Tag: running backs

Former Wisconsin running back named head coach at in-state high school

Former Wisconsin star named head coach at in-state High School

Former Wisconsin star running back Brian Calhoun was named the coach at Oak Creek High School on Tuesday.

Calhoun, who graduated from Oak Creek in 2002, will lead his alma mater for the first head coaching responsibility of his career. He takes the reins after serving on the Oak Creek staff of Joel Parr, who retired.

Before he cemented himself as one of Wisconsin’s most prolific running backs, Calhoun set records at Oak Creek. The former Badger set the single-season rushing record (2,905) with the Knights in 2001. That season, he also scored a school-record 40 touchdowns.

Following his high school graduation, Calhoun played two productive seasons at Colorado (2002-03) before his stellar season in Madison under Barry Alvarez in 2005.

That season, he recorded 348 rushing attempts for 1,636 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns, plus 53 catches, 571 receiving yards and a pair of receiving touchdowns. The output was enough to make him a semifinalist for both the Maxwell Award and Doak Walker Award.

Calhoun captained that crew to a 2006 Capital One Bowl victory over the No. 7 Auburn Tigers. He totaled 213 yards and one touchdown in the 24-10 win.

The Wisconsin native was selected in the third round of the 2006 NFL draft by the Detroit Lions. He played 11 games during his professional career, tallying 54 total rushing yards and 55 receiving yards.

Former Badger running back explodes for two touchdowns in 49ers blowout win

Former Badger running back explodes for two touchdowns in 49ers blowout win

Former Wisconsin running back Isaac Guerendo exploded for 128 total yards and two rushing touchdowns in the San Francisco 49ers’ 38-13 win vs. the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

A week after all-world running back Christian McCaffrey went down with an injury against the Buffalo Bills, Guerendo assumed the starting running back responsibilities.

He paced the 49ers’ backfield with 15 carries for 78 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the triumph. He also reeled in two catches for 50 receiving yards.

The former Badger’s first score came at the 1:39-minute mark in the first quarter on a one-yard rush. That score put San Francisco up 14-0 and punctuated a dominant first frame of action.

Guerendo crossed the goal line again on the first play of the fourth quarter after rushing up the middle for a four-yard score. He registered two more touches from that point forward to put a ribbon on his most impressive NFL performance of his young career.

Guerendo played for five years at Wisconsin from 2018-2022 before transferring to Louisville for his 2023 season. During his tenure in Madison, he notched 99 carries, 582 yards and six touchdowns in 27 games.

Guerendo is now up to 57 carries, 324 yards and four touchdowns on the ground in his rookie NFL season. He has also recorded seven receptions for 69 yards with the 49ers.

San Francisco will square off next against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday, Dec. 12.

Badgers great Braelon Allen registers career-high yardage in Jets loss

Badgers great Braelon Allen registers career-high yardage in Jets win

Former Wisconsin Badgers and current New York Jets running back Braelon Allen tallied a career-high 81 total yards vs. the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

With Jets star running back Breece Hall sidelined with a knee injury, Allen assumed the starting workload at running back alongside future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He finished the game with 11 carries for 43 rushing yards and four catches for 38 receiving yards in the 32-26 loss in Miami.

While he did log 11 carries, Allen’s most impactful plays came in the passing game. He averaged 9.5 yards per reception and snared a 15-yard catch to help kick-start the Jets’ final scoring drive of regulation.

Through 13 games, the former Badger has rushed 78 times for 283 yards and two rushing scores. He has also reeled in 16 catches for 135 receiving yards and one touchdown. He registered his previous career-high on Sept. 19 vs. the New England Patriots on 14 total touches.

With Hall sidelined, Allen’s opportunities to close the season could increase. At 3-10, the Jets are also eliminated from the playoff picture.

Former Badger elevated to San Francisco 49ers’ starting running back

Former Badger elevated to San Francisco 49ers’ starting running back

Former Wisconsin Badgers running back Isaac Guerendo is in line to serve as the San Francisco 49ers starting running back for at least four weeks.

The news arrives on the heels of injury updates to all-world running back Christian McCaffrey and backup Jordan Mason.

McCaffrey, who suffered a PCL injury during ‘Sunday Night Football’ against the Buffalo Bills, will be out for at least six weeks. Mason, meanwhile, suffered an ankle injury and will also head to the injury reserve for at least four weeks.

The unfortunate sequence of events for the 49ers running back room opens an opportunity for Guerendo to serve as the starter.

Against the Bills, Guerendo showcased what he’s capable of with a 19-yard rushing touchdown in the snowy conditions. He finished with five touches for 16 yards and the score. He’s up to 42 carries, 246 yards and two touchdowns in his rookie NFL season in a relatively limited role.

