Inside the Huddle: For Benzschawels, being Badgers is part of family’s DNA
November 24, 2018 | Football, Mike Lucas
Badgers to honor seniors before kickoff of nation’s most-played rivalry vs. Minnesota
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BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — Over three decades ago, Scott Benzschawel experienced the emotion of a Senior Day as a Badger player. Saturday, he will do so as a proud father during pregame introductions at Camp Randall Stadium. How tough will it be to hold it together when his son, Beau Benzschawel, runs on to the field?
"I'm a pretty sensitive guy," claimed Scott, an offensive and defensive lineman in the mid-'80s. "You wouldn't think about me in that way — being 6-foot-8 and 340 pounds — but we have emotions, too. And I wear them on my sleeve most of the time. You kind of live your life vicariously through your boys."
The oldest is Beau, a fifth-year senior. He made his debut at Nebraska in early October of 2015 and started six games at right tackle. Just before the regular season finale against Minnesota, he moved to right guard, his mailing address on the offensive line ever since. Overall, he has made 47 consecutive starts.
Asked earlier in the week if he might get emotional when introduced Saturday, Beau shrugged and said, "I don't think so. But I'm not in that position yet. I will just be thinking how grateful I am for being here as long as I have been. I'll be thinking about all the good times."
There's a reason why he might want to try and cap the pre-game emotion.
"At the end of the day," Beau stressed, "We've got a football game to win."
Prior to kickoff, Scott and his wife Barcie will be on the field — they met at the Lake Shore dorms — along with daughter Abbey and youngest son, JP (6-7, 250), who just turned 16. Luke Benzschawel, a redshirt sophomore tight end for the Badgers, would like to be out there for his older brother, too.
"I'm going to try to be," said Luke, No. 86. "It's going to be a pretty cool day."
"I'd like that," said Beau, No. 66. "He has been here grinding through all the stuff with me."
"It would be cool if Luke was out there," said Scott, who once wore No. 76.
After redshirting, and dealing with some injuries, Luke Benzschawel has been seeing more playing time as a blocking tight end.
Beau has seen the steady improvement in Luke. "From the beginning of the season, the jitters of, 'I'm out here, I'm playing' are gone to where he's actually going out and executing and doing the job and doing it well."
The brothers played together at Grafton (Wisconsin) High School. "This is a little different," Beau suggested of sharing a Big Ten huddle. "When he comes in from the sidelines, I'm in there huffing and puffing, and I'm telling him, 'Okay, you're well-rested, let's get this done.' We keep it light."
After years of competing with each other in the backyard, local gyms and on playgrounds, it has to be reassuring to be on the field together. "When you run into the huddle," Luke said, "and it's third-and one, and I look at my brother — it's a familiar face that I've seen since I was a little kid."
To say the least, they've enjoyed each other's company. They've even been campus neighbors. "People talk about our team being a band of brothers and all of that," Beau said. "Obviously, it's a little bit different for us in that we are brothers and we care a little bit more for each other."
Scott Benzschawel didn't get a chance to play with his younger brother, Eric. Both starred at Monroe (Wis.) High School. Both were tendered by the Badgers. But they were five years apart: Scott was in the UW's 1983 recruiting class and Eric, a tight end, was in the '88 class.
"Beau has always loved playing with his brother, Luke — not many people get to do that," Scott said wistfully. "It's something they will always remember, especially playing on the big stage, Division I football. I tape the games and watch them two and three times over, so I can focus on each kid.
"I was just getting used to seeing Beau and Luke on the field together. I'll miss that."
The boys are convinced that their mom will be most emotional Benzschawel on Saturday.
"My dad," Beau said, "will probably say the usual, 'Play well, play hard.' Just the usual."
But it won't be business as usual. Or just another game for Scott Benzschawel. Or Beau.
Take it from Luke, who said, "Beau usually keeps to himself on stuff like this. But I know inside, he'll be a little emotional."
Take it from Scott, who said, "It's going to be hard for Beau to say good-bye. Not so much for me because I've got Luke for another couple of years."
As such, he feels blessed to have two sons wearing the motion "W" on their helmets.
"Oh, my God, I'm so grateful," said Scott Benzschawel, who was teammates with Wisconsin head coach Paul Chryst. "Other than the Watts, who gets a chance to do that?"
Neither J.J. Watt, nor Derek Watt, nor T.J. Watt lost to the Gophers.
The Benzschawels are determined to make sure the Axe stays in Madison.
"As far as the rivalry, it means everything — the Axe symbolizes everything and everybody that has come before us," Beau said. "It means a hell of a lot to us because we don't want to be the group of seniors or the team to lose.
