Five things to watch at Saturday's UW spring football game:

ARMS RACE

It can be hard to get an accurate evaluation of quarterbacks in the spring game. Remember three years ago? John Stocco was a junior, coming off a poor finish to his first year as a starter in 2004. He couldn't have looked worse in the spring game but went on to have a breakout junior season. Last year, Tyler Donovan and Allan Evridge looked solid. Donovan ended up winning the job and had a decent year. No matter what happens Saturday between Allan Evridge, now a senior, and junior Dustin Sherer, the quarterback battle is expected to extend into fall camp. Neither Evridge nor Sherer has shown the consistency the coaches want. Fans also will get their first glimpse of heralded freshman Curt Phillips, who still has much to learn after enrolling early at UW.

LEGS RACE

Recent spring games have featured more passing than running. The leading rusher last year was Lance Smith with 77 yards on 16 carries; no other running back had more than 6 yards. Junior P.J. Hill has re-established himself during the spring as the team's No. 1 tailback. Smith has found a niche as a receiver coming out of the backfield or lined up wide. The best battle right now is between sophomore Zach Brown and redshirt freshman John Clay to be No. 2. Brown has the edge, but Clay should get a lot of work Saturday to show what he can do.

CATCHING ON

The top returning receivers, tight ends Travis Beckum and Garrett Graham, sat out this spring while recovering from shoulder surgeries. The most experienced receiver, in terms of playing time, is sophomore Kyle Jefferson, who caught 26 passes as a true freshman a year ago. So, maybe it should come as no surprise that the young receiving corps has been plagued by dropped passes throughout the spring. The most consistent receiver has been something of a surprise. Sophomore David Gilreath made a name for himself as a returner last year, while catching only one pass. But he has probably had the best spring of any receiver. Probably the second-best receiver of the spring has been sophomore Isaac Anderson, who was redshirted last year after recurring hamstring problems.

COVERING UP

With projected starting cornerbacks Allen Langford and Aaron Henry missing the spring while recovering from knee surgeries, the young cornerbacks have gotten a lot of work. Reshirt freshman Mario Goins looks like the best alternative if Henry, who was injured in December (more than a month after Langford) isn't ready to return. But there are a lot of questions after that. Junior Josh Nettles was the next-best cornerback in the spring, but he will miss Saturday's game with a sprained ankle. He also continues to have academic issues, which is why he's been working with the No. 2 defense. Sophomore Niles Brinkley and redshirt freshman Otis Merrill are the other options, but both have a long ways to go.

A REAL KICK

Who's the player the Badgers will miss more than any other from last season? The easy choice is cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu, who declared for the NFL draft after his junior season. But kicker Taylor Mehlhaff probably is next on the list. Mehlhaff was almost automatic the past two years, not only on field goals but in finding the end zone on kickoffs. The candidates to replace him are junior Matt Fischer, a walk-on from Appleton East who has looked good on shorter kicks, and Philip Welch, a redshirt freshman on scholarship from Fort Collins, Colo. Also, redshirt freshman punter Brad DeBauche — the younger brother of Ken DeBauche, the Badgers' punter the last four years — will get a chance to show what he can do.

UW SPRING GAME

When, where: 1 p.m. Saturday, Camp Randall Stadium.

Tickets: Admission is free.