Junior wide receiver Isaac Anderson didn't have to wait long for his time to shine in 2009.
After losing a year to injury and receiving erratic playing time in his other two years at Wisconsin, Anderson scorched the Northern Illinois secondary on the Badgers' first offensive play this season and streaked into the end zone for an 80-yard touchdown that injected Camp Randall Stadium with a jolt of energy not felt since the beginning of last season.
Still, seemingly lost amid breakout seasons by junior quarterback Scott Tolzien and sophomore wide receiver Nick Toon has been Anderson's emergence as an explosive, dependable deep threat. The 5-foot-10-inch junior ranks third on the team with 10 receptions, and with 236 yards he shares the lead for receiving yards with Toon.
""The philosophy has been this year, just play consistent—do it again—over and over [and] definitely to make plays from Scott Tolzien throwing the ball,"" Anderson said. ""And when the opportunity's there, take advantage of it.""
There's no doubt Anderson has taken advantage of his opportunity this season, as his true impact has come through his ability to reign in the deep ball. He is averaging 23.6 yards per catch, best on Wisconsin by a long shot and good for 11th best in all of Division I-A football.
Not surprisingly, wide receivers coach DelVaughn Alexander believes Anderson's ability to harness his blazing speed has been the key to his success so far this season.
""He's one of our fastest guys at the position and he's playing that way, and that's the thing that he's really improved on over the last two years is playing as fast as he can play,"" Alexander said.
Anderson, however, credits his strong relationship with Tolzien both on and off the field for helping him elevate his game this season.
""Scott, definitely this year is real confident and [there's been] a lot better communication this year with Scott, and definitely a lot more chemistry off the field as far as watching film together on a daily basis and things like that,"" Anderson said.
Anderson and Tolzien hope to continue that chemistry Saturday as Wisconsin meets Minnesota for the 119th playing of the Border Battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe.
As a Minneapolis native and the son of former Minnesota wide receiver Melvin Anderson, this week's game at Minnesota will surely be extra special for the junior.
Anderson starred in football and track at The Blake School in Minneapolis and set the Minnesota Class A record for the 100 meter dash in 2005 before deciding to attend Wisconsin in the fall of 2006. Although both parents starred in athletics at Minnesota (his mother Lisa was a member of the track team), Anderson said he never considered being a Gopher, instead choosing to blaze his own trail in Madison. But the decision did not come without plenty of criticism from up north.
""Just being a guy from Minnesota playing at Wisconsin, a lot of people like to say a lot of things,"" Anderson said. ""But it's definitely just another opportunity to go out there and showcase your ability, and it's definitely just a great opportunity to play a game.""
If Anderson continues to showcase his abilities the way he has so far this season for the remainder of his career at Wisconsin, he may be looking into another great opportunity: playing in the NFL.