"We've been working with that type of preparation all week to make sure it doesn't happen. As seniors, we've taken the lead but Coach (Paul) Chryst has been hitting on it during meetings that the young guys have to feel like it's their responsibility, too."
Luke Benzschawel got that message loud and clear. Not that he needed a reminder. "Growing up in Wisconsin, I don't like Minnesota that much," Luke said. "The only person I like from Minnesota is Ryan Connelly (who's from Eden Prairie and the only player from Minnesota on the UW roster)."
The rivalry with the Gophers transcends generations.
"My dad hates them," Luke said with a smile.
Heading into the final week of the regular season, what's the latest "Bowl Buzz" for @BadgerFootball? The forecast is looking sunny... ☀️😎
— Wisconsin Badgers (@UWBadgers) November 23, 2018
First and 10: Minnesota
1. Big plays abound through the air. With 25 receptions of at least 25 yards, the Gophers lead the Big Ten, averaging 14.3 yards per completion. Tyler Johnson has 12 catches of 25 or more yards; Rashod Bateman has seven, with his last three touchdowns covering 86, 67 and 61 yards.
2. One week after facing Purdue's Rondale Moore (91 catches for 1,023 yards and 10 TDs), the UW secondary will be challenged by the 6-2, 200-pound Johnson (70 catches for 1,036 yards and 10 TDs) who's is averaging 94.2 receiving yards per game. Moore is averaging 93.
3. The Gophers are the only team in the nation with all freshmen in the quarterback room. Zack Annexstad, a true freshman, started the first seven games; Tanner Morgan, a redshirt frosh, has started the last four. Combined, they have 16 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
4. Seth Green, who's listed as a backup wide receiver, is a 6-4, 240-pound Wildcat quarterback. Utilized in short yardage and goal line situations, Green has 64 carries for 229 yards and eight touchdowns. Green has completed 4-of-5 passes for 36 yards and two scores.
5. Tailback woes. Rodney Smith, who has rushed for 2,959 career yards and 21 touchdowns in 39 games, suffered a season-ending injury in the second game. Shannon Brooks, who has 1,882 career yards and 18 TDs in 29 games, was ruled out for the season after one outing.
6. Not unlike Isaiah Bowser, who has filled a void at running back for Northwestern, Mohamed Ibrahim, who was No. 3 on the depth chart, has done likewise for the Gophers. Ibrahim, a redshirt frosh, has rushed for more than 100 yards three times, including 157 vs. Ohio State.
7. Starting right tackle Daniel Faalele is listed at 6-9, 400 pounds (Aaron Gibson was 6-7, 368 as a UW senior). Faalele, a true freshman from Melbourne, Australia, made his first start at Ohio State. He played just one full season of high school football at IMG Academy in Florida.
8. The Eden Prairie (Minnesota) High School connection is alive and well with LB Ryan Connelly for the Badgers and DE Carter Coughlin and LB Blake Cashman for the Gophers. Coughlin leads the Big Ten with nine sacks. Cashman has 101 tackles, including 20 vs. Northwestern.
9. Special teams have been special. Placekicker Emmit Carpenter has 48 career field goals, third-most in school history. He's 16-of-19 on the road. This year, the Gophers have blocked two punts, returned one for a touchdown and allowed just eight returns for 10 yards.
10. The Gophers average the fifth-fewest penalties (4.09) in the nation. LB Thomas Barber has played 1,337 defensive snaps without drawing a flag in his career. Barber is the son of Marion (sixth leading all-time rusher) and brother of Marion III (fourth leading rusher).
Wisconsin vs. Minnesota Battle for Paul Bunyan's Axe Five Things to Know before the most-played rivalry in major college sports stages its 128th act at Camp Randall on Saturday #OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFootball) November 23, 2018
Note to Quote
After falling behind 17-7 in the first half, the Badgers trailed 17-10 going into the fourth quarter the last time that they played the Gophers at Camp Randall Stadium. But they scored three touchdowns in a little less than six minutes to rally for a 31-17 victory, thereby overcoming their largest fourth quarter deficit since 2008 when they also needed a late rally to beat the Gophers, 35-32, in Madison. Two years ago, the UW defense rose to the occasion with four interceptions (Sojourn Shelton had two and Leon Jacobs and Leo Musso one each) and five sacks of Minnesota quarterback Mitch Leidner.
Quote to Note
After watching fellow wide receiver Kendric Pryor pick off defender after defender while running stride for stride with Jonathan Taylor on his 80-yard touchdown run at Purdue, A.J. Taylor said, "That's a thing we talk about. As a receiver, you need to value blocking just as much as you value catching because with JT, you never know when a play can go from two yards to maybe the house."
