The Wisconsin Badgers offense got back on the right track last weekend against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, but it was the passing game that took off, not the running game.
Wisconsin handed the ball to true freshman Ryan Hopkins for his first career start, and he rewarded the team with 241 passing yards and three touchdowns in the win. Meanwhile, the Badgers managed 122 yards on the ground on 4.2 yards per attempt.
The Badgers split the backfield three ways. Abu Sama got nine carries for 35 yards.
Bryan Jackson got five carries for 32 yards. And Darrion Dupree had four carries for 12 yards. Combined, the trio went for 79 yards on 18 carries, averaging 4.4 yards per attempt.
Still, Wisconsin hasn’t been able to generate consistency in the run game this season, be it due to injuries or issues with execution. And Luke Fickell knows that.
“There has to be more consistency,” Fickell said this week. “I think the backs need to have the ball in their hands a little more, and we have to find ways to let guys get into a rhythm.
“Part of the challenge is that injuries have forced us to rotate multiple backs. Abu [Sama] hasn’t been completely healthy, so we’ve tried to spread carries around. Sometimes when you play three or more backs regularly, nobody gets a chance to get hot and build momentum.”
Over the past four years, we’ve heard Fickell allude to the hot hand mentality, but Wisconsin hasn’t really played that way this year. They’ve mixed up their running back looks a ton, not really allowing any one back to get that level of consistency, while injuries have hurt as well.
Some of their situational choices have been questionable as well, and the Badgers haven’t gotten the answers yet. So, Fickell wants his staff to start simplifying things for the running backs to try and get more consistency.
“I’ve challenged our staff to simplify things a bit,” Fickell said. “I’m not saying you go to a one-back system, and I’m not saying it has to be only two backs, but it’s difficult to consistently roll more than two guys through there and expect anybody to find a rhythm. We have to give some of those guys a greater opportunity to get on a roll and get moving forward.”
It’s been a bit underwhelming for the run game, considering Wisconsin wanted to be run-heavy entering the season. The Badgers made an offensive line coach change again, and they’ve gone through a ton of offensive line variations this season. As for the running back room, the Badgers have shown comfortability playing three games, but haven’t fully committed to a top back yet.
We’ll see how things change this weekend against the Maryland Terrapins, but the Badgers are still searching for that run game consistency nine games into the year.
