Head coach Paul Chryst met with reporters prior to the Wisconsin Badgers (8-2, 5-1) practice on Thursday afternoon. Chryst confirmed redshirt senior Ray Ball was no longer with the team after his name was omitted from the list of seniors being honored during Senior Day ceremonies prior to the Badgers' last home game of the season against the Northwestern Wildcats.
Ball was in contention to start this season after being a backup for the majority of his collegiate career. Filling in the 2015 Outback Bowl after Dallas Lewallen moved to center when Dan Voltz was injured, Ball helped the Badgers run for 400 yards in their 34-31 victory. Ball suffered a right arm injury towards the end of fall camp and wasn't seen thereafter, though earlier in the season Chryst did state he didn't think Ball would be available the rest of the season.
"Ray, after the second or third game, came to me and had enough different things on his plate where he thought it would be best to focus on those," Chryst said. "After listening to him, you support that, so he hasn't been with us since probably week two or three."
Clement and Traylor's statuses up in the air
Chryst wouldn't confirm or specify if junior running back Corey Clement or redshirt senior tight end Austin Traylor would see the field in a playing capacity on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium. Traylor has returned to practiced after coming back from an arm injury suffered in the conference opener against Iowa, while Clement's only played in two games after being sidelined by a sports hernia injury.
The head coach, however, wouldn't confirm or deny their chances of playing.
"So you're saying you gotta chance," Chryst said with a laugh. "You're just looking to give ourselves a chance to have a chance. We got a chance."
Notes
- Liked how the players have come back from the bye week
- Noted how close the group of seniors is after all the coaching changes and transitions
- Regarding Saturday's forecast of substantial snow in the Madison area, said they have to embrace it and find a way to enjoy it
- Regarding Senior Day, said you can't put one career in one game, one 15-second introduction, but every player will remember their senior day. "You enjoy it as a player, you appreciate it as a player, but don't try to make it more than it is," Chryst said.