(Ed note: Welcome back to my weekly football feature called "Sunday Morning Hangover," where I take a fresh look at the game that was and give you reasons for what went down the day before.)
If you were in search of major answers as to how the new look Badgers are going to look this upcoming season than the 2013 Wisconsin Spring Game was the wrong place for you to be in attendance on Saturday. Thanks to a ton of missing starters on both sides of the ball and a QB battle that won't be over till well into fall camp there wasn't going to be a lot of answers provided.
However, that doesn't mean the 61-47 win by the defense (Cardinal) over the offense (White) didn't provide entertainment. In fact, what it did provide was a lot of intrigue as to what will happen between now and August 31st when the Badgers take on UMass to open the 2013 season.
What was so intriguing about a game lacking definitive answers? For one we saw youth step up in big ways on the defensive side of the ball and that means a lot for the coaching staff to think about come the fall. Secondly, could we have seen one QB step up ahead of another in the battle that will wage on into the fall? We also saw some very interesting uses of Derek Watt from the fullback position.
All of it combined on Saturday for an entertaining game, one that was intriguing to watch from start to finish. It was also a game that the players were really into despite the differences from the past.
"I noticed a couple of things, one there was music playing for a spring game, which was strange and fun," said defensive end Ethan Hemer following the game. "Doing the fun stuff with the fans was cool. The other thing was that we had a lot of people there compared to years past that I can remember which I thought was really neat."
In what's becoming a theme as of late in the spring game the defensive side of the ball held out, obviously winning the scoreboard battle, but only allowing two touchdowns was a positive step forward. It was especially so with the combination of players missing and therefore the youth on display.
However, that youth also made plays. Names like outside linebacker Vince Biegel and cornerback Sojourn Shelton really stepped up big time and with performances like that it makes it intriguing to see what could happen to them in the fall. Especially when you consider Andersen's want to get playmakers in position to make plays.
Biegel had 4 tackles on the day, but more importantly showed he can be a playmaker off the edge – recording 2 tackles for losses and 2 sacks (one of which went for a safety) and overall played well against the run too. His play wasn't lost on Andersen at all.
"Vince, really the last two practices I sat down and evaluated Wednesday's practice, and he jumped out at me, and he did again today," said Andersen. "(He) made a couple big plays, came around the edge. He looks like he's just playing with more confidence, and he's kind of just letting it rip a little bit. So he shined for me."
It's performances like that and Sojourn Shelton's 4 tackles, 1 tfl, and one near interception that will make coaches and fans stand up and take notice of you and as a young player that's exactly what you want if you are looking for playing time and if Andersen's comments after the game were any indication it may be tough to keep Shelton or Biegel off the field for very long in 2013.
"He (Shelton) has really competed all spring long, and the way he's handled the adjustment coming from high school has been impressive, not just on the field, but off the field," said Andersen. "His life flipped upside down, and he's handled it very well.
"I credit the other corners, who have kind of put their arms around him and made sure he was moving in the right direction. Sojourn was good today. I think he got his hands on two or three balls. He'd like to pick them all off, but if he was that good at receiving and catching, he'd probably be a wide receiver. He's playing very well. I'm happy where he is."
On the other side of the ball things at the QB spot are intriguing because both Joel Stave and Curt Phillips showed some positive things, but are clearly different quarterbacks. If you are in the camp of being able to throw the deep ball and keep the energy up than Stave showed why he'd be your choice with some good decision making, a strong arm, and an ability to throw a deep ball (albeit needing a bit more timing with the receivers).
Phillips showed a very good ability to manage things, get out in space if needed and keep the ball moving, but he clearly lacks the ability to stretch the field with any confidence in his arm. He had the longest pass of the day statistically at 31 yards, but that was a wheel route to Melvin Gordon who burst for the vast, VAST majority of those 31 yards.
If you base things solely on Saturday you have to give the nod to Stave. He seems to just have that extra bit of "it" factor to him behind center and seems to be letting the game come to him a bit more. However, don't expect this thing to be even close to settled until well into August with what McEvoy brings to the table in potential.
Lastly, we saw a lot of intrigue from the offensive backfield and most of it coming from how the Badgers used fullback Derek Watt. He wasn't just a decoy in the running game and showed why he could be a useful tool as more than a blocker with 5 carries for 20 yards and sure hands as a receiver as well. Adding his power to what Gordon, White, Lewis and probably even Clement this fall is going to be very interesting to watch.
So, while the annual spring game may not have provided definitive answers to the most pressing questions facing the 2013 Wisconsin Badgers football team it at least gave us glimpses as to how those questions will be answered this fall and gave youth a chance to step up on a bigger stage. Perhaps, that more than anything else is all you can ask for considering how many key players for this fall weren't around this spring.
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