Gameday (Akron) - Saturday, September 10, 2016 - The Daily Cardinal

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Wisconsin vs. Akron

Going camping: Badgers return home vs. Akron

Inside: A position-byposition breakdown of UW

Under center: Back to ground Secondary: experience and and pound for untested and youth, pg. 2 UW, pg. 4 young, pg. 6 Kaitlyn veto/the daily cardinal

“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”

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Quarterbacks

Badgers look for consistency at QB Veteran: Bart Houston

By David Gwidt THE DAILY CARDINAL

With four-year starter Joel Stave departing Wisconsin to pursue a career in the NFL, head coach Paul Chryst and the rest of his staff ventured into the offseason intent on finding the right man to seize the starting quarterback job. After a closely contest-

ed position battle, which carried all the way into August, the team officially named Bart Houston as the starter against LSU, sliding Alex Hornibrook over to a spot on the second team. To paint a better picture of how Wisconsin stands at the quarterback position, here is an examination of both players.

JESSI SCHOVILLE/DAILY CARDINAL

Bart Houston won a lenghty position battle with a strong fall camp.

Youth: Alex Hornibrook

If anyone wants an explanation for why the quarterback controversy dragged on until the final days of camp, they need not look any further than the play of redshirt freshman Alex Hornibrook.

Hornibrook, a 6-foot-4, 219-pound southpaw from Pennsylvania, worked his way into the starting quarterback race after a strong finish to the spring season, performing especially well in April. As an early enrollee, Hornibrook hasn’t played in an actual game since the fall of 2014, his senior year of high school, but his fitful flashes of talent over the course of the preseason continued to turn heads nonetheless.

One of his best performances took shape in a spring game in late April, where Hornibrook

showcased his ability to throw the homerun. He connected on a number of long-range passes, three of which went for 35 yards or more. However, the momentum that Hornibook gained from the latter part of spring season didn’t translate into summer camp, where Houston outperformed him and ultimately won the starting job. While Houston may have the more powerful arm of the two, Hornibrook bests his counterpart in overall athletic ability, where he can use his agility to attack an opposing defense. Although Hornibrook will sit on the sidelines for likely the entirety of the upcoming season, his valiant efforts this offseason certainly lend an encouraging glimpse into the future.

After spending the past three seasons slotted into the reserve role, fifth-year senior Bart Houston will take a long-awaited turn at lining up under center with the first-team offense.

A four-star recruit from California, Houston was regarded as a top 10 quarterback prospect when he committed to Wisconsin in 2012, but most opportunity to earn playing time has been stymied by the presence of Joel Stave at the top of the Badgers’ depth chart. Although Houston has never made a collegiate start before, the newly crowned starter has seen limited action in portions of 15 games during his time at Wisconsin. He mostly worked in mop-up duty in blowout games or in cases of injury to the starter.

His most extensive outing came in a relief appearance of

Stave, who suffered an injury last October at Illinois. Amidst hostile territory on the road, Houston led the Badgers to victory, completing 22 of 33 passes for 232 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions.

Probably the most striking positive attribute of Houston’s skillset that we saw in that game, and have continued to observe over summer, is his robust arm strength, a quality which allows him to sling the football into small openings and pick tightly covered areas apart.

While his arm is indeed quite strong, his accuracy isn’t always equally as sharp or consistent. At times during camp, he frequently struggled making relatively simple passes that have no excuse to fall incomplete. Errant throws and poor decision making also cost Houston in his appearance

in Illinois, where poorly placed passes and lapses in judgement culminated in two turnovers, a statistic which could have probably been higher if a few more ill-advised pass attempts fell into the wrong hands.

Whatever Badger fans may say about Stave, his reputation as a quality Big Ten quarterback was born out of his sustained dependability as a poised game manager and a winner. Every now and again, he would have a game where nothing was working, but for the most part, he was smart with the football and kept his teams in games by staying out of potentially troublesome situations. Houston has the physical gifts to succeed, but he will have to take after his predecessor and cut down on poor choices in order to make a positive impact under center.

Bart Houston Entering 2016 Games Played: 15 Games Started: 0 Interceptions: 2

Yards: 295 Touchdowns: 4 First Game: 2013

Completion Percentage: 29 of 51 for 57%

DRIVE BADGERS WILD (and support scholarships, too)

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Alex Hornibrook will be waiting in the wings on the sideline.

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Linebackers

Wisconsin’s Linebackers serve as strength of defense in 2016

Week 2 Games to watch Arkansas vs.

TCU

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Iowa State vs.

Iowa

Wisconsin’s linebacker corps will be the centerpiece for a unit coached by first-year defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox.

By Ben Pickman THE DAILY CARDINAL

While major roster turnover has left the Wisconsin Badgers with questions at multiple key positions, one position in which the Badgers seem to have a surplus of aboveaverage talent is linebacker.

