Wisconsin absolutely obliterated Rutgers 37-0 on Saturday to win its third consecutive game. And with one month remaining in the regular season, the Badgers are one of the favorites to capture the Big Ten West and play for a conference championship.
So, what's the big topic of discussion this week? Quarterbacks, of course. Why let a little thing like averaging 42.3 points per game in the past three contests get in the way of discussing the team's passing offense?
I'm just kidding -- slightly, at least. There's no question Wisconsin's lack of a consistent passing game could be seriously exposed against Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota. The question is: Can the Badgers excel in all other phases to mask that deficiency? It's worked for the past three weeks.
Anyway, let's get to the weekly mailbag, which also features some excellent non-quarterback questions (see superpower inquiry below). As always, thanks for your input. Look for a link to next week's mailbag following Wisconsin's game against Purdue on Saturday.
Question: They put Joel Stave in to throw and he runs. They put Tanner McEvoy in to run and he throws. Helter-skelter at best. I'm convinced that this is as talented a Badger team as we have seen in a long time and Dave Aranda is more than a rising star. But what tremendous frustration Gary Andersen and the entire staff must feel with these two frick and fracks behind center. I know you're going to say they are getting better, but McEvoy sure isn't and Stave isn't enough. -- B. Gailbreath, Madison, Wis.
Answer: All of your concerns are well founded because we simply haven't seen the growth necessary to make anyone feel confident in the passing game. Against Rutgers, Stave and McEvoy combined to complete only 40 percent of their pass attempts (8 of 20) for 87 yards. I don't care if you have some super-human combination of Barry Sanders, Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith at running back. You need a better passing offense than that to beat really good teams.
Stave's lack of accuracy this season is somewhat alarming. He's connecting on only 48.4 percent of passes. A year ago, he hit on 61.9 percent of passes and actually entered this season ranked fourth in program history for career completion percentage (61.1). Part of it can be attributed to not having enough quality receivers. Part can be attributed to him missing more than a month of football while dealing with confidence issues. But those problems can only be used as excuses for so long.
McEvoy, meanwhile, just hasn't shown any improvement as a passer. And if he has, it seems so miniscule on game days that it's hard to pinpoint it. Against Rutgers, he completed 1 of 4 passes, and all three of his misses were brutal. He overthrew receiver Alex Erickson on a sure touchdown pass. He overthrew tight end Sam Arneson across the middle, and he later threw an interception.
Is it frustrating for the coaching staff? You bet. But the Badgers have no choice now other than to ride out the storm with these guys and hope to see them make some strides in November.
Gary Andersen, for what it's worth, said he still had confidence in his quarterbacks to hit receivers. Then again, what else is he supposed to say?
"When the ball goes up in the air, and I see a guy running wide open down the field, I'm feeling pretty good that we're going to get in the right spot to be able to catch it," Andersen said. "Sometimes it's worked out, sometimes it hasn't."
Q: Given how bad Stave and McEvoy are, why can't Bart Houston break into the starting lineup:? He was supposed to be an Elite 11 QB who could make all the throws. Offense can't be that hard to learn when the Badgers run the ball so much. -- Bill Heuer, Virginia
Q: How bad a quarterback is Bart Houston? He had high ratings coming out of high school. But now he can't beat out the quarterbacks ahead of him. -- Paul, Waukesha, Wis.
Q: It's become clear that Gary Andersen and Andy Ludwig don't consider Bart Houston a viable option at QB, no matter how poorly Stave and McEvoy play (though Andersen is willing to use him as a punter!). Given Houston's status as a four-star recruit out of high school, his superior arm strength, and the fact that he's been in the program for three years, can you offer any explanation? -- Tom, Minneapolis, Minn.
A: The calls for third-string quarterback Bart Houston to play have only intensified this season, but the likelihood of seeing him start is slim to none. This coaching staff believed Stave and McEvoy both were better than Houston based on everything they saw in practice, so that obviously leaves Houston at a disadvantage.
My belief is that Houston simply has encountered being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was recruited by a different coaching staff, and his skill set is similar to that of Stave. The problem for Houston is Stave has started 22 games and has so much game experience that coaches would find it difficult to insert Houston to do much of the same thing. McEvoy, meanwhile, presents a running dynamic that neither Stave nor Houston possess.
I completely understand fans wanting to see Houston out there. Surely, the guy could complete more than half his passes, right? But coaches believe his presence would not mean marked improvement, so they're going to stick with the two players they think will give them the best chance to win. Houston very well could've been a high-level college quarterback at several programs. But it just isn't going to happen at Wisconsin.
Q: Random thoughts: Do Wisconsin fans get a new offensive coordinator after the season? Why did Wisconsin insert a running quarterback to have him throw on consecutive downs during the Rutgers game? How does Wisconsin fix its quarterback problem? How bad were the announcers for the Rutgers game? Did anyone else think that they would rather be anywhere else than announcing that game? -- G. Zimpanti, Austin, Texas
A: Those are a lot of questions, but I'll try and answer them as best I can. No, Wisconsin will not get a new offensive coordinator after the season unless Andy Ludwig finds a different job. It's easy to complain about the quarterback situation, but Ludwig is doing the best he can to try and maximize the talents of each player -- and minimize their deficiencies. Keep in mind that Wisconsin still has the No. 1 rushing offense in the Big Ten (No. 2 in the country) and ranks fourth in the conference in scoring offense. This season still will go down as one of the best in program history for points per game.
The quarterback issues have been addressed above. As for the announcers? I didn't really mind them, although Brian Griese did point out how Joel Stave "made plays" during the Rose Bowl while forgetting the fact Stave actually threw only one pass that game. If I were a Badgers fan, I'd rather live with an announcer making mistakes than the players on the field.
