Wisconsin Football: True freshman Jonathan Taylor eclipses 1000 yards in first seven games

Wisconsin football star running back Jonathan Taylor made history in the team’s matchup versus Maryland on Saturday.

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Wisconsin Badgers true freshman running back has taken the college football world by storm this year and has no intentions of slowing down.

Fresh off a 249-yard performance against the Nebraska Cornhuskers and another 200+ game against Purdue, Taylor continued his hot stretch by adding on to his Big Ten-leading rushing lead against the Maryland Terrapins.

It took awhile to get the ball thanks to a Wisconsin pick-six on Maryland’s first possession, but on the first possession of the game for the Badgers, Taylor made history- becoming the sixth true freshman in FBS history ever to achieve 1,000 yards in their seven games of their career.

As Taylor now sits alone in the Wisconsin record books, there are just five true freshman to ever achieve this accomplishment through seven games in NCAA history. While joining a list containing names in Adrian Peterson, Emmitt Smith, and Marshall Faulk to name a few- Taylor’s performance so far this season is sure to put him into Heisman Trophy talks for the rest of the year. Along with Peterson, Smith, and Faulk- former Badgers back P.J. Hill and North Texas great Jamario Thomas have also accomplished this great feat.

Entering the game, Taylor needed just 14 yards to achieve this mark after coming so close to securing a spot in the record books by himself last week against Purdue. As the Badger led the Boilermakers 17-6 at the break, Taylor entered the locker room with 149 yards on just 12 carries, making it just 84 yards until history. Simple math indicates he rushed for 70 yards in the second half. He also had one catch for 17 yards.

Taylor surpassed the 1,000 yard mark against Maryland with about seven minutes remaining in the first quarter. He did so on his third carry.

It is likely Taylor will remain the conference’s leading rusher after this weekend after another monster performance, securing this third 200+ yard outing this year last week. He will also likely finally be recognized on a national level with regards to Heisman Trophy discussion.

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One thing is for sure, the Big Ten is full of elite-level running backs and it is going to be a fun race to the end. And the best part for Wisconsin fans? He’s just a freshman. He’ll be toting the rock for the Badgers for years to come.