Wisconsin’s ugly win at Illinois on Saturday, October 28 may have come at a price, but there is reason for optimism thanks to Garrett Groshek.
Star running back and Heisman Hopeful Jonathan Taylor left before halftime with a leg injury. Fortunately, freshman Garrett Groshek looks ready to take on a bigger role.
Taylor was questionable to return. But he missed the entire second half, finishing the day with 12 carries for 73 yards.
Meanwhile, Pitt transfer Chris James remains out and Taiwan Deal is out for the season. As a result, the Badgers turned to Bradrick Shaw and Garrett Groshek to lead their ground attack.
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Although neither were as effective as Taylor, it was Garrett Groshek who demonstrated the explosiveness the Badgers will need to maintain a ground advantage, should Taylor miss any time. Groshek finished the day with 12 carries for 51 yards and a touchdown.
Groshek looked particularly quick on his 18 yard scamper, his longest of the game. He now has 36 rushes on the season for 219 yards, good for an impressive 6.1 yard per carry average for the redshirt freshman.
If Taylor is forced to miss time, Groshek should be able to spark the Badgers’ offense until Taylor returns, which will hopefully be before Michigan tests Wisconsin on November 18 at Camp Randall.
Aside from Groshek, Shaw should be able to pick up crucial 3rd and shorts and move the chains to wear out opposing defenses. While he hasn’t shown the promise of last season so far, he has been effective in picking up short gains against stacked boxes.
Though the Badgers’ passing game was frustrating for the majority of the contest, the defense held its own. Wisconsin held the Illini to 3 points before giving up a garbage time rushing touchdown with under a minute left.
Related Story: What Happens if Jonathan Taylor Misses Time
The good news for the possibly Taylor-less Badgers is that they play at Indiana and at home vs. Iowa the next two weeks. Both IU and Iowa have shown promise at certain points this season. Yet neither team has demonstrated the ability to handle a top-notch defense like Wisconsin on a consistent basis.
That arm is STIFF!
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) October 28, 2017
Garrett Groshek says you can get some, and yep, you can get some too as he rumbles into the redzone for @BadgerFootball. pic.twitter.com/hqXzGJVXkB
This Badger squad has not been as consistently dominant as is typical College Football Playoff teams. However, the Badgers do have time to recover with a less-than-formidable schedule on their side.
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Until Taylor returns, this team should have the pieces to coast to its second consecutive Big Ten Championship appearance. In addition, with Iowa St. knocking off TCU, potentially its first Playoff berth.