News:Curt Phillips will compete against Joel Stave and Tanner McEvoy for starting quarterback, the Madison State Journal reports.
Analysis:Curt Phillips saw first-string reps in last Saturday's spring game. He completed 8 of 13 passes for 82 yards. Stave is currently the fan favorite for the starting position, but don't quite rule out Phillips or McEvoy.
News:Curt Phillips will start at quarterback in the Rose Bowl against Stanford, CBSSports.com reports.
Analysis: "Curt won that championship game," interim head coach Barry Alvarez said. "He's earned the right to start." Alvarez also stated that Curt Phillips will start even if Joel Stave is cleared to play. However, if Stave is able to suit up, both players will see the field.
News:Curt Phillips is expected to start against Indiana on Saturday, ESPN's Tom Lea reports.
Analysis: He's been the victim of an endless list of knee issues, but Curt Phillips used to be a highly-touted recruit and a strong running threat. If he still has the wheels, he could make a fantasy impact in Big Ten-only leagues, but it's not a good sign that he started the year behind Danny O'Brien and Joel Stave on the depth chart.
Wisconsin's Phillips Could Earn Starting Role vs. Indiana
News: Wisconsin offensive coordinator Matt Canada says Curt Phillips could earn a chance to start against the Indiana on Nov. 10 during practice this week, CBS Sports reports.
Analysis:Curt Phillips, who has torn the ACL in his right knee three times, will battle Danny O'Brien for the starting role, with the winner earning the chance to start against Indiana on Nov. 10. In any case, fantasy owners should not expect a lot from whoever starts under center for the Badgers.
News: Phillips will undergo a third knee surgery in 13 months Friday after recently suffering a setback in his recovery from two ACL tears, Madison.com reports.
Analysis: The future is not looking food for the former big recruit and heir apparent to Scott Tolzien. Phillips had the look of a high-upside athletic playmaker for Wisconsin, but Jon Budmayr has since taken control of the quarterback spot.
Wisconsin's Phillips Makes Early (Limited) Return to Spring Drills
News: Phillips, still recovering from a torn ACL suffered last November, surprised Wisconsin's coaching staff by participating in the first spring practice open to the media this past Saturday, Madison.com reports.
Analysis: Head coach Bret Bielema earlier this year told the media he didn't expect much from Phillips this spring, but was left commenting his quarterback was "kind of a genetic freak" after the junior took some reps in 7-on-7 drills this past weekend - just five months removed from his second ACL tear in a year.
News: Phillips (knee) might be able to take part in Big Ten play for Wisconsin, which would mark October 2nd against Michigan State, the Journal Sentinel reports.
Analysis: Phillips is no threat to starter Scott Tolzien's spot, but Wisconsin definitely values him as a backup for the time being. He can't match Tolzien as a passer in any capacity, but he's a great athlete and could put up big rushing numbers if Tolzien ever gets hurt.
News: Badger coach Bret Bielema confirmed Phillips tore his ACL, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Analysis: Bielema said Phillips will have surgery in the next couple of weeks. Phillips played in four games in 2009, serving as the No. 2 quarterback behind Scott Tolzien.
News: Phillips was three-for-six for 28 yards and a pick in Saturday's blowout win over Purdue.
Analysis: He was relatively ineffective running the ball, picking up just three yards on four carries, but we saw him hang in the pocket a little longer than he did earlier in the season. Scott Tolzien has established himself as the starter, but if he goes down due to injury Phillips will be the next guy in line.
Phillips Makes Most of Limited Work Versus Wofford
News: Phillips only ran the ball four times against Wofford on Saturday, but he gained 92 yards.
Analysis: Considering that Phillips is the backup quarterback to Scott Tolzien, who has played well this season, don't expect him to have much opportunity to match this output.
News: Phillips did not play in Saturday's win over Fresno State.