With Big Ten Linebacker of the Year and first-team AllAmerican Joe Schobert’s departure to the NFL, redshirt sophomore T.J. Watt and senior Vince Biegel become the focal point of the outside corps.

Biegel opted to stay in Madison for his senior season instead of leaving early for the NFL, even after being a consensus third-team All-Big Ten Conference selection last year.

Last season, Biegel played a large role in UW’s No. 1 scoring defense with 66 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and eight quarterback sacks. The TFL’s and sacks were second on the team to Schobert, Biegel’s tag-team partner on the outside. But with Schobert now in the NFL, Biegel will become more of a focus for opposing teams.

Filling the outside linebacker void left by Schobert will

be T.J. Watt. Watt, the youngest brother of the best defensive football player in the NFL, J.J. Watt, certainly has the potential to become an elite defensive player at UW. Watt’s physicality at the point of attack is one of his strengths. He is 6-foot-5 and 243 pounds. Schobert, by comparison, was a mere 6-2 and 236 pounds. Throughout both spring and preseason practice, Watt and Biegel have become pretty much inseparable, constantly working with one another at practice to try and make the other better.

On the inside, the Badgers for now will be led by Holiday Bowl-Game hero Jack Cichy, as well as Chris Orr. Only one of these players is in the permanent starting lineup however, as the Badgers await the return of sophomore T.J. Edwards, who missed all of fall camp with a left foot fracture. Last season, Edwards started all 13 games at inside linebacker for the Badgers and led the team with 84 tackles.

A stellar first season in Madison saw Edwards get awarded with both Freshman All-American and Big Ten All-Freshman

honors. Early injury concerns, though, seem to present a question about whether Edwards will be able to produce at such a level.

Orr is likely the guy to replace him. That’s not necessarily a negative though, as the sophomore from DeSoto, Texas had six starts at inside linebacker last season. Orr logged a career-high 14 tackles, including 11 solo stops in only his third career game last year against Troy. Orr is the smallest linebacker of the group and was actually the least productive of the aforementioned trio as the season progressed last year. He is likely the guy to move to the bench when Edwards does return from his foot injury.

Junior Jack Cichy famously logged sacks on three consecutive plays in the second half of the Badgers’ win over USC in the 2015 Holiday Bowl en route to Defensive MVP Honors. His standout performance to close the season capped off an impactful first year for Cichy in which he played in all 13 games with four starts. Cichy finished last season with 60 tackles to rank fifth on the team. His eight tack-

les for loss and five sacks were also good enough for third among all UW players. Orr and Cichy seemed to have complementary scripts last season as Orr was by far the more productive player during the first half of the season, while Cichy was one of the best Badger defenders during the last half of the season.

Behind UW’s core five linebackers though is a group of unknowns. Freshman Zack Baun has potential at the outside linebacker spot, but it is unclear if he will be able to make a meaningful impact if either Biegel or Watt go down. Sophomore Ryan Connelly seems to be the fourth inside linebacker on the roster and will likely see some action early in the season as Edwards begins to return to the fold, but he too is rather unproven.

While some major roster turnover means Wisconsin’s defense might not be able to live up to its No. 2 ranking in total defense under former defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, the 2016 defense still looks poised to be an elite group nationally.

Its production all starts with its stellar linebackers.

Virginia vs.

Oregon Penn State vs.

Pittsburgh Virgina Tech vs.

Tennessee Texas Tech vs.

Arizona State

JESSI SCHOVILLE/DAILY CARDINAL

Vince Biegel figures to be the star of the Badger defense.

KAITLYN VETO/DAILY CARDINAL

Jack Cichy came up huge for Wisconsin at the end of the year.

UNLV vs.

UCLA BOBBY BURMEISTER/DAILY CARDINAL

Chris Orr has big shoes to fill to replace stud T.J. Edwards.

JESSI SCHOVILLE/DAILY CARDINAL

T.J. Watt will look to follow in his brother’s footsteps this year.

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Running Backs

Healthy Clement seeking retribution

By Jessi Schoville The Daily Cardinal

The running back position is arguably the most prestigious position at the University of Wisconsin, and this year’s group looks as promising as ever. The Badgers are currently sitting three-deep at both halfback and fullback, yet the talent extends even further down the depth chart.

Brandon moe/daily cardinal

Corey Clement is the undisputed workhorse of the Badger backfield this season. After a disappointing season in which Clement was hampered by injury and off the field issues, it appears the senior running back has a renewed sense of self and an improved approach on and off the field. Coaches, as well as teammates, have praised Clement in recent weeks stating he

has grown and matured through last season’s adversity.

