Defense/Special Teams Notes: U-M Has No Answer For Badger Rushing Attack

Wisconsin's rushing attack had been a one-man show that featured running back Jonathan Taylor over the last three years, but it instead employed a by-committee approach against the Michigan Wolverines football team Saturday night.

Four different UW players received at least six carries, with all four of them rushing for a minimum of 65 yards en route to the team as a whole compiling 341 yards on the ground. Those four ball carriers were tackled behind the line of scrimmage just once, for a loss of one yard.

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The Maize and Blue had no answers for Wisconsin's ground effort, which averaged 6.7 yards per attempt and found the end zone five times. It was a script that was all too familiar for Michigan fans, with the 341 rushing yards Wisconsin racked up standing as the most U-M had yielded since giving up 359 to the Badgers last year in Madison Sept. 21.

Freshman running back Jalen Berger enjoyed the best statistical night of UW's rushers, finishing with 87 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. He didn't have any career touches entering the game.

The Badgers also fooled Michigan time and time again on jet sweep plays to the edges, with senior wideout Danny Davis being the primary beneficiary. He garnered 65 yards and a touchdown on just seven attempts.

“At first, you think not everyone is involved in the [jet sweep] play," fifth-year senior defensive tackle Carlo Kemp explained afterward. "As a D-line, when you get that movement and that sweep motion, you owe it to your teammates to start running.

"We have our corners who go against people and pullers coming at them, so those plays take the entire defense to stop the run. Put your foot in the ground and chase, and help everyone out by being relentless.”

"They had extra blockers on the perimeter and we didn’t set an edge all night," head coach Jim Harbaugh added. "We weren’t containing either."

Senior defensive end Kwity Paye and junior defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, both starters and arguably the unit's top two players, each missed the game with injury, but Michigan's inability to slow down Wisconsin's ground attack was alarming nonetheless.

The Badgers had no problem stringing together lengthy drives either, with seven of their 11 series lasting six or more plays. Six possessions also took at least 3:37 off the clock.

The bright spots were few and far between for Michigan Saturday, but the play of the special teams fits the bill. Fifth-year senior kicker Quinn Nordin nailed a 46-yard field goal in the third quarter, bringing his consecutive makes streak to 12. His successful span dates back to last year.

Redshirt junior punter Brad Robbins, meanwhile, had another successful night booting the ball away. He has shined ever since he took the job away from fifth-year senior Will Hart in the Oct. 31 loss to Michigan State, and averaged 42.4 yards on five punts against the Badgers.

U-M's return men, finally, also made some standout plays of their own. Sophomore receiver Giles Jackson set Michigan's offense up with excellent field position (its own 47-yard line) on the club's second series of the night when he took a kick return back 43 yards.

Freshman running back Blake Corum also registered a 32-yard kickoff return of his own, showing impressive speed and agility on the play.

• Nordin's 46-yard field goal in the third quarter was his 14th field goal of at least 40 yards in his career, which are the most in school history.

• After connecting on 95.1 percent of his passes (20-of-21) against Illinois in his lone career start Oct. 23, Wisconsin redshirt freshman quarterback Graham Mertz completed only 12 of his 22 throws against Michigan (54.5 percent).

• Redshirt sophomore cornerback Gemon Green accumulated a career-high six tackles.

• Kemp tallied a sack against the Badgers, breaking a two-game sack-less streak for the Maize and Blue defense.

• Sophomore safety Daxton Hill racked up a career-high 11 tackles and has now compiled at least seven stops in each of the team's last three games.

• Wisconsin converted eight of its 13 third-down attempts.

• The official Big House attendance was listed at 605.

• Redshirt sophomore defensive end Taylor Upshaw made his first career start this weekend.

• Freshman defensive end Kris Jenkins, redshirt freshman safety Quinten Johnson, redshirt freshman defensive end Mike Morris and freshman safety R.J. Moten all made their Wolverine debuts during the game.

• The win was Wisconsin's first at The Big House since 2010 and just its second in Ann Arbor since 1995.

• Redshirt sophomore linebacker Cameron McGrone and Kemp tallied U-M's two tackles for loss on the night.

• Michigan failed to force a turnover for the third straight game. It's the first time the club has failed to take the ball away in three straight single-season contests since the middle of the 2010 campaign.

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