In five years in Madison, Guerendo registered 99 carries, 582 yards and six touchdowns in 27 games. Several injuries and the presence of future NFL draftee Braelon Allen prevented the Clayton, Indiana native from taking off as a Badger.

He did, however, display his potential in his 2023 season with the Louisville Cardinals. The 6-foot-1 playmaker tallied 810 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns before making the jump to the NFL.

Barring an outside signing, Guerendo will lace up as San Francisco’s starter on Dec. 8 vs. the Chicago Bears. At 5-7 and last in the NFC West, Kyle Shanahan’s group is in desperate need of a win.

Former Wisconsin running back scores second career touchdown on ‘Sunday Night Football’

Former Wisconsin running back scores second career touchdown on ‘Sunday Night Football’

Former Wisconsin running back Isaac Guerendo scored the second touchdown of his young NFL career in the San Francisco 49ers’ 35-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

With snow blazing down on Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium, Guerendo reeled in a backward pass from quarterback Brock Purdy late in the third quarter. The former Badger weaved through a few Bills defenders before crossing the goal line for a 15-yard score.

The touchdown was the only six-point score San Francisco registered during the evening. It provided the 49ers with some hope before the final quarter of play.

Guerendo finished the contest with 4 carries, 19 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown, plus one receptions for -3 receiving yards.

Here is that touchdown:

When All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey returned against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nov. 10, Guerendo saw his usage decrease dramatically. McCaffrey went down with a lower body vs. the Bills, prompting Guerendo to return to the action as a primary part of the team’s backfield.

Guerendo played for five years at Wisconsin from 2018-2022 before transferring to Louisville for his 2023 season. As a Badger, he notched 99 carries, 582 yards and six touchdowns in 27 games.

Guerendo is now up to 42 carries, 246 yards and two touchdown in his rookie NFL season. He and the 49ers will return to the field on Dec. 8 for a matchup against Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears.

Wisconsin legend scores 50th career touchdown in narrow Week 13 win

Wisconsin legend scores 50th career touchdown in narrow Week 13 win

Former Wisconsin Badgers and current Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor scored his 50th career touchdown on Sunday vs. the New England Patriots.

In his tenth game of the 2024 slate with Indianapolis, Taylor reached the end zone late in the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. The UW alumnus sprinted toward the right sideline and reeled in a pass from quarterback Anthony Richardson before extending the football past the goal line for a touchdown.

Taylor’s score snapped his four-game streak without a touchdown. On the ground, the former Badger registered 25 carries for 96 rushing yards alongside the one catch for seven receiving yards and his lone score.

Indianapolis wound up securing a 25-24 victory thanks to a late Alec Pierce receiving score and Richardson two-point conversion.

Despite missing three games due to injury, Taylor has paced the Colts in rushing this season. The former All-Pro has accumulated 922 total yards and six total touchdowns.

Taylor and the 6-7 Colts will face the Denver Broncos in their next game of the 2024 season on Sunday, Dec. 15.

Wisconsin Badgers legend: Heisman Trophy ‘lost its legitimacy when Melvin Gordon lost’

Wisconsin Badgers legend: Heisman Trophy ‘lost its legitimacy when Melvin Gordon lost’

Wisconsin Badgers running back legend Montee Ball commented on the 2024 Heisman Trophy race on Sunday.

With the college football regular season officially in the books, the conversation surrounding the 2024 Heisman Trophy race has started to ramp up.

As of Dec. 1, Colorado Buffaloes’ wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter is the heavy favorite to pocket the award. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who has registered 2,288 rushing yards and 28 rushing touchdowns, is considered to be firmly in second.

Hunter, who projects to land in the top five of the 2025 NFL draft, is responsible for 92 catches, 1,152 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns this season. On defense, he recorded four interceptions, 11 pass deflections and 31 total tackles.

Ball sides with Jeanty, but connects it back to Melvin Gordon not receiving award in 2014:

“Jeanty deserves the Heisman but it is a popularity contest,” Ball said. “The award lost its legitimacy when Melvin Gordon lost.”

Most notably, the UW alumnus played alongside fellow running back legend Gordon from 2011-2012.

Gordon, who enjoyed a multi-year NFL career with the Chargers and Broncos, finished second to Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota for the Hesiman Trophy in 2014. That season, the Badger star tallied 2,587 rushing yards and led nation in rushing at 184.8 yards per game.

In retrospect, Gordon may have been snubbed. Only Oklahoma State legend Barry Sanders rushed for more yards in a single season. Mariota led the Football Bowl Subdivision in virtually every major statistic for a quarterback, but Gordon produced arguably the greatest season by any running back in college football history.

