Badger wide receiver situation

Been doing some thinking on the Badgers' situation at wide receiver without Swan, and I'm not feeling as bad about it as I did at first. That is to take nothing away from Swanny, great player, great story, etc. Here's why:

As predicted before, I see Chryst using Beckum split wide more often, with Jefferson as the second wideout. If he wants to go two-tight end, he can go with Graham and Turner or Crooks. Becks might not be as precise a route runner as Swan (or he might be, haven't broken down the tape on this one ... or any other one), but he just finds ways to get open. And Jefferson has shown he can make plays.

Just don't see the other guys mentioned as possible "step up" candidates - Maurice Moore, Daven Jones, Marcus Randle-El, Gilreath, Xavier Harris - making an appreciable impact. Surely not right away against a good Penn State team. Maybe Gilreath, we have evidence of his quickness. Prove me wrong, guys.

This reminds me of the 2002 season, when Evans got hurt and Williams and Orr stepped in as starters as freshmen (anyone remember if they were true or redshirt?) and put up good numbers, but it was definitely not smooth sailing for that year's offense, or team.

BTW, read on the JS Badger blog that Williams had just signed with the Rams, didn't know he'd been cut by the Niners.

One other Badger note: the beat writers are making note of how much Donovan threw against Illinois, and for good reason, it was too much. That was dictated more by game situation - playing from two scores behind much of the game - rather than original intent, but it can't continue if this program is to have success.

Every time a Badger QB throws a ton of passes for a ton of yards, all I can think of is the loss to Minnesota in '93, when Bevell moved the team up and down the field but had five picks. That game cost UW a chance at a national championship, at least in Barry's mind. Just hope the day our QB threw 49 passes and two picks at Illinois doesn't cost us in the same way, although the way our D is playing we might lose again.