Heading into this season, the Wisconsin Badgers’ strength on offense is the running back position. Braelon Allen is coming off a season where he rushed 1,268 yards and 12 touchdowns in only 11 games. While Allen will be the headline, the backfield could be much better than we realize. Chez Mellusi and Isaac Guerendo return after season-ending injuries and Julius Davis looks to have a bigger role. I believe Wisconsin’s backfield has the potential to be as deep as it was in 2013.
Deep Running Back Depth Won a Big Ten Championship
The last time the Badgers won a Big Ten Championship in 2012, they had Montee Ball, Melvin Gordon, and James White. That season, Ball rushed for 1,830 yards and 22 touchdowns. James White added 806 yards and 12 touchdowns. Melvin Gordon chipped in 621 yards and three touchdowns. While the Badgers only finished with a 4-4 record in conference; they made the Big Ten Championship due to postseason bans for Ohio State and Penn State.
In the Big Ten Championship, Wisconsin obliterated Nebraska 70-31. While the Badgers gained 640 yards of total offense against the Cornhuskers, 539 of those yards came on the ground. Montee Ball, James White, and Melvin Gordon combined to rush for 527 yards and eight touchdowns. Montee Ball would be selected as a first-team All-American and win the Doak Walker and Jim Brown Awards.
2013 Was Equally Impressive
Wisconsin would only have that kind of depth for one more season. In 2013, Melvin Gordon and James White combined to rush for 3,053 yards and 25 touchdowns. Corey Clement would chip in 547 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Gordon and White would be selected to the All-Big Ten second team. While Wisconsin didn’t appear in the Big Ten Championship, they did finish ranked 21st in the country.
One-Off Year Then Jonathan Taylor and Everyone Else
Since that time, Wisconsin hasn’t been able to duplicate the depth that they had at the running back position. 2016 was a down year overall for the position due to injuries. While Jonathan Taylor had a legendary career, the Badgers never had deep depth at the position. Out of all his backfield mates, only Taiwan Deal gained over 500 yards rushing and scored more than four touchdowns. However, Taylor was a “bell cow” back who could handle most of the carries and didn’t need a lot of help. In two of his three years with the Badgers, he carried the ball over 300 times.
If Healthy, Wisconsin’s Backfield Could Be Even Better Than It Was in 2012 and 2013
If everyone can stay healthy, Wisconsin has the potential to have the dynamic backfields it had in 2012 and 2013. Braelon Allen is a Heisman Trophy candidate. Chez Mellusi made a big impact on the offense and was well on his way to a 1,000-yard season before his injury. Isaac Guerendo flashed what he could against Eastern Michigan before yet another season-ending injury. This spring, Julius Davis took advantage of his opportunities with Mellusi and Guerendo being held out. Davis figures to have a bigger role this season.
With how many impactful running backs the Badgers have on their roster; there is no reason they can’t duplicate what they accomplished in the 2012 and 2013 seasons. The only that is stopping them is the durability of the backs. Chez Mellusi and Isaac Guerendo are coming off season-ending injuries. Braelon Allen was banged up at certain points in the season as well. Allen is going to be a marked man this season making durability more paramount.
If most of their running backs can stay healthy, then Badger opponents will have their hands full. We saw how dangerous the Badgers backfield was with the tag team of Braelon Allen and a healthy Chez Mellusi. If you thought that was awesome, now imagine a three or four-headed monster backfield. This would cause more havoc to opponents than ever. Wisconsin has the opportunity to have one of the most lethal rushing attacks in all of college football.
For more on Wisconsin Badgers football, check out Belly Up Sports and follow Eric on Twitter.
