Welcome into the final Badgers mailbag of the football season. Despite the fact Wisconsin edged Auburn, 34-31, in a thrilling overtime during the Outback Bowl, plenty of fans would prefer to focus on what didn't go well.
Given that quarterback Joel Stave threw three interceptions, you can guess where this edition of the mailbag is headed. We received a record 27 questions this week, and 12 (by my count, at least) concerned quarterback play in some fashion. Fortunately, there are plenty of other topics to discuss in here as well in the longest mailbag we've ever had.
Thanks to everyone who submitted questions this season. The interactions have been fun, no matter how outlandish some of your suggestions have been. Without further ado, here's the mailbag:
Q: Can Stave not be the quarterback next year? -- Brian, Waukesha, Wis.
Q: Can you promise me that we don't have to ever see Stave at quarterback again? We won in spite of him. You just wonder how explosive our running attack would be if we had the threat of the pass. -- Scott, Michigan
Q: Great win. Is there a worse Division I QB than Stave? -- Steve, Sun Prairie, Wis.
Q: To the best of your knowledge, is Joel Stave the worst quarterback to ever be a multi-year starter for a perennial top-20 program? How is it that his ineptitude is the best that Bucky can do? -- Jeff, Wisconsin
A: Let's just get this out of the way up front. No, Joel Stave is not the worst quarterback to ever play Division I football. Did he have a subpar season? Yes. Was he poor in the final two games of the year? Well, he did throw six interceptions. Still, if you really want to dive into the numbers and compare him against other quarterbacks, there are plenty in the college ranks whose statistics were far from spectacular.
Stave threw nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season. So did Florida's Jeff Driskel and Clemson's Cole Stoudt. Virginia's Greyson Lambert and Purdue's Austin Appleby each threw 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Wake Forest's John Wolford threw 12 touchdowns to 14 interceptions. And just in the Big Ten, Michigan's Devin Gardner threw 10 touchdowns to 15 interceptions, Penn State's Christian Hackenberg had 12 touchdowns and 15 interceptions and Northwestern's Trevor Siemian threw seven touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
All those quarterbacks play at power-five conference programs, but I could include QBs at New Mexico State, Idaho, UNLV, Kent State, Temple, Tulane and San Diego State.
Stave's season quarterback rating was 113.2. There were 14 quarterbacks to throw at least 200 passes that had a worse rating.
Stave, a guy making his 28th career start at Auburn, simply cannot make those two or three bad throws per game that cost Wisconsin a chance at victory. If Stave enters next season knowing he is the starter (unlike this year), it will do wonders for his confidence. Don't forget Stave threw 22 touchdown passes to 13 interceptions in 2013. If he can keep the picks down, he won't be the reason this team isn't in games.
Q: What is your opinion of Wisconsin's QB play? -- Kent, Adams, Wis.
A: The short answer is that it needs to be better. Nobody is asking Badgers quarterbacks to set the world on fire and throw for 300 yards a game -- or even 200 yards a game every Saturday. But Wisconsin needs a quarterback that can manage the game, hit key third-down passes to keep drives alive and not make critical mistakes that take away scoring opportunities.
Stave has been that guy occasionally during his career. But he'll have to be far more consistent in those areas to have a successful senior season.
Q: Where will Tanner McEvoy play next year? I'd love to see him as an H-Back. Heck of a weapon. Also, which of the two redshirt freshmen have the best chance to back up Clement next year? -- Todd, Twin Cities
A: Given that new coach Paul Chryst prefers the old school play-action drop-back passer, I'd have to image McEvoy's days as a viable starting quarterback at Wisconsin are over. That doesn't mean he won't see an occasional series to provide a read-option look, as he did down the stretch this season.
But Barry Alvarez even acknowledged after the Outback Bowl that McEvoy was too talented to stay on the sideline. McEvoy recorded five tackles at safety against Auburn and looked as capable there as ever despite not having played the position in a full year. If he opened next season as a safety, Wisconsin's secondary would be loaded because the Badgers already are returning cornerbacks Darius Hillary, Sojourn Shelton and Devin Gaulden, as well as safeties Michael Caputo and Lubern Figaro.
As for the backup running back situation, it's tough to know until we watch Taiwan Deal and Caleb Kinlaw during spring practices. Deal (6-foot, 216 pounds) is more of a power running back, while Kinlaw (5-9, 180) is more of a change of pace type of guy. I wouldn't rule out incoming freshman Jordan Stevenson for the backup gig, though. Stevenson rushed for 2,511 yards and 31 touchdowns this season at South Oak Cliff in Texas and de-committed from the Longhorns before picking the Badgers.
