Football: Wisconsin run game finally shows signs of life

Corey Clement and the Badger rushing attack came to life during Saturday’s battle with No. 2 Buckeyes

by Chris Bumbaca

October 21, 2016

Finally, Corey Clement broke one.

The senior running back for the University of Wisconsin football team streaked down the Badger sideline for 68 yards, relieving his team from the pressure of being backed up on its own five-yard line.

It was the Badgers’ longest single gain of the season, and the first time the team reeled off a play for more than 50 yards. Entering Saturday, UW was just one of five FBS teams to be in that category.

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But the run was symbolic for Clement. He had finally broken through, not just on that run, but Saturday night during No. 10 Wisconsin’s 30-23 overtime loss to No. 2 Ohio State University. Clement rushed for 164 yards, tying his career high, on 25 carries. When asked whether the outburst was enough to get his confidence going, Clement said it was that and much more.

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“I felt like I needed that game for everything,” Clement said Tuesday. “I was wondering when the time was going to come. Definitely, coming against Ohio State, a very tough opponent, just trying to do what I could.”

Clement went on to give credit to his offensive line, which had a solid effort Saturday, and the receivers for securing the edges on his rushing attempts. Clement said the team knows the running game must keep improving if the Badgers want to win the Big Ten West and have a shot at a conference title.

If Clement’s 68-yarder is erased from the record books, however, he would have rushed for 96 yards on 24 attempts — an average of four yards per carry. That’s nothing to slouch at, but it’s not nearly as impressive as the 6.6 yards per carry he ended up with.

“Being a running back, you really have to learn to make your linemen right,” Clement said. “Everything isn’t going to be perfect up front. If you allow the play to set up and really take ownership of your craft and being patient to it, great things can happen. I don’t want to put the blame on anyone else. I’m pretty sure everybody had an edge, being that it was a night game at home, so everybody had a little more fire under them.”

The last time Wisconsin played the University of Iowa, a 10-6 loss on Oct. 3, 2015, Clement was in Germany following surgery to repair a hernia that hampered him for most of last season.

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Redshirt junior left tackle Ryan Ramczyk said the Badgers success in the running game on Saturday came partly because the offensive line’s double teams were effective, allowing lineman to move up to the linebackers. He said he felt the confidence in the running game grow throughout the game.

“I think we’ve always had confidence,” Ramczyk said. “It definitely helps to run the way we did against Ohio State.”

Offensive line coach Joe Rudolph mixed and matched on the line throughout the game. Micah Kapoi came in to play left guard, Michael Deiter slid inside to center, replacing Brett Connors and David Edwards replaced Jacob Maxwell at right tackle.

Ramczyk said it’s nice to have the cohesiveness of the same five guys out there every play. The way the Badgers practice makes for a smooth transition during games.

Ramcyzk also said the line needs to clean things up as a unit to give redshirt freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook more time and a cleaner pocket.

“I think we’ve been improving week to week, honestly,” Ramczyk said.