30 // VARSITY April 17, 2014
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either the incumbent quarterback nor the
challenger has any qualms about competing
for what they want. Joel Stave and Tanner
McEvoy want the same thing: the starting job.
"It will be a fight," Wisconsin head coach Gary An-
dersen predicted.
Stave, the former walk-on, wouldn't want it any
other way. He's had 19 starts (13-6) over the last two
seasons and has completed 61 percent of his passes
for 3,598 yards and 28 touchdowns.
"That's how football is; it's a competitive game and
there's competition at every position," said Stave, a
junior from Greenfield, Wis. "That's the way it has
been for me every year since I've been here.
"Someone else is competing for the spot that
you're competing for and you really need to play
well in (preseason training) camp and you have to
do it consistently if you want to play here."
McEvoy, the junior college transfer from Arizona
Western, wouldn't want it any other way. After injur-
ing his wrist last season, he moved to defense and
started three games at safety.
"We are making each other better every day and I
just have to do what the coaches ask me to do and go
out there and compete," said McEvoy, a junior from
Hillsdale, N.J.
"I wanted to establish myself more as a quarter-
back (this spring). I think I've made strides from
practice one to practice 15. Joel's injury got me more
reps at the end."
The shoulder injury has hung over Stave ever
since he took an open-field hit from South Carolina's
Victor Hampton in the Capital One Bowl and had to
leave the game in the third quarter.
Stave was limited over the first six spring practices
and held out of the final three, including Saturday's
intrasquad scrimmage at Camp Randall Stadium.
"He knows that he's in a battle and he wants to
be out there," Andersen said. "We had our worries
about his shoulder at this point and we were going
to try to be cautious and careful.
"Joel cares a lot about this team and about football
and about Wisconsin. But I think he's more worried
about getting back right now more than anything
else.
"He'll be fine. I believe when we walk back in there
June 8 and we have our welcome back barbeque that
he'll tell me his shoulder feels very good. That's what
I'm hopeful for."
So is Stave.
