Badgers’ blockers open holes, and watch Taylor go
MADISON, WIS. >> Jonathan Taylor can go pretty much anywhere at any time when he has the ball in his hands.
That’s trouble for any team that plays Wisconsin. And perhaps creates a little extra — but welcome — work for his teammates.
Always be aware of where the nation’s leading rusher might be. He could break a long run on any carry.
“Knowing that, you’ve got be a on a swivel, you’ve got to know what you’re doing,” receiver A.J. Taylor said. “It’s really about executing at that point. You execute it, he can do it.”
Next up for the Badgers (6-3, 4-2 Big Ten) is a visit to No. 21 Penn State on Saturday, a game that will allow Jonathan Taylor’s family and friends to make the relatively short trip from his hometown of Salem, N.J.
“If I go back east, a lot more of my family members get to come. It’s always a good time when they get to see you play,” he said.
It would be even sweeter for the star sophomore if he could have another big game.
Taylor bounced back from a 46yard outing on 11 carries in a 31-17 loss at Northwestern with 208 yards and three scores on 27 carries in a win over Rutgers last week. The TD run that had even his linemen talking was an 18-yarder in the third quarter giving the Badgers a 24-3 lead.
“He took a power run backside and the last time I saw someone do that was Melvin,” right tackle David Edwards said after the game, referring to former Badger and current Chargers tailback Melvin Gordon.
Beau Benzschawel, Wisconsin’s athletic, 6-foot-6 right guard, was pulling on the play in which he was designed to be a lead blocker.
Taylor had other ideas and sprinted to the right for the score.
“I was like, he wasn’t behind me. He should have been behind me,” Benzschawel recounted on Wednesday.
Not that he was really surprised by Taylor’s move. He has been blocking for Taylor for nearly two seasons now.
“There’s definitely a bag of tricks that he has,” he said.
Averaging 151.4 yards a game, Taylor leads major college teams this season in both 100-yard games (eight) and 200-yard games (three).