Wisconsin Football: Mellusi Impresses at RB while Berger Stays on Sidelines
By Paul Bretl
On Friday, prior to the Wisconsin football team’s matchup with Penn State, I discussed how important it would be for the Badger running backs to rebound and find success on the ground, as it would help open things up in the passing game for quarterback Graham Mertz. Unfortunately, only one of those things happened.
Heading into the game, we knew that Clemson transfer Chez Mellusi and Jalen Berger were the top-2 running backs on the depth chart, but just how the carries would be split between the two remained unknown.
Well, when it comes to Mellusi, it’s clear that he is the No.1 running back on this offense. However, when it comes to Berger, there are more questions than answers.
Despite the Badger offense struggling overall, it was an encouraging day for Mellusi. According to PFF ($$), Mellusi carried the ball a whopping 31 times and totaled 121 rushing yards, with a long of 19, and a touchdown.
"As Ben Kenney of Badgers Wire notes, there was a lot to like about Mellusi’s Wisconsin debut, saying, “we saw decisive cuts, good vision and tools that point towards him having a lot of success this season.”"
While his 3.9 yards per carry aren’t eye-popping by any means, it’s important to keep in mind that he was running behind an offensive line that didn’t do him a ton of favors. Over the course of the game, Wisconsin utilized eight offensive linemen in an effort to find some sort of continuity and consistent success.
Also, it’s worth noting that with several short-yardage carries at the goal line, that also dropped Mellusi’s average.
When it comes to Berger, we actually didn’t see him at all–he had zero carries. What the reasoning is, only those within the Wisconsin football program know.
As a true freshman, Berger appeared in four games for the Badgers, recording 60 total carries and averaging 5.0 yards per rush while finding the end zone twice on the ground. Yet despite being suited up for Saturday’s game, Berger was seen standing away from his teammates at one point and didn’t see any snaps.
When Coach Paul Chryst was asked about this, he deflected the question and began talking about Mellusi and Isaac Guerendo:
"“The big thing was Chez obviously got the start. Isaac was next back in. Kind of knew that going into the game,” Chryst said via Badger247. “I thought Chez did a lot of good. Same with Isaac. I think it got to be how they were playing. Chez, I think got a decent amount of carries. Isaac, we thought had more in him, too. I think in the end it’s because of what Chez and Isaac were doing.”"
Guerendo finished the day playing 18 offensive snaps along with 13 carries for 56 yards.
With Graham Mertz’s struggles under center, the Badger offense is going to have to continue relying heavily on the run game. Ultimately, Mertz is simply going to have to play better and make better decisions, but having a strong run game will certainly help.
Based on what we saw Week 1, we can expect to see a lot of Mellusi moving forward, but when it comes to Berger and Guerendo, I’m not too sure what to expect. Hopefully, we see Berger back in the mix next Saturday against Eastern Michigan.