Comedian Robin Williams once said springtime is nature's way of saying “let's party” and that was certainly the vibe at Camp Randall this past Saturday. As the music was blaring and the crowd of around 8000 got comfortable, the Wisconsin Badger football team and coach Gary Anderson made their way onto the field. Playing their first game at Camp Randall since November and only a few months removed from losing the Capital One Bowl, the Badgers were ready to tackle the 2014 spring game with gusto. With the departure of Chris Borland, Jarred Abbrederis and a number of seniors, this Badger team was missing many important faces. So now the big question becomes who will step it up this fall? Here are some of my predictions.
Wide receiver Reggie Love, the redshirted sophomore, who did not play at all last year, was the most impressive player during this game. Love looked ready to take on the role as the number one receiver, leading all players with four receptions. He connected well with freshman D.J. Gillins and Tanner McEvoy. Do not be surprised to see Love as the top Badger receiver.
Safety Michael Caputo is coming off an All-Big Ten honorable mention and is ready to back up this honor. He was not afraid to get physical during the game, jarring with sophomore running back Corey Clement on numerous occasions. Look for Caputo to take on a leadership roll for this young defensive squad, especially in the secondary as Tanner McEvoy moves back to quarterback.
Coach Anderson is in desperate need of a reliable kicker and it looks like he may have found one in Andrew Endicott. This sophomore earned his first varsity letter last year but was used for kick-off purposes only. But with his leg and accuracy, he should definitely do better than Kyle French and Jack Russell who only made 14 out of 21 field goal attempts.
Coach Anderson would like to build off his rookie campaign where the team went 9-4 and lost their last game at the Capital One Bowl in Orlando. He will look to keep the Badgers on the national radar as the team travels to Reliant Stadium to face powerhouse L.S.U. on August 30th.Although Wisconsin has lost many seniors there is a nice group of young players ready to fill the void. And it could just be a Rose Bowl kind of year.
By Cole Altman