Analysis: Despite being listed as a co-starter on the season-opening depth chart, Phillips spent the entire day on the sideline. He still may get an occasional series from time to time, but Scott Tolzien has shown poise and accuracy as the starter and will continue to get the lion's share of the reps as long as he remains productive.
Phillips Limited to Five Passes in Badgers' Victory
News: Phillips was 3-for-5 for 24 yards in Saturday's win over Northern Illinois, but he did manage to pick up 34 yards on four rushes.
Analysis: Unless starter Scott Tolzien goes down with an injury, Phillips' playing time will be limited. However, if Tolzien does get hurt, Phillips could be a valuable weapon given his dual-threat capabilities.
Tolzien and Phillips Will Play in Wisconsin's Opener
News: Both Phillips and Scott Tolzien will see time at quarterback in Wisconsin's season opener against Northern Illinois, ESPN reports.
Analysis: The Badgers released a depth chart on Thursday that lists "Scott Tolzien OR Curt Phillips" as the starting quarterback. The two may start out in a platoon, but if one begins to emerge, coach Bret Bielema probably won't hesitate to hand the reins over to one player. For now, however, neither are safe to use in a fantasy lineup.
News: The release of Wisconsin's Week One depth chart finds both Phillips and junior Scott Tolzien sharing the staring role at quarterback ahead of senior Dustin Sherer, ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Phillips appeared to be an early favorite to win the starting quarterback role as fall camp opened, but a strong showing by Tolzien in the last week or so apparently warranted naming the junior a co-starter for the Badgers.
News: Phillips has watched from the sidelines as junior Scott Tolzien has taken reps with first-team offense on consecutive days, and it seems likely that Tolzien will be named the starter when the Badgers release their official depth chart on Thursday, the Wisconsin State Journal reports.
Analysis: Phillips will participate in an extended scrimmage on Wednesday with hopes that he can win the job over Tolzien. Phillips, a redshirt freshman, was the favorite to start for the Badgers when they opened preseason camp, but the emergence of Tolzien has made for an intriguing battle at quarterback.
News: University of Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst mentioned recently that Phillips - the frontrunner in the race to be the Badgers next starting quarterback - reminded him of Tyler Donovan prior to the start of Donovan's junior season, BadgerBeat reports.
Analysis: Mike Lucas comments that it's difficult to determine whether such a comparison is a good or bad thing. Given that Phillips is a redshirt freshman, Chryst's statement could be taken to mean that Phillips is ahead of the learning curve given his age and experience. However, Lucas also points out that a negative stance can be taken, one that speaks to the mistakes Donovan was prone to make - and which Phillips has copied, throwing four interceptions during Wisconsin's scrimmage a week ago Saturday.
Philips Struggles as Passer in Wisconsin Scrimmage
News: Although he is the front-runner for the starting quarterback job, Phillips struggled in the team's first scrimmage, throwing four interceptions while completing just three of 11 passes, Badgerbeat reports.
Analysis: Phillips reportedly was excellent as a runner, and two of the interceptions didn't seem to be his fault, but three of nine for two interceptions is still unacceptable. The good news for Phillips, as far as his competition is concerned, is that Sherere and Tolzien turned in similarly miserable performances.
News: Phillips is taking most of the reps with Wisconsin's first-team offense, ESPN reports.
Analysis: Both Dustin Sherer and junior Scott Tolzien are in the mix to compete for the starting job, but it looks like Phillips has the early lead.
News: Wisconsin will hold an open competition for the starting quarterback spot between incumbent senior Dustin Sherer and Phillips, a redshirt freshman, the Wisconsin State Journal reports.
Analysis: Phillips and Sherer probably shouldn't be considered in multi-conference leagues. For Big Ten-only leagues, Phillips could be a decent sleeper option, so stay tuned in to the competition. Although he's an unknown, Phillips is athletic and would likely be a good source of ground yards at the least. Sherer is inconsistent, but Bret Bielema has shown a reluctance to go with his younger quarterbacks, so it might take a few embarrassing losses before Bielema gives Phillips a shot.
