Taylor working to get grip on recent fumbling issues
MADISON – Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor is in the midst of a fabulous freshman season by just about every statistical measure.
Yet one number is trending in a direction that all parties involved must be reversed: Fumbles. UW tailbacks through seven games have 286 carries. Taylor has 149 of the carries (52.1%), and he has three fumbles, one every 49.7 carries.
The concern is that Taylor has lost a fumble in each of the last two games, in a span of 14 carries.
His first fumble came in Week 2 against Florida Atlantic, on his 29th carry of the season.
Taylor then went without a fumble for 89 carries. He lost a fumble at the Purdue 5 – his 119th carry of the season. Taylor’s third fumble of the season came on his fifth carry against Maryland, his 132nd carry of the season.
Taylor had both arms wrapped around the ball but removed his left arm as he was about to encounter traffic, and a Maryland defensive linemen then poked the ball free from behind. The Terrapins took over at the UW 5 but were forced to settle for a field goal.
“I didn’t feel like it was careless,” UW coach Paul Chryst said of Taylor's fumble against Maryland. “He wasn’t swinging the ball. I didn’t feel he was trying to change (hands) in the middle of it. Do we have to do better? Does he have to do better? Yea.”
Taylor overcame his fumble against Purdue by rushing eight times for 27 yards - and two first downs - on UW’s victory-clinching drive.
He rushed 17 times for 108 yards and a touchdown after the fumble against Maryland.
Left tackle Michael Deiter offered a simple message to Taylor.
“Really, all I say to him is make the next play,” Deiter said. “That is in the past. There is nothing you can do about it now. Sitting there sulking about something you did previously is never going to make you better in the future.
“And he has done a really good job of forgetting all that stuff and just battling back and making the big plays when we need them. I think he is playing older in that respect.”
Chryst a bargain: According to figures obtained by USA Today, Chryst was the seventh-highest paid football coach in the Big Ten in 2016. His annual pay was $2,706,200. Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh was No. 1 at $9,004,000.
UW assistants were paid a total of $2,862,520.
That was the No. 9 mark among the 12 Big Ten schools providing such information.
Total pay for assistants at Penn State and Northwestern was not available.
Erdmann continues to shine: Redshirt sophomore Jason Erdmann, a walk-on from Slinger High School, continues to get playing time at left guard.
Jon Dietzen got the start against Maryland, his fourth in a row and fifth in seven games this season. But because Dietzen has battled ankle/toe injuries this season, the staff has tried to limit his workload.
Erdmann replaced Dietzen on UW’s second series of the second half against the Terps and finished out the game.
“I think Erds is playing just as good as Jon,” Deiter said. “I think those guys are interchangeable right now. Dietzen has the experience. But we want him back at 100%.
“So to be able to limit him and throw in a guy who is playing just as good is huge. It keeps him healthy.”
Ties that bind: Illinois coach Lovie Smith coached UW’s linebackers in 1987, the first season for Don Morton as head coach. Chryst, who played quarterback and tight end at UW, won his second letter that season.
UW finished 1-7 in the Big Ten and 3-8 overall that season. One of the Badgers’ Big Ten losses was a 16-14 decision at Illinois.
Former UW defensive back Joey Boese (1998-2001) is Illinois’ head strength and conditioning coach for football.
Current Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman played tight end for the Illini and later with the San Diego Chargers in 2001. His position coach with the Chargers? Chryst.
MARK HOFFMAN / MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL