Tag: Isaac Guerendo

Badgers PFF grades: Top 5 offensive players from week 2 loss to Washington State

Here’s a look at the top 5 highest graded offensive players from Wisconsin’s 17-14 loss to Washington State, according to Pro Football Focus:

Weather, as they say, is the great equalizer in football. That held true on Saturday when the No. 19 Wisconsin Badgers (1-1) suffered a sloppy, unacceptable home loss against the Washington State Cougars (2-0) at Camp Randall Stadium.

If you were to only look at the box score, you’d probably be happy with what you saw from the offense. However, if you watched the game, it told a very different story.

Bobby Engram and company produced a balanced offensive attack for the second straight week, recording 401 total yards (227 passing, 174 running) but scoring only 14 points and turning the ball over three times.

At times, third-year starting quarterback Graham Mertz carried the Wisconsin Badgers offense, but his effort simply wasn’t enough to overcome untimely turnovers and sloppy play from all three phases.

Although he was far from perfect, Mertz completed 18-of-31 passes for 227 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Also worth noting is that 10 of his passes went for first downs. The Kansas native appears to have taken a step forward this season.

Wisconsin will look to get things back on track in a hurry, considering the Badgers are just two weeks away from a trip to Columbus to take on the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes.

Here’s a look at the top 5 highest graded offensive players from Wisconsin’s 17-14 loss to Washington State, according to Pro Football Focus.

Three players returning from injury that can help the Badgers’ offense

BadgersWire examines three players returning from injury that can help the Badgers’ offense in 2022:

When the Badgers return to the field for fall camp, the offense will look a lot different than it did at the end of last season. Gone are Coach Rudolph, the team’s top three pass-catchers, and two starting offensive linemen.

Beyond that, UW has a first-year offensive coordinator in Bobby Engram, who comes to Wisconsin from the Baltimore Ravens. He’ll attempt to bring fresh concepts and bolster a struggling Badgers offense that’s failed to average more than 26 points per game in back-to-back years for the first time since 1991.

The Badgers return third-year starter Graham Mertz, a strong rushing attack led by Braelon Allen, and a talented offensive line expected to take a step forward under Bob Bostad.

Question marks still surround UW’s passing game that will feature a group of young and inexperienced pass-catchers led by Chimere Dike.

Nevertheless, with the help of a few familiar faces returning from injury, the Badgers’ offense could return to form in 2022.

Today BadgersWire examines three offensive players that missed time last season who could play critical roles in 2022:

Wisconsin football’s rushing leaders from 2021

Wisconsin football’s top five rushers from the 2021 season:

Although the 2021 season had many ups and downs for the Badgers’ backfield and offense in general, Wisconsin was able to reestablish its dominant run game last season with the help of several dynamic running backs.

Related: Wisconsin OLB Nick Herbig makes PFF’s Top 10 LBs for 2023 NFL draft

Braelon Allen finished the season on a high note with over 100 rushing yards in eight of his last nine games. Of course, this was after injuries and some team issues to the running backs group that thrust him into the feature role. Chez Mellusi also had a fantastic season rushing for over 815 yards despite missing the last four games with a torn ACL.

The Badgers will be returning all of their key rushers from last season, and it will be exciting to see how this group will build off of a solid 2021 campaign.

Below are Wisconsin football’s top five rushers from the 2021 season:

Watch: How a current Wisconsin RB is motivating Jonathan Taylor

The Colts RB has been inspired to reach even higher speeds thanks to a current Wisconsin RB

You would think having the two fastest runs in the NFL this season would be enough to satisfy Badger legend and current Colts running back Jonathan Taylor.

The Colts star has hit 21.83 miles per hour and 22.05 miles per hour in the 2021 season. It isn’t, however, as fast as current Wisconsin RB Isaac Guerendo clocked on the stopwatch this past summer. Guerendo and Taylor both display their track star speed, but the former Badger has never quite reached the current Badgers top speed.