We’re seeing a similar situation with Hunter and Jeanty. The precedent heavily favors the more popular player. In this case, that’s Hunter.

The Heisman Trophy ceremony is slated for Dec. 14 in New York City.

Top class of 2026 running back target includes Badgers in final list

Top class of 2026 running back target includes Badgers in final list

Wisconsin top class of 2026 running back target Shahn Alston included the Badgers in his list of final schools on Friday.

Alston becomes the fourth top-ranked class of 2026 recruit to include Wisconsin in his final batch of schools over the past month, joining four-star linebacker Tristan Phillips, four-star iOL Ben Nichols and three-star iOL Bear McWhorter.

Alston, who received his offer from UW on March 22, included Wisconsin as a finalist along with Auburn, Nebraska, Michigan State, Florida, Missouri, Penn State and USC. Alston took a visit to Madison when the Badgers squared off against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Sept. 14.

The 5-foot-9, 205-pound running back is 247Sports’ No. 118 player in the class of 2026, No. 7 running back and No. 5 player from his home state of Ohio. ESPN, meanwhile, regards Alston as the No. 81 overall recruit and No. 3 player from Ohio for his class.

There appears to be no clear-cut favorite for Alston at this point in his process. On3’s recruiting prediction machine pegs Penn State as the most likely destination, but the Nittany Lions currently hold under a 25% chance to secure a commitment.

At Harvey High School in Painesville, Ohio, Alston has played on both sides of the ball. This past season, he logged 1,104 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns with his longest rush being 75 yards, per MaxPreps.

UW’s current class of 2026 features two commitments — three-star iOL Benjamin Novak and three-star quarterback Jarin Mock. If he elects to join the Badgers, Alston would immediately become the program’s most elite prospect in the class.

Wisconsin’s 2012 running back room might be the best of all-time

Wisconsin’s 2012 running back room might be the best all-time

The Wisconsin Badgers’ 2012 running back room may go down as one of the greatest in college football history.

That season, the Badgers rostered Melvin Gordon, Montee Ball and James White. Both Ball (2012) and Gordon (2014) would go on to win a Doak Walker Award, an honor annually awarded to the nation’s top running back, while White left Wisconsin ranked No. 4 all-time in rushing yards.

When considering the best backfields ever, one typically envisions USC’s duo of Reggie Bush and LenDale White in 2005, Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy on the 2010 Alabama Crimson Tide, or even Todd Gurley, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel on the 2014 Georgia Bulldogs.

While the debate surrounding the most prestigious college football backfield may be unanswered, the trio’s most dominant output in a single game is unrivaled.

In the Badgers’ 71-30 victory over Nebraska at the 2012 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the three combined for 524 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.

Gordon, who would become the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 2014, tallied nine carries for a team-high 219 yards and one 56-yard touchdown.

Ball, who received the Doak Walker Award just five days after the blowout win, registered 21 touches for 202 yards and three touchdowns. Like Gordon, he also ripped off a 50-yard score.

White, Wisconsin’s all-purpose back, accounted for 119 rushing yards and four touchdowns with a long run of 68 yards in the third quarter.

All three would go on to play in the NFL, with White winning three Super Bowl titles with the New England Patriots.

Now, Wisconsin deploys running back Tawee Walker, a veteran back with the sixth-most rushing yards in the Big Ten. Wisconsin running backs have a long history of dominance over the rival Nebraska Cornhuskers.

The Badgers need Walker to channel that form for the team to pull off a much-needed victory on Saturday.

Wisconsin football offers four-star class of 2026 running back

Wisconsin football offers four-star class of 2026 running back

The Wisconsin Badgers extended an offer to top class of 2026 running back Amari Clemons on Tuesday.

The Badgers’ recruiting staff has been busy over the past few days. UW also extended offers to 2026 running backs Carsyn Baker and Jonathan Hatton Jr. this week — a pair of coveted four-star playmakers. Again, running back coach Devon Spalding captained the recruiting charge.

The junior at Marianna High School in Marianna, Florida is considered the No. 308 overall recruit, No. 24 running back and No. 50 player from Florida for the class of 2026 via the 247Sports composite rankings.

Outside of Wisconsin, the Florida product has received offers from eight programs, per 247Sports. That list includes Florida A&M, USF, Ole Miss, Miami, Kentucky,  Florida State, Florida and Auburn.

While 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals consider Clemons a three-star recruit, On3 categorizes the 5-foot-10, 187-pound running back as a four-star prospect. The outlet’s recruiting prediction machine also forecasts the Seminoles to secure a commitment from Clemons with nearly a 39% likelihood.

Wisconsin’s class of 2026 currently has two commitments — three-star QB Jarin Mock and three-star lineman Benjamin Novak.