Gaglianone has no concerns about his back
MADISON – Rafael Gaglianone insists his mind is unfettered by worry when he takes the field to attempt a field goal or extra point.
The back injury that led to season-ending surgery and cost him all but three games last season is healed and he isn’t worried about suffering a setback.
“I feel as good as I’ve ever felt,” Wisconsin’s junior kicker said this week as UW prepared to open Big Ten play Saturday against visiting Northwestern. “I feel like I’m hitting the ball as good as I ever have here.
“Nothing but confidence going into Big Ten play.”
Gaglianone made 7 of 8 field-goal attempts and all 10 of his extra points in UW’s first three games last season before being sidelined.
He has made 3 of 4 field-goal attempts this season and is 17 of 17 on extra points.
His lone miss was a 37yard attempt in Week 2 against Florida Atlantic. Distance wasn’t an issue but the ball hooked left.
His holder, reserve punter Connor Allen, is back. The long snapper is new, freshman Adam Bay.
“I feel it was a good start for us,” Gaglianone said. “We got a lot of PATs and short field goals to kind of get the toes wet for the whole operation, the protection.”
Although his long attempt so far is the 37-yarder he missed, Gaglianone isn’t concerned about distance. Nor is he concerned that his attempts are down because UW’s offense is finding the end zone more frequently than through the first three games last season.
“The team has been doing a really good job so I’ve got a lot of PATs,” Gaglianone joked. “You can’t be upset about that. You can’t be thinking you want a 50-yarder.
“You’re a team player at the end of the day. You don’t want to be going out there all the time to hit field goals because you know that’s not a productive day for the offense.
“All in all I think we’ve had a good start.”
Quotable: Senior cornerback Derrick Tindal has raved about the work of Jim Leonhard, who joined the staff last season as the secondary coach and is in his first season as defensive coordinator.
What Tindal appears to love most about Leonhard is his willingness to trust his cornerbacks in manto-man coverage.
“We’re going to play man-to-man the whole game,” Tindal said, smiling. “If you catch us in zone, it must be like third and 55 or something.” Loudermilk fills void:
With senior defensive end Chikwe Obasih (knee) having missed the last two games and still out indefinitely, redshirt freshman Isaiahh Loudermilk has been asked to mature quickly.
So far, so good for the 6foot-7, 306-pounder from Howard, Kan.
Loudermilk has five total tackles in three games. Though a modest total, it is third among the linemen. Senior ends Alec James (10) and Conor Sheehy (six) are ahead of Loudermilk.
“It has been huge to have him step up with Chikwe going out, a veteran leader of this defense that has played a lot of snaps,” Leonhard said. “You need multiple guys to step up and Isaiahh is one of them.”
Extra points: Left guard Jon Dietzen (right ankle) and kickoff specialist P.J. Rosowski (right leg) remain questionable for Northwestern. …
A reminder that UW’s 2017 Hall of Fame class is scheduled to be honored at 5 p.m. Friday in front of the Hall of Fame, which is just east of Camp Randall Stadium. Members of the class are Darrell Bevell (football), Brooks Bollinger (football), Tracy Webster (men’s basketball), Brian Elliott (men’s hockey), Bob Suter (men’s hockey), Sara Bauer (women’s hockey), Tamara Moore (women’s basketball) Arlie Schardt (men’s cross country/ track & field), Chris Solinsky (men’s cross country/ track & field), Guy Lowman (head coach-baseball) and Mike Leckrone (special service).