Badgers coach changes quarterbacks

Wisconsin football coach Bret Bielema confirmed Thursday that redshirt freshman Joel Stave will start at quarterback Saturday, Sept. 22, when the Badgers host Texas-El Paso.

Stave replaces junior transfer Danny O’Brien, who was pulled at halftime last week after he committed three turnovers in his last two contests.

Bielema told the players about his decision on Monday, and then played coy about it until Thursday. The word soon leaked out, however.

The coach said his No. 1 concern was ball security. He said he was impressed that Stave had no fumbled snaps or any other problems hanging onto the ball in Wisconsin’s two-point win over Utah State.

Bielema said Stave “didn’t show me any reason not to stay with him.”

The Badgers hope to see signs of life from their sputtering offense Saturday in their final tune-up before the Big Ten schedule begins.

They’ve had trouble blocking, not just on the offensive line, but at the tight end and fullback spots as well.

Wisconsin comes into Saturday’s game at 2-1. Texas-El Paso is 1-2.

UW-Platteville defeats UW-Eau Claire

Senior quarterback John Kelly threw for 414 yards and four touchdowns Thursday night as UW-Platteville scored a 49-19 nonconference home win over UW-Eau Claire.

It was the first 400-yard passing game for a Platteville quarterback since 2003. The 16th-ranked Pioneers are now 3-0. They’ve scored a school-record 157 points in those first three outings, breaking the old mark of 153 in 1970.

Joel Sweeney had 100 rushing yards for Eau Claire, which fell to 0-3. The two teams will play their again in late October in their official conference game.

Jennings recovering slowly

Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy says receiver Greg Jennings is recovering slower than expected from the groin injury he suffered 12 days ago in the season opener.

Jennings suffered a setback at practice on Tuesday when he failed to take part in the full team drills after getting some quick rehab.

McCarthy said the coaching staff might have been too optimistic about his recovery. Jennings did not practice at all Thursday.

The coach is not ruling Jennings out for the Packers’ next game at Seattle on Monday night, however.

Jennings practiced only 13 days at training camp due to another injury. It’s a big loss for the Packers. He caught 67 passes for 949 yards and nine touchdowns a year ago.

Jennings’ only action this year was in the season opener against San Francisco, when he caught five passes for 34 yards.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he and Jennings will have to be on the same page when he returns.

Besides Jennings, tight end Tom Crabtree did not practice yesterday as he gets over a shoulder injury. Linebacker Jamari Lattimore missed practice with a bad ankle. Five players were limited – Randall Cobb, Josh Sitton, Davon House, James Starks and C.J. Wilson.

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