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Badgers Healthy, Ready For Game Time

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 31, 2007

Updated: 12/30/2007 10:13 pm

TAMPA - The Wisconsin Badgers wrapped up their final practice before Tuesday's Outback Bowl with the knowledge they will be at full strength for their meeting with the Tennessee Volunteers.

"We'll have a walk-through today then go over at the stadium," Coach Bret Bielema said. "The great thing we have been able to do since we got down here is remain very, very healthy and have all the guys we came down with remain in position to play."

CURTAIN DROPS: The Badgers are making their 13th bowl appearance in 15 years and own a 9-3 postseason record. But Bielema insisted that every year stands alone.

"It's a program emphasis," he said. "This is the culmination of a season. It's not the beginning of next year. Obviously, it can catapult certain things, but this will be the last time this bunch of coaches and players will be together. I think that is something you really emphasize all year long and this is the defining moment of it."

BIG KICK: In a game that is expected to be close, and special teams play important, Wisconsin can feel good about its kicking game.

At least for one more game.

Taylor Mehlhaff, who has handled all of UW's place-kicking duties since 2005, and Ken DeBauche, the team's No. 1 punter since 2004, will be playing their final college game Tuesday.

DeBauche finished second in the Big Ten with a 43.0-yard average. His all-time average is 42.4 yards, the No. 2 mark in school history.

Mehlhaff has made 20 of 24 field goal attempts this season (.833). His accuracy has improved each season and his work on kickoffs this season was strong. He put 25 of 73 kickoffs into the end zone for touchbacks. UW led its conference in kickoff coverage.

THUMBS-UP: As bowl game pairings go, Bielema thinks the Badgers-Volunteers matchup is a good one, regardless of whether anybody else agrees.

"It was always interesting to hear what the talking heads of the sporting world always say when these matchups come," he said. "From what we've done, we've had similar seasons, had times where things got a little rough. I think their kids have experienced and persevered and played strongly at the finish. I know we played our best football in the last four or five games. I think it's a great match-up for that purpose."

THINK FAST: While the Badgers and Volunteers have both downplayed the stereotyping of SEC speed vs. Big Ten muscle, Bielema does admit Tennessee's speed is a concern.

"From an offensive point of view it's handling the speed up front," he said. "They run a lot of pressures. We have to be able to handle the pressures, and for us to handle them doesn't mean having a body on them. We've got to be able to execute a technique once we're there. That's a big concern for us.

"They do a lot of things to spread you out. The big thing our kids have got to be able to handle is communication on the field and be able to put themselves in the right place before the snap."

BREAKING HABITS: Scouting reports reveal what each team can do best and how it likes to get things done, but don't take anything for granted.

"The time to break tendencies is bowl games," Bielema said. "You give coaches four or five weeks to be creative and some good things or bad things happen, depending on which receiving end you are on."

Mick Elliott

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