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Hill of a pickle for UW tailback

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Also by Kevin Hagstrom:

Family comes 1st for ex-Badger WR (December 11, 2007)
Nothing special about UW power play (December 10, 2007)
Confident UW squad faces off against Minnesota State (December 7, 2007)
Sophomores to play for U.S.A. (December 6, 2007)
Hill of a pickle for UW tailback (December 5, 2007)

by Kevin Hagstrom

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

This isn't right. Somehow, some way the stars have all misaligned.

It has been a change-of-pace week — my column is running on a Wednesday instead of Tuesday — where college football talks have centered on the BCS selections and whether they accurately represent the top teams after two more top teams tanked. So I figured it was time to go back to the drawing board and write about something entering the season that was more reliable than Enterprise and its "We'll pick you up" catchphrase. I'm referring to Wisconsin running back P.J. Hill.

The Badgers' success over the past two seasons has been analogous with Hill's ability to pound the ball down the throats of opposing defensive fronts time after time. When Hill has rumbled, the Badgers have rolled — if nothing else, for the simple fact that UW runs when ahead and passes when coming from behind.

After being named National Freshman of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten by the media following his 2006 campaign for compiling 1,569 yards and 15 touchdowns, Hill picked up where he left off to begin this season. Through Wisconsin's first eight games, he ran for more than 1,000 yards — becoming just the third player in UW history to do so in each of his first two seasons, joining NCAA great Ron Dayne and Anthony Davis — and averaged 1.75 touchdowns per game.

While, in retrospect, Wisconsin missed out on a golden opportunity to go to the Rose Bowl if only it had defeated Illinois Oct. 6, Hill missed out on so much more than a trip to Pasadena.

By Week 6, he climbed into the Heisman discussions and was receiving comparisons to Dayne. Trimming down in the offseason and working grueling hours on his footwork and agility, Hill added an entirely new dimension to his repertoire and was quickly becoming one of the nation's premier backs.

Alas, an injury to his lower left leg sustained in the Indiana game shut the door on what had the makings of a fantastic season.

Since hobbling off the field before Badger alumni during Homecoming weekend, Hill has appeared in just one game and rushed for a paltry 14 yards.

Even though UW blew its chance for a bed of roses, there's always next year. For Hill, life's not that certain. He may never again repeat what he accomplished in his first 23 games at Wisconsin.

It's not that his injury is serious enough he won't be able to fully recover, although if it recurs, that certainly could happen. Rather, it's that the personnel at the running back position for UW are loaded guns, ready to go off at any minute if given the chance. Simply, there's more competition behind Hill than at an American Idol audition.

Lance Smith, who showed significant improvements from his freshman to his sophomore year, was electrifying when he wasn't serving his suspension, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. Who knows what he's capable of doing with consistent reps?

Forced to carry the bulk of the load down the stretch in Hill's absence, freshman Zach Brown grew up before fans' eyes in a few weeks, proving he, too, is a dependable back. He gained 421 yards in three starts, including a 250-yard outburst against Minnesota. Throw in John Clay, the nation's fourth-best running back recruit of 2007, according to Rivals.com, and Wisconsin has a crowded backfield.

Obviously, it's too early to say what the extent of each of these backs’ roles will be in the future. Nevertheless, UW head coach Bret Bielema will also have a hard time benching any one of them. That said, Hill could very well be sharing the load next season, which will be an unfamiliar concept to the running back who has made it known that he wants the ball in his hands every time out. Plus, should Hill reinjure himself between now and then, he'll be unable to prove he's the best option when he can't practice or play.

Change is a part of the game. For Hill's sake, let's hope it doesn't leave him, like Missouri, on the outside looking in.

Kevin is a senior majoring in journalism and economics. To talk Wisconsin football in general or who you think will get the bulk of the carries for the team next season, give him a shout at khagstrom@badgerherald.com.

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