Q: Is everything solid on the recruiting front still (will PC hold all recruits he wants to hold)? Also are there any rumblings that PC will flip any Pitt recruits? -- Bob, Sturtevant
A: Yes, everything remains solid on the recruiting front. While many classes would bolt at the first sign of a coaching change, Wisconsin has done a surprisingly good job of retaining the Class of 2015. Rivals.com lists the Badgers as having 24 commitments to form the No. 29 overall class. The biggest concern was losing quarterback Austin Kafentzis, but he pledged his commitment once against to Wisconsin after talking to Paul Chryst.
As for flipping any Pitt recruits, I haven't seen much on that. But keep in mind that we're in an NCAA-mandated dead period for contacting recruits through Jan. 14. Then, National Signing Day is on Feb. 4.
Q: Who will Chryst sign for assistant coaches? -- Bob, La Crosse
A: We won't know the exact staff until Wisconsin provides an official announcement, but some hires seem to be rounding into form. It has been reported that Chryst could bring three of his Pitt assistants to Wisconsin. Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Matt House will come to Wisconsin, though he will not serve as the defensive coordinator. That position remains in the hands of Dave Aranda, who was excellent in his two seasons here under Gary Andersen. Aranda's ability to transform Wisconsin from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense and rank among the national leaders in most defensive categories was critical to the team's success.
It also has been reported Chryst will bring Pitt offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Joe Rudolph with him. Rudolph would then serve as Wisconsin's offensive coordinator in place of Andy Ludwig, who is leaving for Vanderbilt. Former Pitt secondary coach Troy Douglas also is reportedly a candidate at UW, though it's unclear what position he would coach.
Current Badgers cornerbacks coach Ben Strickland has deep ties to the state as a former player, knows the state's high school coaches and is a solid recruiter. He seems a good bet to remain on staff. Other coaches that have expressed an interest in returning include running backs coach Thomas Brown, special teams/tight ends coach Jeff Genyk and wide receivers coach Chris Beatty.
Q: Since the game, there has been no mention of names of the football coaching staff hired except for coordinators and for those who are taking other positions. Has the holdup to do with the administrative approval or wanting to announce them all at the same time? -- Stephen Arnold, Naples, Fla.
A: The state-mandated two-week application period for all assistant coaching jobs ended on Dec. 29. But Chryst certainly wasn't going to make any hiring announcements before Wisconsin played in its Jan. 1 Outback Bowl. Pitt then played its bowl game on Jan. 2, so this week makes the most sense for Chryst to conduct official interviews and begin to make hires. If it doesn't happen this week, expect an official announcement next week.
Q: A great win no doubt, but I can't help but wonder what could have been for the entire season if we had a competent QB. Considering UW's ability to run the ball, play action passes should be open all game long. I would think high school QBs would find this an attractive place. With little to no passing threat, teams were able to play at least eight in the box. Do all Badgers fans realize just how good MG is? Your thoughts? -- Bob, Denver
Q: Yes, Stave completed a couple of key passes at the end of the game, but what could this team be with a QB that completes over 60 percent on pass attempts? I know the Badgers run the ball a lot, but why can't we get a top-30 QB recruit to Wisconsin? Heck, Ohio State has three QBs that are better than any QB on the roster. Could Wisconsin be a perennial top-10 team with solid QB play? Any chance Gillins or Kafentzis could be the answer? -- Dave, Cincinnati
A: Here are a couple more questions concerning quarterback play. I've written about this before, but having a quarterback capable of completing 60 percent of his passes would make a huge difference, obviously. In Wisconsin's three losses this season, the quarterbacks combined to complete 37 of 96 passes (38.5 percent) with one touchdown and nine interceptions. That. Is. Terrible. In fact, I'm not sure how Division I quarterbacks could play much worse in those three games.
There likely isn't much that could've been done to prevent Ohio State from rolling over Wisconsin. But more consistent quarterback play likely would have led to wins against LSU and Northwestern. Then we're talking about a 12-0 regular season and a chance for something truly special. Other position groups have their faults as well, but issues at quarterback will always be magnified.
Wisconsin has actually done a better job of landing more highly regarded quarterbacks of late. According to Rivals.com, Bart Houston was ranked No. 12 at his position in his year, while D.J. Gillins was No. 10 and Austin Kafentzis No. 28. It's a matter of making sure those players develop enough and fit the Badgers' scheme once they're here. Gillins and Kafentzis very well could be the answer in the future. But expecting them to contribute next season likely is asking too much.
