Welcome back to another edition of the mailbag. Wisconsin is coming off a 38-28 victory against Illinois, and that can only mean the questions did not come in as fast and as furious. Fans tend to be far more concerned when the Badgers lose, obviously.
That's OK, though. We've still got some good questions to address as Wisconsin prepares for its second and final bye week of the regular season. We discuss running back Melvin Gordon, wide receiver deep threats (or lack thereof), 11 a.m. kickoffs, bowl projections and more.
Thanks to all for submitting questions this week. We'll be off next week since the Badgers don't play on Saturday. But look for a link to the next mailbag on Saturday, Oct. 25, following Wisconsin's home game against Maryland.
Let's get to the questions.
Q: Any idea why the Gordon/Clement (either can catch a pass) tandem backfield didn't see much time together in the game? -- Jim Graves, Albany, Wis.
A: Gary Andersen said a couple weeks ago that Wisconsin could use more of the Gordon-Clement combination as the season progresses. But you're right: We didn't see much of the two on the field at the same time against Illinois. It's a nice little wrinkle that forces defenses to pay attention to two talented running backs for sure.
Clement has been used in certain scenarios as the fly sweep guy taking the handoff after lining up out wide. But most of those handoffs lately have gone to various speedy wide receivers.
To be honest, it's hard to fault the coaches for the way they've gotten the ball to Gordon and Clement. I mean, Gordon is likely going to be a Heisman Trophy finalist. And Clement just rushed for a career-high 164 yards. That's pretty darn good.
Q: How badly does Melvin Gordon regret his decision to stay at Wisconsin? The quarterbacks are terrible, the wide receivers are non-existent! And the defense looks average at best. And the coaches seem unable or incapable of making an in-game change to the game plan (i.e. adjusting to Illinois quarterback Aaron Bailey, who Wisconsin had no idea of how to stop. Thank God the clock was against the Illni or they would have won that game. -- G. Zampanti, Austin, Tex.
A: I don't think Melvin has spent much time regretting his decision to stay at Wisconsin, actually. He told me this summer that, around the time of the NFL Draft, he thought plenty about whether he made the right choice. He was seeing a bunch of names of players he probably thought he was better than, and he couldn't help but think about where he'd be drafted. Since then, however, he's been all business.
Melvin said he came back to help Wisconsin reach new heights (like winning a national championship), and that isn't going to happen. But individually, he is accomplishing everything he set forth for himself. He has become a better blocker and a better pass catcher. And he is in the running to be a Heisman Trophy finalist as one of the top tailbacks in the country. Plus, he gets to enjoy another year of being the big man on campus.
Two losses surely don't make Melvin happy. But the rest has played out as well as he could have expected.
Q: Gee...we're 10 points better than Illinois. Are the Badgers improving? -- B. Gailbreath, Madison, Wis.
A: I certainly don't think the Badgers are getting worse. So my answer would be, yes, they are improving.
Offensively, we already know Wisconsin possesses one of the best rushing offenses in the country (No. 1 right now at 343.0 yards rushing per game). The passing offense is the biggest problem, but I believe the issues come, in part, because the coaching staff mismanaged the situation with Tanner McEvoy, who was never a pocket passer. Now that Stave is the starter, he'll only get better (consider that he spent more than a month getting few or no live reps).
It also was encouraging to see how well the offensive line played on Saturday against Illinois. Stave said he didn't think he was hit one time, and right tackle Rob Havenstein seemed pleased with the line's ability to keep the quarterbacks clean and upright.
On defense, there are some areas to improve. When Bailey entered the game, Illinois essentially began running a completely different option-style offense. That took some time for the defense to find its rhythm. Yes, Illinois scored 14 unanswered points, but that doesn't mean Wisconsin hasn't improved. The Badgers played that game without two of their starting front seven (nose guard Warren Herring and inside linebacker Marcus Trotter). And they lost starting inside linebacker Derek Landisch for about a quarter, as well. That's a tough situation for any team.