“He was faced with a situation where he had high hopes and aspirations of having a big time season, and then the injury came and it all just kind of snowballed out of control on him,” Clement’s position coach, John Settle said.

“He realizes now it’s not all about him and he’s become a part of the team and part of the group as far as our running back classroom goes.”

Having Clement return to the fray brings premier status back to the Badgers’ backfield.

Though the depth chart beneath him is indeed substantially deep, Clement has the “x-factor” that only certain backs possess. He can make an unblocked defender miss, is a viable passing threat and at 227 pounds on just a 5-foot-11 frame, you don’t want to be on an island trying to bring him down solo.

The next man up in rotation this season is said to be Taiwan Deal. Deal unseated Dare Ogunbowale during fall camp after being challenged by Settle. Settle, who arrived just last season, said his first impression of Deal was that he wasn’t mentally tough.

“I challenged him and he stepped up,” Settle said. “He’s shown the ability to come out

and prepare day in and day out.

Now we have to get him to the dance and see how he performs for us.”

Gage meyer/daily cardinal

Settle’s words are backed-up by his recent decision to put Deal above Ogunbowale on the depth chart, but don’t worry if you’re a fan of Ogunbowale. The Badger’s offensive captain will still see a lot of time in rotation.

Settle insisted he is still very much a part of the Badgers’ offensive game plan.

“You will see him on third down. He handles all our pass protections and he’s a great route runner. But, that being said, don’t be surprised if you see him in on first or second down because he can really do it all.”

Clearing the holes for that talented group of halfbacks

and taking on their own offensive roles, the fullback spot has become a profound position at Wisconsin. Following in the footsteps of Derek Watt, the torch has been passed to the talented but diverse trio of Alec Ingold, Austin Ramesh and Leon Jacobs.

Ingold, a Green Bay native, has solidified himself as the first fullback in that rotation, but he’s aware of the sharks beneath him.

“We’re all making each other a lot better,” Ingold said when asked about the competition at the position.

“From spring to now I can tell I’ve been making a lot of strides along with everyone else who is playing that position. We are all playing a lot better and it’s really competitive every practice.”

Ingold secured the position due to consistency and his capacity to be a threat out of the backfield and not just a lead blocker. You can expect to see him on nearly any down and doing any number of different things. He has shown the ability to carry the ball and contribute in the passing game in addition to being able to block both on the interior and edge of the offense. This complete package is something the Badgers have been desperately missing.

However, you can still expect to see Ramesh and Jacobs inter-

changed regularly to relieve Ingold in stretches. Both are more than capable of carrying the load at the fullback position and have their own unique skillset. Ramesh, who is second on the depth chart, is more similar to Ingold, but Jacobs is the real bruiser of the group.

Gage Meyer/daily Cardinal

Coming up in the ranks is some real talent so don’t be too sad about this being Clement’s last year.

Keep an ear to the ground and an eye on the sky for Pittsburgh transfer Chris James and redshirt freshman Bradrick Shaw.

RB Depth Chart: Corey Clement Taiwan Deal Dare Ogunbowale

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Wide Recievers and Tight Ends

Wheelwright highlights deep group

By Thomas Valtin-Erwin The Daily Cardinnal

Wide Receivers The Starters Robert Wheelwright After recording just three catches for 26 yards in his freshman and sophomore seasons, Wheelwright was thrust into a feature role in the Badgers’ offense last year. With Melvin Gordon gone and Corey Clement often injured, UW was forced to turn to the passing game more often than it would have liked.

Wheelwright looked great at the start of the season: sticky

hands, long arms, the works.

But against Illinois in late October, he suffered a broken fibula and nearly missed the rest of the season, barely making it back onto the field for the Badgers’ bowl game against the University of Southern California. Now fully healthy, Wheelwright is expected to have a big impact on the UW offense and play a key role downfield.

Jazz Peavy As his name would suggest, Peavy is one of the smoother members of the Badgers’ offense.

Tight routes and quick cuts have allowed him to work his way onto the field as a starting wide receiver this year following the departure of Alex Erickson.

In a backup role last season, Peavy solidified himself as a solid contributor with 20 catches for 268 yards. Those numbers might have been a little higher, too, had he not fallen victim

to the “Calvin Johnson rule” in Wisconsin’s homecoming game against Northwestern in 2015.

Peavy made the game-winning catch with just over 20 seconds remaining, but after much deliberation, the officials overturned the call and wiped the play from the record books.

Now a starter, he’ll play a huge role on third down situations and in the flat, where he thrives. Peavy also projects to be the team’s punt returner.

Gage Meyer/Daily Cardinal

Tight Ends Troy Fumagali The Badgers’ two-headed monster of Fumagalli and Austin Traylor was a huge asset last season until Traylor broke his arm and remained injured for the majority of the year.

