While the numbers still looked good for Clemson transfer RB Chez Mellusi in his Wisconsin debut, the box score doesn’t do the performance justice.
After questions about who would emerge as the clear RB1 for Wisconsin, it was Mellusi who handled the workload of a workhorse back. He carried the ball 31 times in Wisconsin’s 16-10 loss to Penn State, totaling 121 yards on the ground and a touchdown.
Those 31 carries were more than Mellusi had during the entire 2020 season at Clemson, as his body was ready for more of a responsibility.
“I had a really big summer, just weightlifting wise, getting my body, right, knowing that this is a little different offense than I’m used to,” said Mellusi after the game. “I was pretty prepared.”
The circumstances of the game, however, made everything Mellusi did all the more impressive. Here are three reasons why the transfer RB’s debut was even better than it looks on paper: