There's no argument in Wisconsin football history — Ron Dayne is simply the best running back the Badgers have ever seen. That's no disrespect to the incredible seasons put forth by recent stars Melvin Gordon, Montee Ball, James White and others; or to legendary Badgers like Alan Ameche or Billy Marek.
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Over the course of four seasons, no one has been able to accomplish what Ron Dayne did in a Badgers uniform. But true freshman Jonathan Taylor gave him a run for his money.
Let's look at what Dayne accomplished in his career.
The Heisman Trophy winner rushed for more than 7,000 yards, winning the Big Ten rushing title three times. He took 1,220 career carries for 7,125 yards and 71 touchdowns, with a career 5.8 yards per carry average.
It's hard to imagine anyone ever challenging those numbers, especially in an age where players leave early for the draft. But Jonathan Taylor had as impressive a season as you could have imagined heading into the year.
Here's how the two match up over their freshman seasons:
| Game # | Jonathan Taylor (yds, TD) | JT Opponent | Ron Dayne (yds, TD) | RD Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 87, 1 | Utah State | 53, 1 | Eastern Michigan |
| 2 | 223, 3 | FAU | 90, 1 | at UNLV |
| 3 | 128, 1 | at BYU | 75, 0 | Stanford |
| 4 | 80, 2 | Northwestern | 129, 2 | Penn State |
| 5 | 249, 2 | at Nebraska | 65, 0 | at Ohio State |
| 6 | 219, 1 | Purdue | 139, 1 | Northwestern |
| 7 | 126, 1 | Maryland | 81, 0 | at Michigan State |
| 8 | 73, 0 | at Illinois | 244, 2 | Purdue |
| 9 | 183, 1 | at Indiana | 297, 3 | Minnesota |
| 10 | 157, 0 | Iowa | 62, 0 | at Iowa |
| 11 | 132, 0 | Michigan | 289, 4 | at Illinois |
| 12 | 149, 1 | at Minnesota | 339, 4 | at Hawaii |
| 13 | 41, 0 | B1G Champ | 246, 3 | Utah |
| Totals | 1,847 yards, 13 TD | 2,109 yards, 21 TD |
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Wisconsin Freshman RB Single Season Records
1. Ron Dayne (1996) — 2,109 yards
2. Jonathan Taylor (2017) — 1,847 yards
3. P.J. Hill (2006) –1,569 yards
4. Anthony Davis (2001) — 1,466 yards
5. James White (2010) — 1,052 yards
6. John Clay (2008) — 884 yards
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Wisconsin RB Single-Season Records
1. Melvin Gordon (2014) — 2,587 yards
2. Ron Dayne (1996) — 2,109 yards
3. Ron Dayne (1999) — 2,034 yards
4. Jonathan Taylor (2018) — 1,977 yards
5. Montee Ball (2011) — 1,923 yards
6. Jonathan Taylor (2017) — 1,847 yards
7. Montee Ball (2012) — 1,830 yards
8. Michael Bennett (2000) — 1,681 yards
9. Brent Moss (1993) — 1,637 yards
10. Brian Calhoun (2005) — 1,636 yards
11. Melvin Gordon (2013) — 1,609 yards
12. P.J. Hill (2006) — 1,569 yards
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TEAM COMPARISON TOOL: Compare Wisconsin to Any College Team