Q: Is Warren Herring's return the key to that salty run defense the last two weeks? Something else? -- Parker Gabriel, via Twitter
A: It's extremely difficult to measure the impact of a guy that has amassed one tackle during the two-game stretch since his return. Herring is a big dude who knows how to occupy space and draw double teams, which helps players around him to make tackles. Certainly, his presence has helped, but I wouldn't put the defense's improvement solely on him.
In some respects, Marcus Trotter's return from a hamstring injury has been even more critical to the defense's performance. Trotter is such an intelligent player, and he has 10 tackles in the last two games with three tackles for a loss, two sacks and an interception.
What makes the defense so good, though, is that contributions are coming from everywhere. Defensive coordinator Dave Aranda is "a mastermind," according to safety Michael Caputo, and each player out there is pulling his weight. The 3-4 defense is causing havoc on quarterbacks, and players are playing sound, fundamental football. Add it up, and it's a thing of beauty.
Q: Which freshman receiver has pushed for more playing time? -- Michael Wrench, via Twitter
A: All three have done a nice job this season in smaller roles, but George Rushing seems to be coming on strong in the second half of the season. He caught two passes on Saturday for 32 yards, which led the Badgers in receiving. This season, he's caught four passes for 55 yards.
Krenwick Sanders deserves credit for hanging in there this season, as well. He finally caught his first career pass against Rutgers, which went for 10 yards. Natrell Jamerson has one rush for 23 yards but is still looking for his first catch.
The production level isn't where Badgers fans had hoped, but the future seems bright with these three players in the mix at receiver for the next three seasons.
Q: What do you make of the increasing roles of the freshmen wide receivers in the offense? And does it appear to be an outgrowth of their understanding of the offense or more coaches looking for answers with Love, Wheelwright and Co. not making significant contributions? -- Rich, Wilton, Ct.
A: It's a product of both those things. For starters, the playbooks at Wisconsin are much bigger than they are in high school -- if those schools really have playbooks at all. A lot of receivers are talented enough to simply run down the field and out-leap any defensive back in high school. No intricate play calls necessary. George Rushing, Krenwick Sanders and Natrell Jamerson all have seen their packages increase this season, and receivers coach Chris Beatty likes what he's seen from them.
And to the second part of your question, somebody's got to catch passes out there. And if it's not going to be Reggie Love (two catches for 15 yards) or Rob Wheelwright (zero catches), why not give the freshmen a try? Rushing and Sanders both caught passes against Rutgers, which is great for their confidence and the faith coaches will have in them as the season progresses.
Q: How long do you think we can keep Dave Aranda from taking a NFL defensive coordinator or a college head-coaching job? Will UW pony up to pay the man a much deserved salary bump? -- Rudi, Madison, Wis.
A: I'm not sure a salary raise would do much to prevent Aranda from leaving for a better coaching position. When he came to Wisconsin less than two years ago, his salary was listed at $480,000. That's a huge step up at Wisconsin because the previous defensive coordinator, Chris Ash, was making $265,000. In 2011, Aranda's base salary as defensive coordinator at Hawaii was $130,000, so he's definitely been quickly climbing the ladder.
The more Wisconsin's defense excels, the more likely it is that Aranda's name will come up for NFL defensive coordinator jobs or college head-coaching jobs. If the timing is right and the situation fits, Aranda would probably be wise to accept an offer elsewhere. Wisconsin is a great football program, but most big-time coordinators ultimately want to become a coach. Aranda is only 38 years old, and it seems only a matter of time before another football program plucks him. So enjoy him while you can.
Q: Hard to imagine how good this team would be if we ever could get above average QB play. Do you think we could be a playoff team this year with the defense and running game we have, and a QB that had a 60 percent completion rate? -- Dave, Cincinnati, Ohio
A: This is a question that surely will haunt Wisconsin fans if the Badgers win the rest of their regular-season games on the strength of an incredible rushing offense and all-around defense. The short answer probably is yes. I mean, let's assume Wisconsin finishes the regular season 10-2 with a four-point loss to LSU and a six-point loss to Northwestern.
In those two games, quarterback play could not have been much worse. Against LSU, Tanner McEvoy completed 8 of 24 passes (33.3 percent) for 50 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Against Northwestern, McEvoy and Joel Stave completed 12 of 29 passes (41.3 percent) for 138 yards with one touchdown and four interceptions. Add those games up, and we're looking at Wisconsin completing 20 of 53 passes (37.7 percent).
It's important to note that having a quarterback complete 60 percent of his passes is predicated on having players able to catch those passes -- including the ability to create space on defenders, catch in traffic and more. So there are more factors at play. But we all know this is the most significant facet holding Wisconsin back this season. And it's a biggie.
Q: When will Tanner McEvoy learn how to throw the deep ... just kidding. If you could have one superpower, what would it be? I am pretty confident my hand of "teleportation" cannot be beat. What is your hand? You're welcome for this non-QB question. -- Jon, Chicago, Ill.
A: Jon from Chicago, I salute you for the best question of the season. There are so many directions this answer could go, but then I have to ask: Is X-ray vision really that cool? Wouldn't I be really cold if I could fly, but it was still winter in Wisconsin? A cloak of invisibility sounds promising, but that seems like a pretty lonely endeavor. Telepathy is impressive, but who wants to deal with the mess of other peoples' innermost secrets?
I'm kind of partial to Quicksilver from X-Men. It once was said that baseball player Cool Papa Bell was so fast he could turn off the light and be under the covers before the room got dark. Quicksilver really could do that.
But after giving this serious consideration (as you can see), I think I'm with you. Teleportation is pretty awesome. I'd love to have a time machine to visit different eras -- and to see what it would have been like to be a sportswriter in the first half of the 20th century. But you could do it all with teleportation.
Beam me up, Scotty!
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