Monday, October 6, 2014

Big Questions at QB for the Badgers

I feel bad for Melvin Gordon. After a career high 259 yards this past Saturday against Northwestern, you would think he would've been able to celebrate an easy Badger win, which typically would accompany those numbers. Not with the 2014 Wisconsin offense.
The Badgers have been blessed with one of the best running backs in the nation, and they still are able to do nothing offensively except for hope that Gordon's long runs reach the endzone. Why? They have virtually no passing game. Tanner McEvoy started this season at quarterback hyped up as a dual-threat. From what we have seen from him so far, whenever he drops back to pass he hasn't threatened anyone with the exception of an ok 2nd half against FCS Western Illinois. A dual-threat quarterback would help this offense significantly, as seen in the one year they were fortunate enough to have Russell Wilson. McEvoy, however cannot complete a pass over 20 yards. He has missed badly on the few times they have even attempted to throw the deep ball. This has made the Badgers a one-dimensional team which has to rely on their two outstanding running backs, Gordon and Corey Clement. As good as they are, they can't do everything for this offense. Having any signs of life in the passing game would do wonders for this team, as it would open up some play-action opportunities and maybe clear the box a little bit, which would in change give the running game some room. Without any threat of a passing game, defenses will continue to stack the box against this team, making things more difficult for the backs (who will still have success, because they are that good). 
So at the start of the 2nd half against Northwestern, when I saw Joel Stave enter the game, I thought maybe things would turn around. I am not a fan of Stave, but he has shown the ability to complete long passes. He has no mobility, unlike McEvoy, but in the Wisconsin offense, they just need someone who can hand the ball off and complete 3rd down throws when necessary, maybe a few play action passes as well. 
The Badger offense had pretty much the same results with Stave in the game. He did complete a few passes and lead a touchdown drive, but threw a very costly interception which I'm sure made many Badger fans frustrated. The one I'm talking about is the one when the Badgers had 1st and goal near the 5 yard line. 2 things about this play had me confused. First, as the play was going on, anyone watching Stave slowly roll out towards the sideline had to be screaming "THROW THE BALL AWAY". There was clearly no one open and he tried to force it on 1st down. The second puzzling thing about this play is the playcall itself in this situation. With a first down at the 5 yard line, the big offensive line and running backs the Badgers have, combined with their terrible quarterback play, I would think the obvious call would be to run the football. I would have to like the Badgers' odds of gaining 5 yards in 4 tries with Gordon or Clement. But that playcall and poor decision making by Stave on that play crushed any hopes for a Badger comeback. 
If you're Gary Andersen, what do you do from here on out? Up next is Illinois at home, which shouldn't be a problem since the Illini just lost at home to Purdue, who might be the worst team in the Big Ten. But they need to figure out an answer at  QB soon. Both Stave and McEvoy have proven to be ineffective. Is it time to give Bart Houston a shot? He was a highly touted recruit from one of the best high school programs in the country, but has yet to see significant action. Another intriguing option is freshman dual-threat D.J. Gillins, but it might not be worth lifting his redshirt this season. Hell, maybe they should just run an offense like Navy for the rest of the year. I should also point out that the qb's aren't the only ones to blame for the passing game's deficiencies. The receivers have often failed to gain separation from defenders, making things even more difficult for the struggling quarterbacks. Sam Arneson and Alex Erickson seem to be the only ones able to catch a pass and get open once in a while. The offense has really missed having a playmaker like Jared Abbrederis. 
 This season isn't a total lost cause yet, as a Big Ten Championship game is still a possibility because of how weak the conference (especially the West Division) is this year. It looked like this could have been a promising season because of the weak schedule and a great first half against LSU(who doesn't look that good anymore).However, thanks to a terrible passing game, an appearance in Indy is looking unlikely. 

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