The fifth-year senior led the Badgers' starting offense to a touchdown on his only series of the day before ceding the field to a host of underclassmen vying for the backup role. [...] it's been compounded by a series of injuries to an already rebuilding offensive line, which graduated three starters — including first-team All-American's Rob Havenstein and Kyle Costigan — from the 2014 unit that paved the way for standout running back Melvin Gordon to rush for a Big Ten-record 2,587 yards. Stave's confidence has soared this spring since being reunited with Chryst, a Madison native who mentored Stave in 2011 while serving as the Badgers' offensive coordinator before taking his first head coaching job at Pitt. Stave regained the starting job for the final nine games and guided Wisconsin to an 8-1 mark, including an overtime victory over favored Auburn in the Outback Bowl.