Football season may still be four months away, but UW head coach Brett Bielema would like nothing more than to see 50,000 screaming fans at Camp Randall Saturday afternoon.
The Badgers will take the field for the annual Spring Game this weekend, looking to sort out starting positions and get a feel for life without John Stocco, Joe Thomas and the seven other seniors who will not be returning next year.
Although the game has historically been a laid-back affair, free to the public and somewhat loose in structure, Bielema said at a Monday press conference that he plans to inject some excitement into the climax of spring practice.
""In the fall, we have one of the best environments in college football,"" Bielema said. ""Yet the spring game has been anywhere from ten to 15 to maybe 20 thousand [people] if you're lucky.""
Bielema made it clear that the number one benefit of a big crowd would be the message it sends to Badger recruits, many of whom are currently traveling around the Midwest visiting other Big Ten suitors.
""We know who we're going to recruit against,"" said Bielema. ""If they can walk in and see 40,000 it's a lot better than 20,000.""
On Saturday however, Bielema will only be coaching. He said he plans to evaluate the four quarterbacks currently vying for the starting job—junior Allan Evridge, senior Tyler Donovan, freshman Scott Tolzien and sophomore Dusting Sherer.
Donovan and Evridge, who transferred to UW from Kansas State last year, will begin the day on the first team, wearing red and going up against a white team made up of all second and third team players. But Bielema said Evridge could move to the white team to get more snaps later in the game, suggesting Donovan is the frontrunner for the position.
Of course, more than the quarterback position will be on the line Saturday, as players at virtually every position fight for spots on the depth chart. Bielema said there has been great competition this year, since the team has remained healthy overall.
Fatigue has not been a problem either, according to the coach, despite the early start to the day.
""If we weren't practicing at that time, they'd be lifting,"" he said, adding that overall players have enjoyed the change of pace—with some exceptions.
""Maybe the first time, when it was five degrees and they were riding in on their scooters, they didn't enjoy it that much,"" Bielema admitted.
