MADISON – The Wisconsin football team got back to work Aug. 6.
Under sunny skies and temperatures that started in the high 60s and ended in the lows 70s, the Badgers held their first practice of fall camp at Camp Randall Stadium. The two-hour workout marked the first time since early in coach Luke Fickell’s tenure at Cincinnati that one of his teams began camp on campus.
A scheduling conflict prevented the Badgers from returning to UW-Platteville this year.
“Great first day to be honest with you,” Fickell said. “I think both sides of the ball, we had a lot of the things that we’re looking for as far as a competitive spirit, even a little bit over competitive spirit.
“But on both sides, I think they made some plays down the field, which is really nice. You can see a confidence level that’s building, but also a competitiveness, guys battling with each other.
Here are the takeaways and highlights from Day 1.
Tyreese Feabry, PJ Wilkins mix it up
Fickell mentioned some over-competitive spirit, a reference to linebacker Tyreese Fearbry and left tackle PJ Wilkins. The two got into skirmish midway through practice that required several players to separate.
Both players left the respecitive huddles for a few minutes to cool off before finishing practice. It’s the kind of thing that happens a few times during camp, though usually not this early.
Micheal Garner’s return gives UW another option at OLB
The Badgers got back the handful of outside linebackers they lost to injury during spring practice. Micheal Garner, a 6-foot-7, 315-pound senior, got the most work with the top unit, though Justus Boone also got first-unit snaps.
Consider it a solid start for a player whose emergence could give the Badgers a look they haven’t had on the edge the past few seasons.
“Where Mike is compared to where Mike was a year ago is a far cry, far difference,” Fickell said. “I don’t mean by his body and his size. I mean by just his mind and his heart. … Mike is in a great place from what I see. We know there’s some things that we’ve got to consistently be able to do to keep putting him out there and putting him in these positions, but he’s taken some ownership, not just of himself, but of that unit.”
The RBs fast start and other Day 1 odds, ends
* Running backs Abu Sama, Darrion Dupree, Bryan Jackson and Nate Palmer have fresh legs and it showed. Each looked faster than usual.
* With right guard Emerson Mandell continuing to recover from a foot injury, the Badgers used sophomore Blake Cherry and junior Stylz Blackmon in his place.
* Speaking of linemen, Michael Roeske worked at guard. The redshirt freshman from Wautoma had been lining up at tackle.
* Colton Joseph avoided risky throws, but one time he tried to squeeze a ball into coverage near the sideline after avoiding Jon Jon Kamara. The throw hung in the air a bit, and redshirt freshman cornerback Jai’mier Scott made him pay by picking it off.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Micheal Garner’s successful return, other takeaways from Wisconsin football camp
Reporting by Mark Stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Mark Stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