Q: I was at Saturday's game. Stave's two deep passes were catchable. Is Erickson the only deep threat? What happened to Reggie Love and those two freshmen that were recruited? -- Mark, Milwaukee, Wis.
A: So far, Erickson is the main target among the team's wide receivers. Erickson has 27 catches for 319 yards with a touchdown. No other wide receiver has more than six catches (Kenzel Doe). And all other receivers not named Erickson have combined for just 11 catches for 97 yards and one touchdown this season.
The problem is that, while Erickson is a solid possessor of the ball, his route running isn't nearly as good as Jared Abbrederis from a year ago, so he is no lock to be able to come down with those deep passes. Stave's biggest asset, it seems, is actually tight end Sam Arneson, who has proven to be an extremely reliable pass catcher in third-down situations.
As for Reggie Love, his situation is curious. He ran for that 45-yard touchdown against LSU and caught one pass for two yards. But since then, he has been a non-factor. He did drop what would have been a 67-yard touchdown against Western Illinois back on Sept. 6. But one play shouldn't keep coaches from re-inserting him into the game. It sounds as though performing in practice is part of the issue -- which is the same issue for the team's freshmen.
Of the three freshmen wide receivers, only George Rushing has caught a pass. But Natrell Jamerson finally made a big play against Illinois when he rushed for 23 yards on a jet sweep play. Krenwick Sanders, meanwhile, has yet to record any stats. Still, all three should be significant contributors as their careers progress.
Q: Why do we always have an 11 a.m. kickoff? Who decides? Is the school asking for these for some reason or are the Badgers perceived to be so bad that no one wants to watch us? -- Rudi, Madison, Wis.
A: School officials have nothing to do with start times for games. The times either come from the league or from the national TV networks that decide when to air certain games. Wisconsin's first five home games this season have been or will be 11 a.m. kickoffs. But if we step back and examine the matchups, it makes perfect sense. Games against Western Illinois, Bowling Green, South Florida, Illinois and Maryland don't exactly stir the masses to tune in. More intriguing games get the 2:30 p.m. or primetime slots.
I'd expect Wisconsin's final two home games against Nebraska and Minnesota to hold much more interest. Perhaps then we'll see a start time other than 11 a.m.
Q: At 4-2, what is the realistic expectation for Wisconsin's record this year and bowl game? -- Jerry, Phoenix, Ariz.
A: The loss to Northwestern really throws most preseason predictions for Wisconsin into question. Because if the Badgers can lose to the Wildcats, then is there really a sure thing on the road for Wisconsin at all this season? Two weeks ago, I had assumed a victory at Rutgers was a near gimmie. My preseason prediction had Wisconsin going 7-1 in Big Ten play, with the lone loss coming on the road to Iowa. But there are a few games out there the Badgers could lose -- even if they'll likely be favored in all of them. Home games against Nebraska and a very good Minnesota team could be tough.
At its very best, I could still see Wisconsin finding a way to run the table and finish 7-1 in the Big Ten. Yet I can also see the Badgers faltering a few more times and finishing 5-3 or 4-4 in the conference, with losses to Rutgers and Iowa and possibly Nebraska or Minnesota.
Obviously, that leaves a lot of room for various bowl games. Right now, BTN.com's Tom Dienhart has Wisconsin playing in the Holiday Bowl against Arizona. He has Wisconsin below Michigan State (Sugar Bowl), Ohio State (Capital One Bowl) and Nebraska (Outback Bowl).
ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg, meanwhile, projects Wisconsin to play in the TaxSlayer Bowl, which would put the Badgers behind Michigan State, Ohio State, Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa. For what it's worth, members of the TaxSlayer Bowl were present at Wisconsin's game this past Saturday against Illinois. And I can guarantee the Badgers' presence in such a bowl would hardly inspire much excitement from fans.
Given that Wisconsin still has games against Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa, a lot of these projections can change.
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