Nine games into the 2003 season, the Badger football team finally gets a week off from the battles of the Big Ten, and it could not have come at a better time.
With their most recent loss at the hands of the Northwestern Wildcats last Saturday, the Badgers' Rose Bowl chances have been eliminated, and the team has undoubtedly reached the lowest point of their season. Although all is not lost, the Badger players, coaches and fans have a week to ponder what has happened to their team, more or less the same one that knocked off the defending national champions three weekends ago.
With no game on the schedule this week, the Badgers have ample time to dig out of the funk they have put themselves in and hopefully right their ship for the final stretch run of the season. Whether it is emotionally or physically, the Badgers are hurting, and a week off from competition is what the team thinks is the best remedy for the ailing UW football team.
\We need this,"" Head Coach Barry Alvarez said about the bye week following the 16-7 loss at Northwestern this past weekend. ""We need this to recharge. We need it to get some guys healthy. We are beat up. We are a battered football team. This week will come in handy for the stretch run.""
After appearing as if they wanted no part of the game last Saturday in Evanston, Ill., the Badgers were, according to Offensive Coordinator Brian White, ""flat, lethargic and lacking personality,"" and therefore must re-address the focus of the team and the mindset of its leaders in preparation for the season's last couple of games.
On top of emotions, physically the Badgers are just worn out, and the upcoming week will give some time for some of the team's injuries to heal. Senior quarterback Jim Sorgi, junior running back Anthony Davis and junior kicker Mike Allen all have been either inactive or unproductive the last few weeks and with that in mind, the coaching staff must now determine these three important players' roles with the team for the remainder of the season.??
More than just the physical relaxation of the off-week, the Badgers squad must re-address its personnel issues and figure out what players can be the most productive on both sides of the ball and give them the most energy and productivity in the game. Whether it is playing sophomore wide receiver Brandon Williams on defense again, the team needs a shake up, and this week must be the time for the team to find something to carry them to a strong finish for the season.
""It's big,"" Wisconsin senior wide receiver Lee Evans said of the upcoming bye week. ""We need this week to regroup and put things in perspective. We can still do a lot with this season. We just need to figure things out.""
""What do you play for now?"" Alvarez said. ""We are bowl eligible. You want to win some games to go to a better bowl. They are still playing for a lot. These guys, they will bounce back, there is no question about that. We have a lot of young players on this team-they will keep fighting.""
Easier said than done, team. Easier said than done.
