Wisconsin will once again be huge underdogs on Saturday when they face off against the Washington Huskies. The Badger offense has been anemic lately, scoring just seven total points over the last three weeks, and head coach Luke Fickell is looking for a spark.
That spark may come in the form of true freshman quarterback Carter Smith, who has yet to see any action this year. At his Monday morning press conference, Fickell revealed that Smith may have a role, or possibly even start.
"It's not far-fetched to think that there isn't going to be a role and an opportunity for him," said Fickell. "If it's not this week, here in the near future...So, there's a lot of chances for a lot of guys, but Carter is definitely one of them."
Is it time for true freshman Carter Smith to see the field?
If Smith plays, he will be the fourth quarterback to suit up for the Badgers this year. Starter Billy Edwards Jr. was injured early on, and has been seemingly shut down for the season. In his stead, backups Danny O'Neil and Hunter Simmons have struggled. Each has thrown five interceptions, and have failed to muster up any sort of offensive rhythm.
At 2-6, the Badgers aren't in any real position to compete in the Big Ten, so could it be worth it to get the true freshman some reps? Frankly things couldn't look much worse on offense, and it could be a good opportunity to see how the future starting quarterback looks. However, Washington is ranked No. 24 in the country and the game would be far from easing Smith into the college ranks.
Still, even with some growing pains, there would be some benefit to getting Smith out there.
How reps shake out this week in practice will be a clue as to what Fickell is thinking in regards to his quarterback. The Badgers play on Saturday at 3:30 at Camp Randall.