Q: Stave was horrendous. Consistently late throwing to open receivers and then throwing behind them. The lollipop lob interception was a jaw-dropper. Is this an indictment on Anderson's recruiting? Not able to have a QB to take the job from Stave and also not able to recruit any receivers? -- Dave, Madison, Wis.
Q: This game reinforced my belief that losing Gary Anderson was a good thing. Two years to find a QB and receivers and neither happened. Here's hoping Chryst is a much better recruiter. Your thoughts? -- Tim, Sun Prairie, Wis.
A: Andersen was here for only two seasons, and I don't believe that's enough time to be able to call his recruiting of quarterbacks poor. His staff signed Tanner McEvoy, who broke basically every quarterback single-season rushing record at Wisconsin this year. He was not a capable passer, but the staff never should have tried to make him a pocket passer at the start of the year. D.J. Gillins is so young that we won't know his potential for a few more years. Beyond that, Andersen also recruited Austin Kafentzis, who will arrive on campus in time for spring ball. Gillins and Kafentzis could prove to be excellent college quarterbacks, but it will take time to find an answer.
As for the receiver situation, well, you can certainly be upset the receivers didn't develop as much as initially hoped. But the staff was caught in a tough position because Chris Jones didn't qualify academically and Dareian Watkins left unexpectedly in the offseason. That left only three receivers out of five in the Class of 2014. George Rushing, Krenwick Sanders and Natrell Jamerson all have potential, but expecting them to emerge as a go-to threat in their first year was unrealistic. The bigger head scratcher was Rob Wheelwright, who caught only one pass in his sophomore year.
As far as how Andersen and Chryst compare as recruiters, Andersen and his staff actually did an excellent job in nabbing some talented players. Scout.com lists Wisconsin's Class of 2015 as the No. 21 class in the country. Only Ohio State and Penn State are better in the Big Ten. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is tied for No. 54. Wisconsin ranked 29 last season and Pitt 42.
Q: Do you think with the way Bo Ryan developed Frank Kaminsky that Henry Ellenson made a mistake not going to the Badgers? -- Carl, Rice Lake, Wis.
A: Every player has to do what's best for himself, and Ellenson believes Marquette will be the best fit. We don't really know how Golden Eagles coach Steve Wojciechowski will develop players because this is his first season as a Division I head coach. But if Ellenson is as good as everybody believes, he should be just fine.
There's no question Ryan and his coaching staff would have made Ellenson a better player, but so will Wojciechowski. Kaminsky isn't the first big man to play sparingly as an underclassmen and then flourish in Wisconsin's system as an upperclassman. But he just might be the best example. Wisconsin missed on Ellenson but will keep collecting talented players and turning them into winners.
Q: Which five players will start on the o-line next season? -- Luke Mather, Melbourne, Australia
Q: What's your guess on the five OL starters and three DL starters for the Alabama game next year? -- Andy, Chicago
A: Offensive line will be one of the biggest questions entering next season because the Badgers are losing three excellent players: left guard Dallas Lewallen, right guard Kyle Costigan and right tackle Rob Havenstein. That leaves left tackle Tyler Marz, the unquestioned leader of the group. Center Dan Voltz suffered a broken leg in the Outback Bowl, but he also will provide leadership and experience.
As for the other three spots? Much tougher to determine. Ray Ball could be in line to play at left guard. He slid in there and played in the Outback Bowl after Voltz sustained his injury, which forced Lewallen to move over from left guard to center. Maybe redshirt freshman Michael Deiter will emerge on the line as well. He was one of the pleasant surprises during practice, though he did not play. The fifth spot is completely up for grabs, and I couldn't tell you which guy will start. Hayden Biegel could take over for Havenstein at right tackle, but he needs to prove it in practice.
On the defensive line, Arthur Goldberg will definitely be in there. He filled in well when Warren Herring was injured and now has experience and confidence. Conor Sheehy played sparingly as well. And the 6 -3, 326-pound Jeremy Patterson could be ready to step in as well.
Q: Prediction for 2015 -- who will be second on the team in rushing attempts? -- Andy, Chicago
A: What a great question. The leader in rushing attempts, barring injury, will clearly be Corey Clement. But without a clear-cut backup as we stand in January, the answer is anybody's guess. Will Taiwan Deal or Caleb Kinlaw show enough to become the backup? Will Tanner McEvoy (who finished third in rushing attempts this season) still be used as a read-option quarterback in specific packages? Will Wisconsin even consider converted tailback Dare Ogunbowale, who was fourth in carries? Will incoming freshman Jordan Stevenson be so good that the Badgers have to play him immediately?
