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“Just a guy who knows what’s going on and (has) consistency,” Tolzien said. “It’s one thing to show flashes and make great plays, but to do it every series is what you need.”
The Wisconsin coaches have been waiting all spring for someone in the five-deep quarterback rotation to show the requisite consistency and game-management skills. After Saturday’s spring game at Camp Randall Stadium, they’re still waiting.
In fact, the spring game wasn’t much different than the 14 practices before it. Senior Allen Evridge, junior Dustin Sherer and Tolzien — the quarterbacks identified by coach Bret Bielema as potential starters — made some excellent plays. However, they also showed why no one has been able to win the job, mixing in just enough off-target throws or shaky decision-making to keep things intetesting.
It was a day when the offense moved the ball with ease but managed only two touchdowns, despite playing against an injury-decimated defense. The quarterbacks were as responsible as anyone for the inability to consistently reach the end zone.
The top three threw for 266 yards in the abbreviated game but ended three drives with interceptions. Freshman James Stollons threw the game’s only touchdown pass, a 20-yarder to tight end Lance Kendricks.
“I’ll refrain (from judging them) until I watch the film and have a better understanding of where they needed to go with certain reactions and reads,” Bielema said. “But the thing I liked about the quarterbacks is they all got better. I didn’t see anybody playing terrible out there today.”
With its stable of backs, a group that increased by one after the way freshman John Clay moved the pile Saturday, Wisconsin won’t need a quarterback to carry the offense. However, if the best Bielema can say about his quarterbacks is that they didn’t play terribly, that’s probably not going to be good enough.
Sherer and Tolzien came on strong late in spring practice to challenge Evridge, who has a penchant for making a mental mistake that spoils an otherwise strong performance. Bielema said offensive coordinator Paul Chryst “likes what all three of those guys have done at times, but consistency needs to be better amongst all three.”
Nothing that happened Saturday changed that opinion.
Evridge moved the ball on all three of his possessions and completed four passes of more than 20 yards, but had only a field goal to show for it. His most damaging play was a pass to David Gilreath that was intercepted by Chris Maragos.
Sherer doesn’t always look pretty but, as usual, he got the job done Saturday. He led the offense to two field goals and a touchdown on three possessions and would have been the game’s star had his receivers not dropped two passes in the end zone. Other than an out route that he overthrew, Sherer was pleased.
“I thought I put the ball where it was supposed to go,” he said.
Tolzien doesn’t have the arm strength of Evridge or Sherer, but, according to Bielema, is “very intelligent, makes the right reads, makes the right throws.” Despite being the only one of the three to go against the first-string defense (or what is left of it), Tolzien looked sharp early, then threw two interceptions.
“It wasn’t perfect by any means, but I’d give myself a decent (grade),” Tolzien said. “I definitely started strong. We had a couple of nice drives and had a turnover to follow it up, which was no good.”
Bielema announced that, like last year, the quarterback competition would extend into fall camp and he would name a starter two weeks before the first game. Until then, the search for consistency will continue.
