As Wisconsin began to dominate in the second half of the game against Middle Tennessee, Danny O'Neil was absolutely electric. He seemed to be decisive and was completing almost every pass he threw. Fox analyst Spencer Tillman was blown away and even thought that maybe Wisconsin was having a Wally Pipp moment.
Now, if you don't know the reference of Wally Pipp, he was a first baseman for the New York Yankees. He took a game off because of a migraine, and so the manager subbed in the backup player, Lou Gehrig. The rest is history. Pipp couldn't get his job back, and Gehrig would go on to be one of the best players in the history of the MLB.
It's been a reference ever since, which means the backup is stealing the job from the starter. Tillman was essentially saying that Danny O'Neil has been impressive enough that he may now be competing to keep the starting job over injured Billy Edwards Jr.
Danny O'Neil had the best Wisconsin first game ever at the quarterback position
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O'Neil finished the game breaking records. He had the best start ever by a quarterback (in their first game). He went 23-27 for 283 yards and three touchdowns. He finished the game with the second-highest PFF score on the team at 89.0. The only player higher was Mason Reiger, who had a PFF score of 90.4.
While the start was impressive, many are holding their breath to see if he'll go against Alabama. If he is to get the start, that will be the real test. While he doesn't need to secure the win, he has to play well. Leading, making decisive calls, and taking care of the football.
While O'Neil most likely won't have a true Wally Pipp moment, it's nice to know that Wisconsin finally has a capable backup quarterback.