Wisconsin Football: 10 Best Quarterbacks in Wisconsin Badgers History

Joel Stave surveys the Purdue defense. Jim Oxley photo

No. 7: Joel Stave

Years at UW: 2012-2015

Career Stats: 7,418 yards, 47 touchdowns, 37 interceptions, 59.3 completion percentage

Joel Stave seems to be everyone’s favorite Badger… to hate, that is. Unfortunately for Stave, turnovers have hampered what would otherwise be one of the best quarterbacking careers all-time at UW.

Since 2012, Stave has helped the Badgers to 30 victories. A 2015 bowl game win would give Stave 31 in his career, making him the single winning-est quarterback all time at the school. He’s currently tied for that honor with Brooks Bollinger, and has earned those victories in fewer starts.

Stave has started 40 games as a Badger, the third most in school history. In that time he has amassed 7,418 passing yards, just 268 yards shy of Darrell Bevell’s all time record at UW. He is second all time at UW in pass attempts (1,004) and pass completions (595), and is fourth all time at Wisconsin in terms of completion percentage (.593).

He’s tied with John Stocco with 47 career passing touchdowns, the second-highest mark in school history.

Looking at all these numbers, an outsider might wonder why Stave isn’t higher on this list. Another number – career interceptions – helps clear that up. Stave has thrown 37 career interceptions, just two behind Bevell for the most in school history.

Many of those interceptions have come back to haunt the Badgers. In 2015 alone Wisconsin can attribute a pair of losses to poor a poor performance from Stave and the offense.

Still, Stave has been one of the best to throw it at Wisconsin, and leaves behind an impressive, if up-and-down, legacy.

Next: No. 6: Mike Samuel