I'm just going to take a wild guess and go with Deal, who injured his right hand early in the season and wound up taking a redshirt year. Had he been healthy, Deal would've been Wisconsin's No. 3 tailback this year, likely taking all of Ogunbowale's carries. Deal, a 6-foot, 216-pounder, has a long way to go to impress running backs coach Thomas Brown with consistency, but he's a powerful runner who would seem to be needed next season.
Q: Corey Clement has looked great this year, and I think he'll be the next great Wisconsin running back. But who do you thinks his backup will be? -- Joe, Wisconsin
A: Since I think Taiwan Deal will wind up second on the team in rushing attempts next season, I'm going to pick him. Get back to me in August after I've had a chance to watch Jordan Stevenson once he's joined the team.
Q: What changes did BA install after GA left and why did he feel changes needed to be made? -- Jocko, Madison, Wis.
A: Here's what Barry Alvarez said after the Outback Bowl on what he did differently:
"I changed up a lot of things that had been done as far as weight workouts, conditioning, how physical we were at practice, how we practiced," Alvarez said. "Even going to a movie last night instead of what they normally do. Everything I changed, they bought into it. They felt like that could help them win. I asked them to buy in, follow my plan. We've won a few games, bowl games. So follow it. And they did."
The other thing Alvarez possesses is simply a cool, confident demeanor that makes players want to play hard for him. He had the respect of the players, who asked him to serve as interim coach. He told them he didn't coach games to lose. He provided some motivational speeches and generally did everything players hoped he would do.
Q: When can the Wisconsin sportswriters can dish their real feelings about GA? I found him to be a paranoid, small-time coach that could not handle being the face of a big-time program. And is the fact Andy Ludwig is taking a clear OC step down job at Vandy further proof that GA and his offense were a bad fit for Wisconsin? Thanks, and Barry is the best!!! -- Robert, Chicago
A: I've really got nothing bad to say about Gary Andersen as far as media interactions. He was respectful and answered questions politely, even if he wasn't the type of guy to open up off the field. Certainly, Andersen made some mistakes this season that irked the fan base -- and made life a little more difficult on sportswriters trying to discern the truth about what happened. His handling of the Melvin Gordon hip flexor situation in the season opener was poor. His handling of the Joel Stave "shoulder injury" situation was even worse. I think Andersen did come to understand that coaching decisions were much more magnified at Wisconsin as compared to Utah State. But let's be honest: Madison is not a major media market compared to many big cities, and the level at which Andersen seemed to be uncomfortable occasionally is surprising.
Having said that, I don't believe Andersen or his offensive philosophy was a bad fit for Wisconsin. The coaching staff did a poor job of trying to make Tanner McEvoy a drop-back passer, but there is clearly room for a running-style quarterback to thrive in the Big Ten. McEvoy did set several single-season rushing records for a Wisconsin quarterback in his limited time at the position.
And the idea that Andy Ludwig did not fit at Wisconsin is ridiculous. During his two seasons here, the Badgers averaged 34.8 points and 34.6 points per game. Only two seasons in the history of the program have been better. Ludwig still is leaving to be an offensive coordinator at an SEC program that he felt was the right fit. There aren't a ton of offensive coordinator jobs to go around, and Ludwig basically had a two- or three-week window to find something. Kudos to him for landing in a good spot.
Q: That was a great win, and I've never been more proud to be a Badger fan. I'm also very excited about the future, except for one position. Who do you think will win the quarterback job next year? I get that it's hard to throw a new, inexperienced QB into action against Alabama, but I don't think Stave gives us much of a chance to win. Is Gillins ready? Or could Bart Houston get his shot? Thanks. -- Ryan, Connecticut
A: I truly believe Joel Stave will be the man under center when Wisconsin opens the season against Alabama. He did not have a very good 2014 -- I think that's pretty obvious. But he'll also come into his senior season with 28 career starts, and he'll be playing for a head coach who knows his skill set perhaps better than anybody.
Q: Is there any chance Wisconsin will land Braxton Miller or Cardale Jones if one decides to transfer? -- Jason, Wisconsin
A: No, there is zero chance Wisconsin will land Braxton Miller or Cardale Jones if one decides to transfer. For starters, neither player would likely ever be interested in a program that hands the ball off to a running back on two out of every three plays. Florida State is the school that has been mentioned most in connection with Miller, though he has not even said whether he plans to transfer. Other schools throwing their hats in the ring include Oregon and LSU. I've heard nothing about Jones leaving, but don't expect either to land at Wisconsin.
