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UW football: Chemistry lessons important for Evridge, receivers

Jim Polzin  —  8/06/2008 4:12 pm

Three times a week this summer -- generally on Monday evenings, Wednesday mornings and Thursday afternoons -- the quarterbacks and receivers on the University of Wisconsin football team would get together for a little pitch and catch. The sessions, which took place either at Camp Randall Stadium or inside the adjacent McClain Center, rarely lasted more than an hour.

The beauty of workouts like these is there's nobody else around: no coaches, no media, no fans. It's a perfect opportunity for players to bond, and more importantly, form an on-field chemistry.

The summer gatherings were especially useful for the Badgers, who are trying to break in a new starting quarterback (either Allan Evridge, Dustin Sherer or Scott Tolzien) and feature a talented but green group of wide receivers who will be expected to complement the team's most productive pass-catchers, tight ends Travis Beckum and Garrett Graham.

Now, throw in the fact that the passing game in offensive coordinator Paul Chryst's system is built around timing patterns and you can understand why every throw and catch -- no matter how repetitive they seem during the dog days of summer -- is important to a quarterback and his receivers.

That helps explain why a major part of Evridge's summer vacation -- if you can call it that -- revolved around getting on the same page with the guys he'll be throwing balls to in the fall, assuming he's the quarterback under center when UW begins the 2008 season against Akron on Aug. 30.

"This summer was an awesome summer,'' said Evridge, a fifth-year senior who is the front-runner to replace Tyler Donovan. "We got together with the guys a lot. We threw, and we were a lot more productive than last summer. I feel like the guys and I have a lot of good chemistry.''

Naturally, it's taken Evridge a little while to build that chemistry. It certainly wasn't there during the first part of spring practice, when Evridge, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound lefty, struggled with his accuracy.

"In the spring I was very disappointed with myself,'' said Evridge, a transfer from Kansas State. "Toward the end I started to get in a groove.

"In my mind it was a little too late and I didn't put myself where I wanted to be.''

At one point during spring, Evridge finally decided to stop overanalyzing every throw and just, as he put it, "cut it loose.''

That attitude seems to be working. It helps that Evridge feels more comfortable with his receivers, and they with him.

"It's night and day different,'' he said.

So is Evridge. A year ago, after Donovan was named the starter near the end of camp following a back-and-forth battle during camp, Evridge admits he took a step back and maybe wasn't himself.

Now that he's the front-runner to be the starter -- although, it should be pointed out, he never used that term -- Evridge has become more assertive. In workouts, in the locker room, in the huddle.

"I'm just going out here being myself just let me personality take over,'' he said. "Be more of a leader.''

Evridge says all the right things about the battle for the starting spot -- "It's open to anybody. It really is a five-man race right now,'' he said Tuesday -- but it's clear he's anxious to step on the field in less than four weeks against Akron. Who can blame him -- his last start came during the 2005 season, when he started six games for Kansas State.

"I've always looked at game time, it's a payday,'' said Evridge, who appeared in seven games last season as Donovan's backup and attempted 12 passes, completing five for 66 yards.

"We're putting in all these hours, all this work right now. Can't wait for that to get here as soon as possible.''

Jim Polzin  —  8/06/2008 4:12 pm