Huskers brace for Badgers’ Taylor-led attack

LI N CO L N, NE B . » The issue for wary Nebraska fans this week isn’t whether the Cornhuskers can upset No. 15 Wisconsin. It’s about how many yards Jonathan Taylor will run for this time.

The Badgers’ star has rushed for more than 200 yards two straight years against Nebraska and will go into Saturday coming off his season-high 250-yard outing against Iowa.

“He’s big, he’s powerful, and he’s slippery,” Nebraska nickelback JoJo Domann said. “He can slip through these tight gaps that their big O-linemen help create, and then he’s just a workhorse so you have to gang tackle him. You really have to knife him or wrap him up, can’t really hit him on top or take him down with your arms. He’s the full package and we’ve got to bring it this week.”

Nebraska (4-5, 2-4) has been mostly inept against the Badgers’ ground game since entering the Big Ten.

Wisconsin (7-2, 4-2, No. 14

CFP) has run for at least 300 yards in 19 conference games since 2011, and Nebraska was the opponent in four. Only Purdue allowed 300 as many times.

Wisconsin has averaged 312.5 yards rushing while winning seven of eight in the series with Nebraska, including the last six. Melvin Gordon set a school record with 408 yards in the 2014 game. Gordon and Montee Ball had 216 and 202 yards, respectively, in the 2012 Big Ten championship game rout of the Huskers.

Taylor ran for 249 yards and two touchdowns against Nebraska in 2017 and for 221 yards and three TDs last season. The 5-foot-11, 219-pound junior will be going for his 11th 200-yard game Saturday, which would put him in a four-way tie for most in a career by a Football Bowl Subdivision player.

“I think coaches always do a great job of putting together a great scheme,” Taylor said. “They always say, ‘There’s nothing magic in the plays, it’s always the players.’ ”