pad college practice can be a challenge adjusting to the physicality. But nearly every practice report so far includes a bit about Clement running someone over or making another big play. While he make have fallen into the third running back spot due to other circumstances, Clement has shown he belongs. If he continues to perform at this level, he will force offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig to find ways to involve him in the game plan on Saturdays. The Badger tradition of excellent running backs marches on – seriously check out this stiff arm by Clement.

Until next time, Beer, Brats, and Championships.

- Neal Olson (@olewr7)

Follow us on Twitter (@WISportsBlog) for up to date news on the Brewers, Packers, Badgers, Bucks, and Golden Eagles. We feature live, in-game commentary, breaking news, previews and post game discussions. Follow the entire Wisconsin Sports Blog writing team on Twitter: @AndrewVrchota, @jheldred, @JoeP_Norton, @SMahon2Go, @olewr7, @Stevie2Westside, @TABrown23, and @10iskristin.