Wisconsin must deal with
players' departures
Editor's Note: This is part five of a 10-part
series examining every football team in the Big Ten other than Purdue.
The Purdue Preview Tailgate Guide will appear Aug. 31.
 By
Paul Trembacki
Sports Editor
In the last three years Wisconsin was deep with
talent — deep enough to go 30-7 and win two Rose Bowls.
But with the early departure of some players to
the NFL and the graduation of others, Wisconsin no longer has that luxury.
"Probably for the first time in about five years,
we don't have as many veterans back as we've had and we're going to
have to depend on some redshirt freshmen as well as some true freshmen
for depth," Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez said.
Alvarez has dealt with such problems before, but
never like this.
Gone are tailback Michael Bennett, the 2000 Big
Ten athlete of the year and cornerback Jamar Fletcher, the 2000 Big
Ten defensive player of the year and the winner of the Jim Thorpe Award
as the best defensive back in the nation.
Fletcher (Miami) and Bennett (Minnesota) were selected
back-to-back in the first round of the NFL Draft in April. Both players
had a year of eligibility remaining at Wisconsin.
Wide receiver Chris Chambers, safety Jason Doering,
guard Bill Ferrario and guard Casey Rabach were All-Big Ten selections
last year, and they're all gone. And the list goes on.
Not only did the Badgers lose six starters from
each side of the ball, they lost their kicker and punter.
Punter Kevin Stemke was the winner of the Ray Guy
Award as the nation's top punter. Likewise, kicker Vitaly Pisetsky,
who accounted for 164 points the last two seasons, is gone to graduation.
"Probably the biggest concern for me is the kicking
game," Alvarez said. "We've probably taken for granted the kickers we've
had the last couple of years. Kevin Stemke was a four-year performer
for us — one of the leaders in the country. … We just didn't
have to worry about that position; same with the placekicker."
Wisconsin begins its season Saturday at home against
Virginia in the Eddie Robinson Classic with plenty of question marks
and only a few sure things.
The best returner by far is defensive tackle Wendell
Bryant, the Big Ten's preseason defensive player of the year and the
2000 co-defensive lineman of the year. The senior had 48 tackles —
11 for loss — last season, and led the team in sacks the last two
years with six last season and seven in 1999. Bryant and linebacker
Nick Greisen, an honorable mention All-Big Ten pick last season after
leading the conference in tackles with 146, are the few strong points
on a depleted defense.
On offense, only one of the team's main performers
returns — quarterback Brooks Bollinger, who has led the Badgers
to a 17-3 record as the starter the last two years. If he's going to
continue to have success, Bollinger must find wide receiver Nick Davis.
The conference's leading punt returner in 1998 and its leading kick
returner in 1999, the speedy Davis has averaged nearly 16 yards for
every time he's touched the ball.
With the help of Chambers and returning starter
Lee Evans, Bollinger passed for 1,479 yards last season with 10 touchdowns
and seven interceptions.
"Brooks Bollinger can do a lot of things to beat
you," Alvarez said. "He can throw the ball, he's an excellent runner
and he's probably as good a leader as I've ever been around.
"When talking about our team, the first place you
always want to start as a coach … is at the quarterback position.
I think that's one of the strengths of our football team."
One of few he can count on.
|
