A look at where things stand for the Wisconsin running game after the first game of the 2017 Badger football season.
The Wisconsin Badgers like to run the ball. That really isn’t much in the way of breaking news. Hence, the entire offense flows from a successful ground game.
Therefore, let’s look at where the Badger rushing attack is at after a 59-10 win over Utah State to open the season.
All told, Wisconsin ran for 234 total yards on 45 carries for a healthy 5.2 yards per carry average. Interestingly, Wisconsin picked up nine first downs via the run and 12 from the pass.
Wisconsin Badgers Football
True freshman Jonathan Taylor turned heads with an explosive debut in Madison. He led the team with 87 yards and a TD on only nine carries (9.7 yards per carry average). Taylor did have a 41-yard burst meaning he tallied 46 yards on his other eight carries (5.8 yards per carry average) which is still solid.
Taylor showed all the tools (vision, power, balance, speed) to be a big success in the Wisconsin scheme. We should be seeing a lot of him in the weeks ahead.
Consequently, an increase workload may come at the expense of Pitt transfer Chris James. He mustered just 15 yards on five carries. In addition, James had a costly blocking penalty and fumble on successive plays in the second half.
Starter Bradrick Shaw ran hard for his 84 yards on 18 carries (4.7 yards per carry average) and the first TD of the Wisconsin season. He also caught one pass for 10 yards to pick up a first down. I really like Shaw and think he has a bright future.
However, I do worry a little about his pad level given that he is 6-feet-1-inches tall. Shaw runs with anger and sometimes gets airborne and crashes to the turf. Perhaps that’s a signal Shaw might be too high. As a result, he needs to lower his shoulders more especially between the tackles.
Related Story: Wisconsin Football Breakout Candidate Bradrick Shaw
Naturally, one game doesn’t make or ruin a season. We’ll have 11 games and plenty of opportunities for all the RB on the Wisconsin roster to state their case.
Wisconsin’s ground game is critical for the offense. For example, the running game forces defenses to load the box. Furthermore, it sets up play action and provides favorable coverages for the receivers. In addition, it’s the key to building up the time of possession edge and icing wins.