Fumagalli stepped up big-time

to fill that void, and the players and coaches are confident that he can be their guy in 2016.

Although most passes last year went the way of Erickson, Fumagalli managed a respectable 28 catches and 313 yards.

Tight ends have played an integral role in Wisconsin’s offense over the past decade, and in order to find success with a new and inexperienced quarterback, it will need Fumagalli to continue that tradition.

Gage Meyer/Daily Cardinal

The Reserves Reggie Love Love’s biggest play in his fouryear career with the Badgers was a 45-yard end-around touchdown to open the scoring against LSU in 2014. He has rare speed, but isn’t an especially consistent

receiver.

He’ll likely stay in his role as a change-of-pace player, taking the occasional handoff on the outside to try to catch the defense sleeping.

Brandon Moe/Daily Cardinal

Eric Steffes In four years with the Badgers, Steffes has recorded just three catches for 50 yards.

He is a student of the game, however, and knows the Wisconsin offense like the back of his hand.

That knowledge should help him prepare for the limelight should Fumagalli go down.

Brandon Moe/Daily Cardinal

George Rushing Rushing fell off the Badgers’ radar almost entirely last year, recording just one reception for 10 yards. With two years of experience with the team under his belt, his

veteran leadership will be beneficial to the young crop of receivers the Badgers now have on the team. His effect on the field, however, could possibly be minimal.

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Defensive Backs and Specialists

Shelton looks to lead young defensive backs

By Lorin Cox THE DAILY CARDINAL

No position group under went more turnover than the Wisconsin secondary this offseason as Darius Hillary, Tanner McEvoy and Michael Caputo all went off to chase their NFL dreams. Replacing three starters is never an easy task, but the Badgers had the fortune of being able to work their younger defensive backs into the rotation last season as injuries and late-game situations dictated it.

Sojourn Shelton is the only returning starter, taking over the leadership role from the cornerback position.

This will be the senior’s fourth year as a starter, and he has had a lot of time to learn and grow on and off the field.

“Last year, we’d look to [Darius] Hillary and [Michael] Caputo to

take over when it’s time to lock in. They’d be the ones to step up and say we need to tighten up,” junior cornerback Derrick Tindal said.

“Now that’s Sojourn’s job, and he’s doing a great job of replacing them.”

Tindal earned the opportunity to start opposite Shelton after spending last season third on the depth chart.

He showed the ability to play both outside and in the slot, allowing his defense to show opposing offenses different looks as he and Hillary rotated spots in nickel packages.

That versatility opens up more opportunities for new defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, allowing him to get other cornerbacks involved while simply moving Tindal to wherever he is needed. It’s players like Tindal that make it easier to develop younger players for the

future, the way Hillary allowed players like Tindal to gain experience last year.

On the back end, redshirt senior Leo Musso takes over at free safety in McEvoy’s place. The 5-foot-10 defensive back started a pair of games last season including the season opener against Alabama, and he intercepted two passes against Miami of Ohio in the following game.

What Musso lacks in size, he makes up for with range and ball skills, making him a strong fit in Wilcox’s defense that is schematically similar to former defensive coordinator Dave Aranda’s.

That defense features a safety frequently alone in deep coverage in the middle of the field.

Junior D’Cota Dixon has the task of replacing Caputo in this defense,

the jack-of-all-trades, at strong safety. A converted linebacker, he has a great physical skillset to play all over this defense much like his predecessor, lining up in the box, in the slot or deep on the back end.

Also 5-foot-10, Dixon doesn’t add much size to the Wisconsin secondary like Musso, but they both are lucky to be coached by one of the NFL’s great former undersized safeties, Jim Leonhard, who is the new Badgers’ secondary coach.

If anyone can get the most out of this smaller defensive back group, it’s Leonhard, who made a career out of it, spending 10 years at the pro level after his four years at Wisconsin.

He’s back at his alma mater, coaching up a group of players that may remind him of his own college days.

BRANDON MOE/DAILY CARDINAL

Derrick Tindal will play a prominant role as Shelton’s counterpart.

KAITLYN VETO/DAILY CARDINAL

Statistics in 2015 Sojourn Shelton Games Started: 13 Games Played: 13 Interceptions: 1 Pass Breakups: 7 Total Tackles: 29

Leo Musso Games Started: 2 Games Played: 13 Interceptions: 2 Pass Breakups: 1 Total Tackles: 8

Derrick Tindal Games Started: 4 Games Played: 12 Interceptions: 0 Pass Breakups: 5 Total Tackles: 32

D’Cota Dixon Games Started: o Games Played: 13 Interceptions: 0 Pass Breakups: 1 Total Tackles: 16

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Sojourn shelton, the lone returning starter, will look to lead an inexperienced defensive back corps.

