Wisconsin football: 3 bold predictions for Week 3 at BYU

1. Jonathan Taylor won’t be stopped by the BYU front seven

Wisconsin seems to have rediscovered its rushing prowess thanks to running back Jonathan Taylor. He ran for 87 yards on just nine carries in the opener against Utah State. Once Paul Chryst and the offensive staff recognized the star they had on the roster, he got the bulk of the carries against Florida Atlantic.

Taylor responded with Wisconsin’s first 200-yard rushing performance since Melvin Gordon put up 251 against Auburn in a 34-31 Outback Bowl win on New Year’s Day 2015. In an explosive follow-up to his debut against the Aggies, the freshman put up 223 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries.

It was a performance befitting a veteran, and Taylor is now the bona fide starter in the Badgers backfield. He faces a BYU team that gave up nearly 300 yards on the ground to LSU two weeks ago. Taylor will get at least 200 once again against a Cougars front seven that has been susceptible to giving up yards to running backs.

BYU currently ranks 87th in the FBS in rushing defense, after allowing an average of 186 yards on the ground in their first three games. Wisconsin is going to push their average up even further as Taylor breaks out for another big day in his first college road trip. Look for Taylor to break his own single-game mark and push to possibly surpass Gordon’s January 2015 mark of 251. At least one of his three (or more) touchdowns will begin in his own territory.