In a press conference earlier this week, Taylor gave the credit to Guerendo for pushing him toward reaching 23 miles per hour. Even former Badgers are still inspired when Wisconsin football finds success:

Wisconsin has a changes at RB, TE in its Week 8 offensive depth chart

Wisconsin has a changes at RB, TE in its Week 8 offensive depth chart

Wisconsin has released its depth chart for Saturday’s contest against the No. 25 Purdue Boilermakers.

There were a few subtle changes to note, as things must be shuffled for the upcoming game with RB Isaac Guerendo ruled out for the year and TE Jack Eschenbach ruled out for Saturday’s game.

Related: Three ruled out, four listed as questionable for Wisconsin’s contest at Purdue

There will also be a change at kick returner with Devin Chandler having entered the transfer portal earlier today. The news came out after the depth chart was released, so Chandler is still listed as the No. 1 at that position with CB Faion Hicks listed No. 2.

Here is Wisconsin’s complete offensive depth chart for Saturday’s game against Purdue:

WATCH: Wisconsin RB Isaac Guerendo explodes for the longest Badger play of the season

Wisconsin has their longest play of the season on an Isaac Guerendo TD run

Wisconsin football has the best problem to have in the running back room. The Badgers simply have too many great options. One of those options is speedster Isaac Guerendo, who showed off his team-leading sprint speed in a massive way during the second quarter of Wisconsin’s matchup with Eastern Michigan.

Guerendo bounced outside to the right and turned on the jets for an 82-yard run to give the Badgers a 24-0 lead over the Eagles. Guerendo is a former high school track star who is known as the fastest member of a talented Wisconsin RB room.

The Badger RB’s have already eclipsed 200 yards as a group in the first half.

Wisconsin has depth chart changes at RB for Week 2

Wisconsin updates the Week 2 depth chart at RB:

Heading into Week 1 against Penn State, one of the bigger questions surrounding Wisconsin’s depth came at RB. No, this wasn’t a question of would the Badgers have enough at the position, but rather of how to deal with the many potential options for snaps. An embarrassment of riches is not the worst problem to have. On Saturday, they certainly looked like a group that will be a strength all season.

There were, however, unexpected surprises in terms of distributing the carries. Clemson transfer Chez Mellusi was listed as the top back, and he certainly looked the part. Mellusi had 31 carries for 121 yards and a touchdown despite his offensive line struggling against the Nittany Lions. Next in line was not second-year Badger Jalen Berger, but instead speedster Isaac Guerendo who carried the ball 13 times for a productive 56 yards.

Berger, in fact, did not see the field on Saturday despite being active. No reason was given postgame for why the New Jersey native was on the sideline. Despite not having Berger, the Badgers RB tandem ended up being the strength of the offense.

Heading into Week 2 against Eastern Michigan, depth chart changes at RB are small but noteworthy. Thanks to Jake Kocorowski of BadgerBlitz on Twitter, here is a look at those changes:

With Berger and Guerendo getting that “OR” designation, it feels like we will again see Mellusi and Guerendo as the 1-2 punch on Saturday. If there is any time to see a heavy dose of all three, it would be at Camp Randall in Week 2.

PHOTOS: Wisconsin football gets ready for the 2021 season

Some of the best photos of the latest Wisconsin football team as they gear up for the upcoming season

With the start of the season less than two months away, Wisconsin football is gearing up for the start of fall camp with many new and familiar faces.

Related: Wisconsin TE Hayden Rucci partners with Cameo

Before the start of every season, players often get to check out the new uniforms and model them to make promotional videos and graphics for the season. Many Badgers including senior wide receiver Danny Davis and sophomore tight end Hayden Rucci posted some of their favorite photos to their social media.

Here are some of the best photos of the latest Wisconsin Badgers team as they gear up for the upcoming season:

Chryst mentions three running backs who will lead the way for the Badgers

The Badges will go RB by committee in 2020

In a Wednesday morning press conference with local media, Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst addressed the depth at the RB position after losing Jonathan Taylor to the NFL.

“Certainly, not trying to match what J.T. did, but we do have to get really good, consistent production out of that group,” Chryst told reporters on Wednesday.