Explosive specialists look to give Badgers a lift on offensive

By Ben Pickman THE DAILY CARDINAL

Coming out of camp true freshman Anthony Lotti won the starting punter competition over redshirt sophomore P.J. Rosowski. Lotti, a twotime, first team all-state selection by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, came to Wisconsin as a three-star recruit replacing senior Drew Meyer, the Badgers’ kicker last season. On 49 punts in high school last season, Lotti averaged 45.4 yards per punt, including 19 punts inside the 20-yard line and 15 punts of 50-plus yards.

Rafael Gaglianone will switch numbers this season to commemorate Nebraska punter Sam Foltz,

who was killed in a car crash in mid-July. The Brazilian-born kicker converted 14 consecutive field goal attempts to end his freshman season, matching Vitaly Pisetsky for longest streak in school history.

Last season though, Gaglianone regressed, making a mere 66.67 percent of his kicks. In his prior two years in Madison, Gaglianone seldom performed kickoffs. That will continue this year: Rosowski will perform as the kickoff specialist.

To begin the season junior Natrell Jamerson will again be the Badgers’ kick returner while Jazz Peavy will take over the punt return duties for the Badgers due to Alex Erickson’s departure to the National Football League.

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Rafael Gaglianone hit 66.7 percent of his field goals in 2015.

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Offensive Line and Defensive Line

Offensive Line looks to improve in 2016

By Andrew Tucker THE DAILY CARDINAL

Playing on the offensive line might be the least glamorous position in all of football. You don’t score touchdowns like receivers and running backs, you don’t get tackles like linebackers and defensive linemen.

But yet, they are the cog that makes the offensive clock tick, and without a good offensive line, a powerful offense can sputter, which Badger fans saw last season. With a four-year starter at QB and a number of talented running backs and pass catchers, on paper, the UW offense should’ve been dominant, but a lack of consistency and experience on the line led to disappointing offensive performances throughout the year.

After losing their best O-lineman, Tyler Marz, to graduation, Wisconsin was looking toward senior Dan Voltz to carry the torch. However, Voltz injured his ACL late last year, and he hadn’t fully recovered by the start of fall practice, so he decided to retire to protect his health.

This means that the five current Badgers starters have started 34 games combined, an absurdly low number. However, given that four starters are sophomores who played together a lot last season,

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Badgers’ offensive line looks to imrpove in 2016 on last year’s tumultuous season. and one is a junior who was a star at the Division 3 level, there is still hope for this unit.

Starting at left tackle this season is junior Ryan Ramczyk, who was a star at UW-Stevens Point before transferring to UW-Madison after his sophomore season. Considering he hasn’t played football at full speed in over a year, and he hasn’t ever played at the Division 1 level, there might be growing pains, but given his talent and track record, Ramczyk should be

one of the Badgers’ most reliable offensive linemen once the season is in full swing.

Left guard is a spot that is still up in the air, which could develop into a serious issue. Sophomore Micah Kapoi and redshirt freshman Jon Dietzen are both listed as equals on the Wisconsin depth chart, and if the pair alternate drives, it could disrupt the cohesion and strength of the entire line. If one takes charge in the first few weeks and wins the job, it could eliminate a number of prob-

lems that developed from inconsistency last season.

Replacing Voltz at center is sophomore Michael Dieter, who, alongside Marz, started all 13 games last season. This puts him a step above his inexperienced teammates, but he also has proven to be more talented. He will be the bedrock of the Wisconsin offensive line for years to come, and this year should be a solidifying presence for the inexperienced group.

Redshirt sophomore Beau

Benzschawel will start at right guard, a spot where he saw success last year. After being recruited as a tight end, redshirting for a year and then missing the first five games due to injury, it was unclear exactly what he would be capable of, but he came in and performed well.

His first start at right guard came against Minnesota, which was arguably the Badgers’ best offensive game of the year, putting up 31 points and 257 rushing yards. If Benzschawel has progressed from where he was last year, and can stay healthy, he should be another key piece in the O-line puzzle.

Lastly, at right tackle is sophomore Jacob Maxwell. If this year goes like last year, you’ll know what to expect from Maxwell; he won’t be fantastic, he won’t be awful, he’ll just be somewhere in the middle. There is a level of strength in steady play, but if Maxwell can be consistently great instead of consistently good it would be a boost to the line as a whole.

With a line as young as Wisconsin’s, looking to the future is usually the best way to see success. But with a stable of talented, veteran running backs behind them, as long as this group plays moderately well, they could end up looking pretty good.

KAITLYN VETO/DAILY CARDINAL

Badgers’ defensive line looks to use experience in Obasih and Sheehy in order to put presure on the opposing quarterbacks.

