clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Wisconsin football: Badgers scrimmage before Saturday's spring game

Six days away from the spring game, the Badgers' offense and defense both had their moments in Sunday's scrimmage.

By Jake Kocorowski

If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Wisconsin Badgers started their last week of spring practice with a scrimmage on Sunday inside Camp Randall Stadium. According to many media reports, many players -- including junior running back Corey Clement and redshirt freshman T.J. Edwards and D.J. Gillins -- stood out.

Before practice started, Wisconsin men's basketball coach Bo Ryan stopped by to talk with the team. Apparently, Ryan used to sling the pigskin around back in his day.

Clement, Gillins, Traylor have good days

The scrimmage showcased highlights by players on both sides of the ball, as noted by BadgerNation.com's Ben Worgull ($) and Badger247's Evan Flood ($). Clement, who is the undisputed No. 1 running back on the roster, had a solid day on the ground. ESPN Wisconsin's Zach Heilprin reported the rest of the running backs did not have as much success against the Badgers' defense, only gaining 46 yards on 27 attempts, unofficially.

Many in the media tweeted about Gillins' solid day as well.

Heilprin noted Gillins also had 64 yards rushing on six carries, unofficially, as he showcased his athleticism on the field.

Senior tight end Austin Traylor put together another solid effort on Sunday. Both Heilprin and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Jeff Potrykus were impressed with the "Y" tight end, as he hauled in some solid passes.

Though some shined on Sunday, the offense did sputter and look sloppy at times:

Edwards, defense came to play as well

The most concerning position group heading into spring camp very well might have been the inside linebacker position. With the loss of Derek Landisch and Marcus and Michael Trotter, the only player with significant on-field exposure was junior Leon Jacobs. It appears Edwards, who redshirted last year despite showing some flash during summer camp, has taken steps to solidify the second inside linebacker position.

Defensive coordinator Dave Aranda, when asked about Edwards, noted the progression throughout the spring, as reported by Heilrpin:

"He's playing well," defensive coordinator Dave Aranda said. "He's put some consistent days together. I think there has always been flashes with T.J. The biggest improvement he's made is he's reduced the negative plays. The plays where he knew he should been somewhere and he recognized it right afterwards. There were a lot of those. And those have gone away. We'd like to be able to eliminate them all.

It wasn't just Edwards who had a solid effort. BadgerBlitz' John Veldhuis noted junior cornerback Sojourn Shelton intercepted yet another pass Sunday, and many saw the entire defense make some plays as well:

Other highlights and notes from Sunday

More From Bucky's 5th Quarter