So, who will be called on for that consistent production? Expect Doak Walker award watch list selection Nakia Watson to lead the way coming off of a freshman season where he played second fiddle to Taylor.

The rising sophomore averaged 4.5 yards per carry a year ago, while finding the end zone twice on the ground. In addition to Watson, senior Garrett Groshek returns to fill the third-down back role and play a major factor in the receiving game.

“Groshek has been tremendous this off-season,” said Chryst. “Despite it being a very different off-season, he’s taken the leadership role to heart and done it a lot of different ways.”

Who becomes that third guy for Wisconsin with Watson and Groshek handling the majority of the work? Chryst was singing the praises of rising sophomore Isaac Guerendo.

“Nakia [Watson]’s played a lot of football for us, and yet all these guys’ roles are yet to be defined. I appreciate Isaac Guerendo and how he’s started to feel comfortable at the position. Between those three you hope to be productive.”

It won’t be one player filling the massive shoes of one of the greatest backs in college football history, but the Badgers feel as though they can get it done by committee in 2020.

 

Wisconsin Spring Position Preview: Running Backs

Looking at the running back position group as the Badgers enter spring football.

Spring football allows for head coach Paul Chryst to not have to worry about preparing for a game. Instead, it allows him to teach the game of football and continue to develop the players on Wisconsin’s roster as they prepare for the 2020 season. Chryst will have 15 practices beginning March 22 to help his team improve and build on what they accomplished during the 2019 season.

In this Badgers Wire feature, we will break down the running back position for Wisconsin as it heads into spring practice.

Spring Running Back Roster

Julius Davis (redshirt freshman), Garrett Groshek (redshirt senior), Isaac Guerendo (redshirt sophomore), Brady Schipper (redshirt sophomore), and Nakia Watson (redshirt sophomore)

What we know going into spring practice

It was expected that two-time Doak Walker Award winner Jonathan Taylor would declare early for the NFL draft at the end of this past season and that this coming spring would be an important one for Garrett Groshek and Nakia Watson.

Groshek and Watson were Taylor’s top two backups from a season ago as the two combined to rush for 525 yards on 116 carries and four touchdowns. Between the two Groshek was more serviceable than Watson as Watson didn’t register a carry over Wisconsin’s last two games of the season. But can Groshek be an every-down back in Wisconsin’s offense?

Groshek has shown that he can be an asset in both the run and pass game where Watson needs to show the consistency the coaches are looking out of him. He was able to show flashes of it at times a season ago and with it being his third year in the program he should start to put everything together.

Groshek and Watson will likely get the bulk of the carries at the running back position during spring football making it important that the reps Isaac Guerendo and Julius Davis do receive they take advantage of.

Guerendo started to see more playing time toward the end of the season but can he became consistent at running back and actually receive a carry out of the running back position?

Davis’ true freshman season was slowed down because of a sports hernia injury but he had a number of impressive offers coming out of high school from programs like LSU, Southern California, and Notre Dame. Can Davis show the injuries that plagued him last season are behind him and get on track as he tries to earn reps this coming fall?

What we hope to find out following spring practice

Out of the running back group, Watson will have the most eyes on him. Watson could end up being the starter by the time the season rolls around against Indiana on Friday, September 4th.

In order for that to happen, he’s going to need to become more consistent and show that he’s capable of becoming Wisconsin’s lead ball carrier.

Watson is going to have to improve in all facets of his game but the skillset is there and running back coach John Settle will have 15 spring practices to continue to help him improve upon his vision, patience, blocking, and catching out of the backfield.

Highly touted freshman running back Jalen Berger won’t arrive until the summer but if Watson can have a productive spring and improve with each practice he’ll be able to take momentum with him into fall camp.

Groshek will be the leader of the running back room and with him being a redshirt senior in the fall there should be a comfort for him in the offense. With that familiarity will come the expectation that he also helps out the younger guys on the roster. In addition to him continuing to expand on his game as his role will expand from what it has been the previous seasons.

Wisconsin has talent in the running back room as this will mark an important spring for the running backs as they all will push each other to get better and to make sure there is no drop off at the running back position.