Defensive line hopes to stifle opposing foes with physical play

By Bobby Ehrlich THE DAILY CARDINAL

Men in the Middle: Nose Tackles Olive Sagapolu Olive Sagapolu is a 6-foot-2, 340-pound beast of a man who played well as a freshman last season. He played his best game against USC in the Holiday Bowl, where he recorded his lone tackle for loss last season.

A year of experience should help

Chikwe Obasih

Sagapolu feel more comfortable under the nose and be a physical force between the two defensive ends. Sagapolu also put on some weight after a summer of workouts, which should also help him solidify his place in the teeth of the Badgers’ defense.

Garrett Rand Garrett Rand can supposedly bench press 560 pounds and should be a formidable backup for Sagapolu. Rand, the Badgers’

End of the Line: Defensive Ends

highest-rated recruit from the 2016 class, weighs only 274 pounds, which could cause him problems when facing beefy Big Ten lines.

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Obasih enters his third year as a starter for the Badgers and will be in a competition with fellow end Conor Sheehy for UW’s best linemen. An outspoken and charismatic player, the 6-foot3 Obasih led all Badger linemen with 41 total tackles, including five for a loss. He will need to step up to help replace the loss of senior Arthur Goldberg, who is out for the season with a head injury.

Obasih had just one sack last year, so he could stand to improve on his pass rushing ability. One thing to watch out for: Obasih had his best game of the season last year in his opener against Alabama. He had five tackles, including one for a loss.

A good game against a top team is certainly great, but Obasih

needs to keep that production consistent throughout the year for him to emerge as an impact player for the Badgers.

Conor Sheehy Sheehy impressed last year as a freshman and, like Obasih, needs to take it to another level to fully replace Goldberg. Sheehy had two sacks and three tackles for loss in his first year as a Badger. According to the Wisconsin State Journal’s Jason Galloway, he packed on 15 pounds of muscle in the off-season and his improved physique should help him to compile another strong campaign and will be key for the Badgers after the loss of Goldberg. If he cannot step up his game to the next level though, Goldberg’s absence will be far more pronounced.

Alec James Alec James figures to be a consistent role player for Wisconsin after starting three games over his first two years in Madison. Last season, James played 14 games in all and is expected to be on the field for plenty of snaps again this year.

Billy Hirschfeld Billy Hirschfeld is a mammoth, at 6-foot-6, 290 pounds, and should be an effective defensive end in his second year as a backup for the Badgers. He played in three games last year as a redshirt freshman, but should be on the field more this year to help relieve Obasih and Sheehy. His size should give him an advantage.

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Rosters

Akron Zips

Wisconsin Badgers 1 Love, Reggie 5 James, Chris 6 Clement, Corey 7 Shaw, Bradrick 8 Shelton, Sojourn 9 Booker, Titus 9 Lyles, Karé 10 Currens, Seth 11 Nelson, Nick 11 Peavy, Jazz 12 Hornibrook, Alex 12 Jamerson, Natrell 13 Bondoc, Evan 13 Houston, Bart 14 Dixon, D’Cota 14 Groshek, Garrett 15 Lotti, Anthony 15 Wheelright, Robert 17 Rushing, George 18 Williams, Caesar 19 Dunn, Jack 19 Musso, Leo 20 Ramesh, Austin 20 Volpentesta, Christian 21 Farrar, Arrington 21 Saari, Mark 22 Johnson, Patrick 23 Ogunbowale, Dare 23 Stokke, Mason 24 Brookins, Keelon 24 Krumholz, Adam 25 Tindal, Derrick 26 Burrell, Eric 27 Gaglianone, Rafael 27 Pryor, Kendric 28 Deal, Taiwan 28 Mielke, Blake 29 Carriere-Williams, Dontye 29 Laufenberg, Troy 30 Maternowski, Aaron 30 Trezy, Serge 31 Figaro, Lubern 32 Jacobs, Leon 34 Brodner, Sam 34 Obasih, Chikwe 36 Ferguson, Joe 37 Endicott, Andrew 37 Verstegen, Bret 38 Rosowski, P.J. 39 Hintze, Zach 39 Whalen, Jake 41 Hescock, Jake 41 Praschak, Max 42 Lloyd, Gabe 42 Watt, T.J. 43 Connelly, Ryan 43 Roy, Peter 44 Steffes, Eric

WR RB RB RB CB CB QB S CB WR QB CB S QB S QB P WR WR CB WR S FB DB S RB S RB ILB S WR CB S K WR RB S CB RB FB CB S FB RB DE S K S P K OLB TE OLB TE OLB ILB WR TE

6-3 5-10 5-11 6-1 5-9 5-11 6-0 6-3 5-11 6-0 6-4 6-0 6-1 6-4 5-10 5-11 6-0 6-3 6-1 6-0 5-7 5-10 6-1 5-9 6-2 6-0 5-11 5-11 6-2 5-11 6-1 5-11 6-0 5-11 5-11 6-1 6-2 5-10 5-10 6-0 6-2 6-0 6-2 5-10 6-3 6-1 5-9 5-11 6-3 6-0 6-1 6-7 6-2 6-4 6-5 6-3 6-0 6-5

