The Wisconsin men’s football team’s running backs didn’t exactly perform up their usual standards in Saturday’s contest against No. 3 Alabama.
A hamstring injury cut junior running back Corey Clement’s night short, and he managed just 16 yards on eight carries in his first game as the team’s lead back. His backups, redshirt junior Dare Ogunbowale and redshirt freshman Taiwan Deal, combined for 23 yards on nine carries.
While the running backs were not able to find success between the tackles, they were able to find success running out of the backfield and into passing game. This specifically caught Clement’s attention, even when he was sidelined with the injury.
“That was the thing that stuck out to not only me, but the coaches as well,” Clement said. “I was happy to see that we as running backs can catch the ball out of the backfield and actually push our limits to see what we can do in this offense.”
Ogunbowale lead the way catching passes out of the backfield, tying for a team-high six catches for 39 yards. Redshirt senior fullback Derek Watt was not far behind, catching five balls for 22 yards.
Additionally, despite taking limited snaps, Clement was able to manage 19 yards receiving on two catches, while Deal caught just one ball for four yards.
In total, the Badgers’ backs recorded 14 of the team’s 26 receptions, while accounting for 84 total receiving yards.
Given the strength of Alabama’s defensive front, throwing short, efficient passes out of the backfield was part of the game plan Saturday, associate head coach and offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph said.
“I think it was circumstantial at times, but most of the time it’s tied into the routes and the protections to get the running backs out of the backfield,” Rudolph said. “But I think those guys took advantage of it when they did [make receptions].”
Ogunbowale especially proved his versatility as a pass catcher out of the backfield, and the running back even said coaches thought his skill set is one that should be utilized in the passing game. Saturday might have been a sign of what is to come, as the redshirt senior only had three rushes to his six receptions.
Rudolph, however, was praising of Ogunbowale’s talent and is not planning on limiting what he can do on the field.
“I think right now, [Ogunbowale] has shown that he has a strong grasp on [catching passes],” Rudolph said. “But I don’t think putting a limitation on what he can and what he can’t do is the way to go. He’s a great football player.”
Ogunbowale is not putting any limits on himself either.
While the redshirt junior is still working to transition from cornerback to running back — a transition he says has no carryover between positions — he is looking for any way possible to be productive on the field as Clement’s backup.
“Any way I can get the ball, it doesn’t really matter to me,” Ogunbowale said. “Whether it’s a run or a pass, I’m just trying to gain yards. It’s all the same.”
With Clement expected to be healthy enough to return for Saturday’s home opener against Miami (Ohio), the rushing attack will be at full strength, and whether it’s through the air or on the ground, they will look to bounce back from their disappointing performance against the Crimson Tide.
