By Roger Anderson, Sports Editor
Four days after a Halloween celebration moved from beer drinking to breaking windows, those affiliated with UW are left to debate if the University of Minnesota was the cause of a riot.
It’s not the melee on State Street that is in question here, but rather the words of Golden Gopher defensive tackle Darrell Reid. Before practice Tuesday the junior issued a declaration just short of war against the Badgers and tailback Anthony Davis.
“Mark it down,” Reid said. “He will not get 100 yards this Saturday … put that in the paper.”
The pompous starter offered no retraction and, in fact, seems to revel in the idea that someone is actually listening to him speak. It’s no doubt that Reid remembers who Davis is and exactly what number he wears. Last season’s game likely provided him with a good hard look at number 28, as Davis entered the Minnesota end zone five times. Or maybe Davis’ 301 rushing yards or the 49-31 Badger victory will jog his memory.
In most instances it would be safe to assume that the soft-spoken Davis would let his legs issue a response, but this season Davis has been plagued by a high ankle sprain that has rendered him ineffective for much of the year. The fact of the matter is that Reid’s prediction wasn’t a very bold one. In fact, his prognostication will come true because Davis’ injury has forced him to sit out of Saturday’s game.
Of course, you would be hard pressed to take Reid seriously anyway. In two games against the Gophers, Davis has rushed for 509 yards and eight touchdowns. It’s amazing that Reid has the audacity to open his mouth, and it would be even more amazing if the Badgers didn’t attempt to run right at it.
It’s apparent to me that in recent weeks the Badgers have abandoned a run game that got them off to a 6-1 start. Against Northwestern, UW passed the ball 36 times while utilizing non-quarterback run plays on just 15 occasions. Freshman Booker Stanley has seemingly disappeared from the Badgers’ offensive attack, and in his place, disappointment has arrived. But even if the Badgers get back to the play-calling that has won them games this season they may not have a 100-yard rusher. Maybe Stanley or Dwayne Smith will put up 200 or 300 yards.
In a rivalry more historic than any other in Division I college football history, neither Minnesota nor Wisconsin need to look very far for motivation. With the words of Reid still fresh, UW will likely need to look no further than the locker of their boisterous leader Donovan Raiola. Raiola wants a copy hanging near his jersey, and come game day you can guarantee that the sophomore center will have some warm pleasantries to offer Reid.
Reid just may be the only guy in Minnesota skilled enough to issue such a cocky remark. After a redshirt freshman season, Reid has been a regular starter in the Gopher lineup, and this season he leads the team in tackles for loss with 10 and sacks with 4.5. But Reid has never recorded a sack or a tackle for a loss against Wisconsin. In fact, he has had more trouble with the Badgers than any other Big Ten team. In two games against UW, Reid has the same number of tackles (5) as Davis had touchdowns last year, and only one of those was solo. Reid appears to by trying to convince himself to show up by running his mouth and hoping his play can back it up. Described as a “vocal leader with a motor that never quits” in the Minnesota media guide, Reid will need to be a fine-tuned machine if he wants to stop the UW running attack.
A well-rested Badger offense proved to be nearly unstoppable early in the season and coming off a bye week, UW may be a force that very few can stop. A solid game from quarterback Jim Sorgi should open up some running holes for Stanley and Smith and may serve up a Badger victory that forces Reid to swallow his words.