225 208 227 211 168 190 214 208 204 184 219 188 203 235 197 209 186 211 192 179 178 194 251 191 220 207 203 205 217 218 186 175 184 219 179 224 199 189 189 239 201 182 238 218 267 195 173 183 211 175 236 252 210 240 243 235 187 262

SR JR SR FR Sr FR FR FR FR JR FR JR SO SR JR FR FR SR JR FR FR SR JR FR SO SO FR SR FR JR FR JR FR JR FR SO FR FR FR FR SR JR JR FR JR JR SR FR SO FR FR FR FR FR JR SO SO SR

45 46 46 47 48 48 49 49 50 51 51 52 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 65 66 66 67 68 68 71 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 81 82 84 85 86 87 89 90 92 93 94 95 96 96 97 98

Ingold, Alec Popp, Jack Thomas, Nick Biegel, Vince Cichy, Jack Herl, Mitchell Bell, Christian Penniston, Kyle Orr, Chris Burks, Noah Grady, Griffin Maxwell, Jacob Pfaff, David Edwards, T.J. Jeanty, Dallas Dooley, Garret Baun, Zack James, Alec Maskalunas, Mike Panos, George Johnson, Tyler Udelhoven, Connor Biadasz, Tyler Kasl, Patrick Deiter, Miachael Connors, Brett Ramczyk, Ryan Sagapolu, Olive Benzschawel, Beau Thomas, Kelly Dietzen, Jon Moorman, David Hegeman, Tiedt Van Lanen, Cole Estes, Kevin Roberge, Gunnar Kapoi, Micah Schmidt, Logan Dretzka, Ian Erdmann, Jason Edwards, David Fumagalli, Troy Houden, Henry Taylor, A.J. Neuville, Zander Finco, Ricky Cephus, Quintez Cesear, Jake Benzschawel, Luke Patterson, Jeremy Rand, Garrett Sheehy, Conor Preston, Keldric Allen, Connor Hirschfeld, Billy Loudermilk, Isaiahh Howe, Kraig

FB WR ILB OLB ILB TE OLB TE ILB OLB OLB OL DE ILB ILB OLB OLB DE ILB OL OLB LS OL OL OL OL OL NT OL DE OL OL DE OL OL NT OL OL OL OL OL TE WR WR TE WR WR LS TE NT DE DE OLB P DE DE DE

6-2 6-2 6-2 6-4 6-2 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-0 6-2 6-3 6-6 6-2 6-1 5-11 6-3 6-3 6-3 6-3 6-5 6-3 6-0 6-3 6-5 6-6 6-6 6-6 6-2 6-6 6-6 6-6 6-5 6-4 6-5 6-5 6-4 6-3 6-4 6-6 6-6 6-7 6-6 6-4 5-11 6-5 5-8 6-1 6-5 6-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 6-4 6-0 6-6 6-7 6-3

238 210 240 245 233 254 247 236 227 231 211 313 269 244 232 247 231 266 217 326 239 228 291 291 325 306 314 340 321 274 333 305 235 287 263 281 334 306 322 324 285 248 204 194 270 188 195 200 259 350 274 288 259 167 290 277 268

SO FR FR SR JR FR FR FR SO FR FR SO FR SO FR JR FR JR FR SO FR SR FR FR SO SO JR SO SO FR FR FR FR FR FR FR SO SR FR FR FR JR FR FR SO SO FR FR FR SO FR JR FR FR SO FR FR

1 2 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 10 11 11 12 13 13 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 19 19 19 20 21 21 22 23 23 24 25 25 26 28 28 30 31 32 34 34

Nelson, Kato Goodman, Tyrell Hope, Larry King, James Glover, DeMarkus Smith, Kwadarrius Jest, Davon’te Woodson, Thomas Chapman, Tra’Von Gilbert III, Ulysees Lawrence, Hakeem Scott, DeAndre Lane, Jerome Copeland, Darius Gladney, Kevin Davis II, Jamal Natson Jr., JoJo Bell, Brian Traylor-Bennett, Mykel Uecker, Clayton Coney, A.J. Rachal, John Brown, Kyron Bickley, Fransohn Spruill, Christopher Turner, James Hoyer, Matthew Morrow, Cory Dixon, Jaquavis Lloyd, DeMarcus Jones, Bryce Young, Anthony Gilchrist, Tyler Lauro, Anthony Lockett, Vince Venckus, Daumantas Featherstone, Shawn Butler, Michael Means Jr., Michael Hayes, Mikee Bischof, Nathan Edwards Jr., Van George, Jordan Jones Jr., Denzel Junius, Travonte Dailey, Darian Ellis, Mark Morgan, Manny Turfe, Chuck Baggett, Jamal Guiser, Zach Ball, Warren Marcus, Jamal

