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What to watch for heading into opener THE VOICE MATT LEPAY • VOICE OF THE BADGERS N ow that Badgers head coach Bret Bielema has named Danny O'Brien as the starting quarterback for next week's opener with Northern Iowa, fans can turn their attention to other position groups. There has been some good competition, and that figures to continue. The battle for right guard and offensive line depth in general might not be the sexiest storyline, but clearly it matters in these parts. The development of wide receiv- ers not named Jared Abbrederis. On the depth chart Bielema re- leased earlier this week, sopho- more Kenzel Doe and redshirt freshman Jordan Fredrick are with the first group, with A.J. Jordan, Chase Hammond and Jeff Duck- worth looking to break into the rotation as well. On defense, one of the more popular questions is about the pass rush. Will ends David Gilbert, Brendan Kelly and Pat Muldoon be able to create havoc on opposing quarterbacks? In certain situa- tions, can linebacker Chris Borland do the same? Can a now-veteran secondary make a jump? All of the above questions have been rather common, but there is one area that has been a bit under the radar. The kicking game. Gone is Brad Nortman, one of the best punt- ers in UW history. Also leaving the building is Phillip Welch, who kicked 59 fields and made nearly 14 » VARSITY AUGUST 23, 2012 78 percent of his kicks. Both num- bers are second-best ever at Wis- consin. Redshirt freshman Drew Meyer is set to handle the punting duties, while sophomore Kyle French and true freshman Jack Russell contin- ue to compete for the kickoff and place kicking chores. It is probably no coincidence that when the Badgers win Big Ten titles, the specialists tend to be veterans. In the championship On defense, one of the more popular questions is about the pass rush. Will ends David Gilbert, Brendan Kelly and Pat Muldoon be able to cre- ate havoc on opposing QB? In certain situations, can Chris Borland do the same? seasons of the 1990s, Sam Veit and Kevin Stemke were weapons as punters. Both had some experience on their side. While Rick Sch- netzky was a terrific walk-on story (and a good kicker, too) in 1993, the other Alvarez Era title teams had a little more veteran presence with Matt "Money" Davenport and Vitaly Pisetsky. Bielema likes what his new spe- cialists bring to the table, but the point is only French has performed in front of 80,000 fans, and he is hardly a salty veteran. Still, the prep backgrounds of all three are impressive. Russell also has been able to pick the brain of another standout kicker from the recent past — Taylor Mehlhaff. Russell says he has worked on his hang time on kickoffs. Among the new rules in place for this sea- son is one that has kickoffs being taken from the 35-yard line, with touchbacks coming out to the 25, so a good hang time should be a valuable tool for any kicker. To this observer, part of what made Mehlhaff so successful at Wisconsin was his even-keeled nature. Russell noticed the same thing, and he wants that to be one of his strengths. "I try not to let things get to me," says Russell, who also likes to use a golf analogy to emphasize the im- portance of keeping his emotions in check. "Early in my golfing career, I did let things get to me. That was one of the things my dad told me — I just gotta keep it cool. Working with Taylor, he always talked about the mental side of the game." That would seem to be a trick for anyone in his shoes. Keeping cool while a stadium full of fans are screaming, either for you or against you. With the valid questions fans have about the Badgers this fall, the kicking game might not be a top-of-mind topic. But if this young group can come together and at least be solid this fall, it will be a huge boost in Wisconsin's drive to another big season.