MADISON – Wisconsin’s 14th practice of fall camp was its shortest.
The Badgers practiced for about 75 minutes Aug. 22 at Camp Randall Stadium. The workout, which was the team’s last before a scrimmage Aug. 23, was mostly walk throughs and special teams work, though there was some 11-on-11 action that pitted the second team against the first.
Here are the takeaways and highlights from the day.
Stylz Blackmon takes pole position at right guard
Right guard Stylz Blackmon split reps with Blake Cherry for most of camp. On. Aug. 22, the transfer from Division II Augustana worked exclusively with the first team. The competition could prove critical if Emerson Mandell, who is recovering from foot surgery and hasn’t practiced in camp, isn’t ready for the season opener Sept. 6 against Notre Dame.
“I think he definitely wants to work hard,” center Austin Kawecki said about Blackmon on Aug. 11. “He doesn’t seem like he’s overwhelmed at all, so I think that he’s really learned the offense really fast and he’s really smart, so he’s able to kind of just play fast.
“And you can pretty much put him wherever you want to in the line, center, left guard, right guard, those are middle three. I think especially coming from a lower level it’s been really impressive to see.”
Colton Joseph works through turnovers
Quarterback Colton Joseph did a lot of work in the run game, but he was also intercepted twice, first by cornerback Eric Fletcher and later by Drew Braam, a junior linebacker from Oak Creek. Both plays, if in a game situation, had the potential for long returns.
Joseph was also intercepted by linebacker Taylor Schaefer on Aug. 18 and nearly picked off by Matt Jung on Aug. 20, but the safety couldn’t hang on to the ball.
Camp has reached a point when the defense recognizes a lot of what the offense presents. That does affect offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes’ thinking about the about mistakes, but only a little.
“That’s probably in the back of my mind so that maybe I don’t overreact when one of those things happens,” Grimes said after practice Aug. 22. “But when I’m talking with the players, we don’t ever talk that way. We’re never going to make an excuse for a turnover or poor execution.”
Marvin Burks returns, Eric Fletcher gets two picks
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Stylz Blackmon continues to make mark on Day 14 of Wisconsin fall camp
Reporting by Mark Stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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By Mark Stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
