One of the primary goals will deal with how the Badgers finished last season — with a pair of losses after a 9-2 start.

Although McEvoy did more with his feet than his arm, he stamped himself as a viable option.

With Joel Stave shut down with lingering pain in his right shoulder, McEvoy takes over as UW's No. 1 quarterback for Saturday's spring game.

Junior Joel Stave leads a group of six quarterbacks for the Badgers, who will begin spring practice on Wednesday.

Tom Mulhern has covered sports in Wisconsin for more than 25 years and joined the Wisconsin State Journal staff in 1998, taking over as beat writer for the UW football team a year later. The Madison native and graduate of East High and the University of Wisconsin has covered five Super Bowls, two Rose Bowls and a Final Four. Mulhern lives in Marshall and has three sons.

UW PREVIEW | QUARTERBACKS

PROJECTED STARTER

;Ht.;Wt.;Cl;Hometown

2 Joel Stave;6-5;225;Jr.;Greenfield

5 Tanner McEvoy;6-6;223;Jr.;Hillsdale, N.J.

THE REST

7 D.J. Gillins;6-3;185;Fr.;Jacksonville, Fla.

13 Bart Houston;6-4;217;So.;Dublin, Calif.

14 Connor Senger;5-10;175;R-Fr.;Milwaukee

12 Thad Armstrong;6-3;194;So.;Ottawa, Ill.

KEY LOSSES

Curt Phillips used up his eligibility — finally — after appearing in three games, completing 7-of-14 passes for 37 yards, with two interceptions.

BURNING QUESTION

Has Tanner McEvoy improved enough to push for the starting job?

While he had a better grasp of the offense, McEvoy made more plays with his legs than his arm in the spring game. Once again, coach Gary Andersen elected not to show much on offense. While many fans pine for a new quarterback, it’s hard to discount Stave’s 13-6 record as a starter.

PLAYER TO WATCH

A sizable section of the fan base has grown weary with Joel Stave, even though he is coming one of the best passing seasons in Badgers history. The 22 touchdown passes match the second-highest in school history and he threw for 2,494 yard, fifth-most at the school. If McEvoy is not ready to start, he could still have a roll, according to Andersen.