It was a fitting final chapter in a remarkable freshman story for Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen on Thursday night. A player originally recruited as a linebacker/safety and who began the year near the bottom of Wisconsin’s running back depth chart took home the Las Vegas Bowl MVP hardware after the Badgers outlasted Arizona State in a 20-13 win.
Allen finished with 29 carries for 159 yards on the ground, including a 43-yard burst that set up a Jake Ferguson touchdown grab late in the first quarter.
The 17-year-old star was over 100 yards on the ground by halftime, before helping to spark Wisconsin’s game-sealing drive that ran nearly ten minutes off the clock.
Here's @BadgerFootball running back Braelon Allen, the 2021 Rich Abajian MVP Trophy recipient, talking to @ESPNCFB's @DawnDavenportTN following Wisconsin's 20-13 victory in the @SRSDistribution #LVBowl. #OnlyVegas pic.twitter.com/67Cz3MbU6K
— SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl (@LasVegasBowl) December 31, 2021