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Wisconsin Football: Jonathan Taylor Wins Big Ten Awards

By Noah Seligman

LINCOLN, NE - OCTOBER 07: Running back Jonathan Taylor
LINCOLN, NE - OCTOBER 07: Running back Jonathan Taylor /
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Wisconsin freshman running back Jonathan Taylor claimed a pair of conference honors following his big night against Nebraska

After running wild in Lincoln all over the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Wisconsin freshman RB JOnathan Taylor added a pair of Big Ten honors.

Taylor is both the Big Ten Offensive Player and Big Ten Freshman of the Week.  He earned the honor after running for 249 yards on 25 carries and a pair of touchdowns against Nebraska.

The first year star is currently the Big Ten’s leading rusher with 767 yards, 97 carries, and nine touchdowns.   He’s also the conference’s top scorer which is usually the domain of kickers.

Wisconsin Badgers Football
Wisconsin Badgers Football /

Wisconsin Badgers Football

Keep in mind, Taylor is putting up those numbers despite having played only five games.  Wisconsin has already had its bye week.  So some of his contemporaries have an extra game but still cant’ eclipse his numbers.

Nationally, Taylor is 7th in the country in rushing.  However, he is one of two runners in the top ten who have played just five games.  The other, Navy QB Zach Abey has 146 rushing attempts compared to only 97 for Taylor.

This is the second time Taylor has won the Big Ten Freshman of the week honors.

He previously claimed the ward in week two of the regular season against Florida Atlantic.  Wisconsin topped the Owls 31-14 behind Taylor’s 226 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

So what does this signify for Wisconsin football?  Honestly, not a lot, it’s not like the Badgers don’t know what they have.  The rest of the Big Ten is learning fast as well.

What will be important is keeping opposing defenses off-balance.  Future opponents now have five weeks worth of Taylor’s tape to study.  He is a known commodity.  So adding some new plays or wrinkles are important to keep the offense a step ahead.

Next: Share Carries to help Jonathan Taylor

One area we haven’t seen Taylor contribute at all is pass catching.  In fact, Wisconsin running backs have just nine of the 70 Badger catches.  Perhaps the screen game or simple flat routes could be added as a new look.