Wisconsin Football: 3 takeaways from ugly win over Northwestern
By Zach Bigalke
1. Jonathan Taylor finally had a triple-digit day
Since taking the field as a freshman, Jonathan Taylor has been a beast in the Wisconsin backfield. But one team against which he has traditionally struggled has been divisional rival Northwestern. The Wildcats held Taylor to 80 yards and two scores on 19 carries in 2017, then doubled down to hold the running back to just 46 yards in last season’s Badgers loss.
That trend finally changed on Saturday in Madison, as Taylor finally racked up a 100-yard game against the Wildcats. On 26 carries, Taylor went off for 119 yards and a touchdown to help pace Wisconsin to victory at home. It was hard sledding, as none of his carries went for more than 15 yards, but it was a grinding performance that were critical to Badgers success in Week 5.
In addition to his work on the ground, Taylor also chipped in with three receptions. Though they only went for 15 yards, Taylor continues to exhibit an improved catching ability out of the backfield that will make him an attractive NFL Draft prospect next spring.
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On a day when Northwestern did a great job of effectively taking Coan and the passing game out of the equation and held every other Badgers back in check on the ground, Taylor was able to singlehandedly outscore the Wildcats. A trip to the Heisman ceremony will surely be lurking in Taylor’s future if he continues to take the Badgers on his back.