Watching Tanner McEvoy struggle to complete any passes Saturday against LSU, one had to wonder why the Badgers didn’t just suck it up and insert veteran backup Joel Stave, especially once the game started really slipping away.
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Stave is nothing special but he has won some big games in the past, and certainly he couldn’t be any worse than McEvoy, who at times looked like he didn’t belong anywhere near a football.
After the game, we thought we found out why Stave was not an option despite McEvoy’s struggles. It was reported that Stave was suffering from a flare up of a shoulder injury and could not play.
Given that the report came straight from the mouth of head coach Gary Andersen, there was no reason to doubt its veracity. Turns out Gary Andersen is not a particularly good source when it comes to information about Wisconsin quarterbacks.
On Tuesday, Andersen backtracked from his own report on Stave, saying the QB does not have a physical issue with his shoulder. Instead, Stave is suffering from some kind of non-injury that is making him unable to throw.
Does that make sense?
Asking Stave himself to clarify matters led to this somewhat less-than-satisfying explanation (via Fox Sports):
"“I’ve thrown how many thousands of balls in my life?” Stave said. “I know when it hurts and when it doesn’t. I don’t know what it is. It just isn’t right, I guess.”"
Just isn’t right? Sounds like the yips. You know, like golfers get. And Chuck Knoblauch that one time.
Stave was asked if his issue might be a case of the yips and he said:
"“Maybe on some level. I’ve heard of that, too. The yips, a golfer who can’t hit it straight and stuff like that. I know I can throw the ball. That’s something that since I’ve been a kid, not even just football, I’ve been good at throwing things. I could throw a baseball. Give me a volleyball, I can chuck it across a gym.“I’ve just been good at throwing things since I’ve been young. It’s not a lack of confidence. It’s not a lack of preparation or anything like that. It’s just a matter of getting back to feeling comfortable and feeling like the ball’s coming out the way it should.”"
Well that definitely sounds like the yips to me. Because Stave currently is suffering from a severe communication problem between his brain and his arm, Tanner McEvoy will remain the quarterback for the Badgers.
Thankfully for the Badgers, they are only playing Western Illinois this week. They should be fine with a quarterback who can’t even complete simple passes with accuracy.
I think.