Q: I get that Joel Stave is really bad. But he did make some clutch throws yesterday and this season. He has a good record as a starter and he's never had great receivers outside of Abbrederis. Are we being too hard on him? -- Quince, Kentucky
A: Sounds like we have a mailbag question from a fan offering to provide the voice of reason. Of course people are being too hard on Stave. That's the nature of playing quarterback for a major Division I program. The fact he threw more interceptions than touchdowns is not acceptable. But he'd be the first to tell you the same thing. And not having a pro like Abbrederis changed everything this season. Only one wide receiver caught more than 17 passes this season.
Stave's play during Wisconsin's seven-game winning streak should not go overlooked because he was a big reason for the turnaround -- something teammates and coaches readily admitted. During the three most significant regular-season games against Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota, he completed 29 of 45 passes (64.4 percent) for 400 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
I'm curious to know what Wisconsin fans believe to be reasonable expectations for Stave because it's not going to come anywhere close to what Russell Wilson achieved three seasons ago. Maybe the expectations are simply to have a 60 percent completion ratio and throw more touchdowns than interceptions. If so, that's exactly what Stave did in 2013 (61.1 percent completion rate with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions). The problem, however, is that even when Stave put up those numbers, they still weren't good enough for some fans.
Some people need to remember Stave was a walk-on quarterback who did not receive any college scholarship offers and was rated as the No. 111 quarterback in his class. His ceiling may not be as high as some other players, but he can be a darn good Big Ten quarterback. The fact this coaching staff picked Tanner McEvoy and ruined Stave's confidence certainly did not help this season.
Q: Any news as to Dave Aranda's future? -- Ryan J., Wisconsin
A: Barring a last-minute change nobody sees coming, Aranda is going to be Wisconsin's defensive coordinator next season. New coach Paul Chryst made it a priority to speak with Aranda and retain him, and that's a smart decision given what Aranda achieved in his first two seasons at Wisconsin. It was refreshing to hear Aranda's honesty about wanting to stay in Madison because his wife and kids really enjoyed living there. Aranda seems happy where he is, and that should make Badgers fans plenty happy, too.
Q: The Badgers' punting game was woeful this year. Are you aware of anybody on the roster or a recruit that can compete for the job this spring? -- Steven Blagoue, Fond Du Lac, Wis.
A: It's a real mystery as to why punter Drew Meyer's numbers have dropped each season since he averaged 41.5 yards per attempt as a redshirt freshman in 2012. Last year, he averaged 38.6 yards per punt, and this year he averaged 37.4 yards. But I'm not sure there's anybody waiting in the wings, so it looks as though it will be Meyer's job next season as a senior.
The only other punter on the roster this season was freshman P.J. Rosowski, so perhaps he could challenge Meyer. Rosowski, from Stoughton, Wis., averaged 41.3 yards on 39 punts as a senior, with four kicks over 50 yards a long of 67. But he'd have to boom it consistently to beat Meyer. One would think this coaching staff also would try to add a walk-on in the mix to see what he can do.
Q: Why do we always get news of changes in Packer front office and/or Badger coaches coming out nationally, and then from the Wisconsin media? I have seen reports out of Pittsburgh about what coaches are staying and which are going with Chryst to Wisconsin, but not reported in Wisconsin. Same with the Eliot Wolf promotion I saw on the national media and finally reported on Wisconsin media. Why? -- Tim, Virginia
A: I'm not sure what you've been reading, but the Wisconsin State Journal and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel have done a fine job of keeping Badgers fans appraised of the latest news regarding the assistant coaching search.
Q: Seems like I hear a lot about the young talent at WR (Wheelright, Peavy, Rushing, etc.) from the team and fans. We really need someone to step up next to Erickson. Your thoughts concerning the second WR for 2015? Do you expect one to emerge or will it be some kind of committee? Does the change to coach Chryst affect the depth chart? -- Mike, Lake Geneva
A: Well, somebody had better emerge or this offense is going to be pretty dreadful. Wisconsin does an excellent job of using tight ends and running backs to help relieve the wide receiver group, and I'd expect tight end Troy Fumagalli to take a huge step in catching passes. Corey Clement, who caught 14 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns, also could see more passes come his way.
As for the receivers, I'd put the 2-5 spots at some combination of Jordan Fredrick, Rob Wheelwright, Reggie Love and George Rushing. Fredrick will be a senior, and though he's primarily known for his blocking, he'll enter his final season having caught 40 career passes. Rushing could be a real standout and showed himself to be a notch above the other newcomers this season, while Wheelwright should want to prove himself after a disappointing sophomore campaign. Love, too, curiously disappeared as the season progressed. That group is capable of making enough plays as a committee to keep the passing game flowing reasonably well.
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