MADISON — The dreary months of winter have come and gone and so has a significant portion of the offseason. Wisconsin football took to the field at Camp Randall on Saturday for the seventh of 15 practices.
BadgerBlitz.com had boots on the ground inside Camp Randall and will be in attendance for the duration of spring.
Here are some notes from Saturday’s practice:
WISCONSIN BADGERS OFFENSE
While some of the turnover problems from Thursday’s practice were cleaned up, it wasn't a perfect day for the offense.
An end-around exchange between Milos Spasojevic and Quincy Burroughs and a handoff between Carter Smith and Gideon Ituka resulted in fumbles – though both were recovered by the offense.
Vinny Anthony also lost the handle of the football, which ended up in the hands of safety Matt Jung. Quarterback Danny O’Neill threw an interception during 11-on-11, leaving the pass late and behind Tucker Ashcraft.
Outside of the interception, O’Neill had a strong day. He flashed his mobility in the pocket, evading pressure and frequently scrambling for extra yards, while also delivering accurate throws at all depths. O’Neill’s best throw of the day came when he scrambled out right and fired a perfect back-shoulder pass to Burroughs about 30 yards downfield.
Kyan Berry-Johnson also had a nice day, winning a handful of one-on-one reps and making a couple of splash plays in team drills. He even linked up with Spasojevic on a go-ball for roughly a 40-yard gain.
Eugene Hilton also had a pair of eye-catching receptions, including a pass in the end zone in which he held onto the ball despite getting hit hard by Matthew Traynor. Hilton lost his helmet and mouthguard on the play, but he didn’t lose the football.
Still, subpar protection held the passing game back. Mike Tressel fooled the offensive line by sending various defensive backs on blitzes, but the offensive line also had plenty of bad reps.
AJ Blazek's unit, however, succeeded as run blockers, creating gaping holes for the tailbacks. Dilin Jones took advantage of the open space and ripped off a pair of long runs. Cade Yacamelli also had a solid day on the ground.
And for the now-regular right guard update: Kerry Kodanko was back with the ones, replacing Emerson Mandell.