Badger of Honor
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Wisconsin Football: Three superlatives from week three performance

By Taylor Laabs

MADISON, WI - SEPTEMBER 08: Elijah Lilly #19 of the New Mexico Lobos is brought down by Andrew Van Ginkel #17 and Zack Baun #56 of the Wisconsin Badgers during a game at Camp Randall Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MADISON, WI - SEPTEMBER 08: Elijah Lilly #19 of the New Mexico Lobos is brought down by Andrew Van Ginkel #17 and Zack Baun #56 of the Wisconsin Badgers during a game at Camp Randall Stadium on September 8, 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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MADISON, WI – AUGUST 31: Garrett Groshek #37 of the Wisconsin Badgers scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Camp Randall Stadium on August 31, 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MADISON, WI – AUGUST 31: Garrett Groshek #37 of the Wisconsin Badgers scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Camp Randall Stadium on August 31, 2018 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

The Talent Behind Taylor

Jonathan Taylor continues to churn out good games stat-wise, tallying 26 carries for 117 yards on Saturday, but he hasn’t found the next, game-changing gear he often operated on during last season. With time and more experience meshing with the offensive line, I think Taylor will continue to make a solid case for the Heisman. That said, he does have his faults, most notably as a pass catcher and short yardage back. Thankfully, the Badgers have a crop of talent behind him to help pick him up.

Taiwan Deal continues to be a nice surprise for this Badgers team. Chryst clearly trusts the senior running back in short yardage situations, especially near the goal line, and that showed on Saturday as Deal racked up two touchdowns on short runs that ended up in the end-zone. The bruising running back offers a much-needed foil to the smooth running of Taylor. I expect him to continue to be featured prominently.

While Jonathan Taylor rightly gets the cheers, many Badgers on Saturday were also screaming for Garrett Groshek to get more touches, either as the shotgun back or as a receiver in the flat.

While Groshek doesn’t have the talent of Taylor or the size of Deal, he just makes plays, and that is a breath of a fresh air for an offense that can sometimes get stagnant.

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Groshek averaged 7.5 YPC on his six carries on Saturday and also caught four passes. After a performance like that behind Taylor and Deal, his usage rate should continue to rise.