QB WR DB LB LB ATH DL QB QB LB RB CB LB/WR DL WR LB WR LB WR QB WR LB CB WR DL S QB S ATH LB DB ATH S WR ATH DE DB DB WR CB DB RB DB RB LB CB CB RB RB S S RB DL

6-1 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-1 5-9 6-1 6-1 6-1 6-1 5-7 5-11 6-3 6-1 6-1 6-4 5-8 6-3 6-3 6-5 5-8 5-11 6-1 5-6 6-2 5-11 6-4 6-0 6-2 6-0 6-0 6-0 5-10 5-10 5-11 6-5 6-2 6-0 6-2 5-9 6-2 5-9 5-11 5-8 6-3 5-11 5-11 5-8 5-11 5-11 6-1 6-1 6-2

Kickoff: 2:30 p.m.

Camp Randall Stadium

195 205 192 208 216 165 290 233 210 225 175 185 220 266 211 226 151 218 224 219 180 215 186 148 282 209 210 204 185 207 178 182 185 184 211 230 190 208 200 166 210 200 193 191 198 180 178 185 200 190 195 232 249

FR RS SR SR SO FR SO FR JR RS JR SO RS SR SR JR JR RS JR RS SO RS SR SO RS JR RS JR RS JR SR RS FR RS JR SR RS SR SR SR RS FR JR RS SR JR FR SO RS FR RS SR RS SO RS SR RS SR JR SO SO SO SR SO RS SO RS FR JR RS FR SO FR RS SR RS SR

36 37 38 38 39 40 41 42 43 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 50 51 52 52 55 56 56 57 59 60 63 65 65 66 68 69 70 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 88 90 91 94 97

Rainey-Nix, Isaiah O’Leary, Tom Butler, Denzel Mohammed, Ibrahim Gingerich, Zach Lako, John Foster, Kyle Barakat, Youssef Allen, Christian Hauser, Andrew Semerene, Jon Junk, Brandon Sweat, Zachary Fitschen, Jerry Williams, Darian Fonseca, James Boxen, Brock Bullard, Undrea Jones, Devon Ward, Josh Gauthney, LaVonne Jones, Tony Council, Brandon Moore, Deon’Tae Ericksen, Stephen Brown, Trevor Gasser, Nick Fazio, Nick Grover, Hayden Jean-Baptiste, Andy Ritz, Kyle Siegman, Andrew Kortokrax, Ryan Casimos, Michael Tuley-Tillman, Logan Neeley, Jonathan Quigley, Xavier Letuli, Jovann Kallay, Rich McCoy, Cedric Sample, Austin Jordan, Montel Dixon, Bryce Mitchell, Brandon Wolf, Austin Kish, Michael Cagle, Avery Simmons Jr., Freddie Buddenberg, Michael Pittman, Se’Von Camara, Ibrahima Reinke, Brian Williams, Brennan

Game Information TV: BTN

WR PK DB WR PK LB P LB FB LB PK TE DB PK/P WR PK/P DL OL S LB OL/TE LB OL DE OL OL PK/P OL LS DL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL WR WR WR TE TE WR LS DL DL DL DL

5-10 5-11 5-9 5-11 6-3 6-2 6-2 5-10 6-1 6-1 6-0 6-2 5-11 6-0 6-1 5-11 6-3 6-6 6-4 6-2 6-1 6-1 6-4 6-2 6-3 6-5 6-0 6-3 5-11 6-5 6-5 6-3 6-3 6-2 6-7 6-5 6-1 6-5 6-5 6-5 6-3 6-4 6-4 6-2 6-3 6-4 6-4 6-3 5-11 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-1

190 190 183 195 203 208 185 205 252 219 200 229 200 190 187 170 272 295 205 223 290 228 330 217 300 285 167 291 190 267 300 265 300 320 317 275 286 345 322 312 285 304 225 220 190 237 235 180 215 260 285 237 272

RS SO RS SO SO RS SR JR RS FR SO RS FR SR RS JR JR RS FR RS SR FR RS SR RS SO SO SO RS FR RS FR JR JR FR JR JR FR SO SO SO RS FR SO FR JR SR RS JR FR RS JR JR RS FR RS JR FR FR FR RS SO JR JR RS FR RS FR JR SR JR SO SO

Radio: Badger Sports Network

KAITLYN VETO/THE DAILY CARDINAL

In two prior meetings with Akron, the Badgers have scored an average of 43 points. Now they welcome the Zips to Camp Randall for their 2016 home opener.