For the second game in a row, the Wisconsin Badgers brought the beef up front, putting a literal ton of blockers on the field to pave the way for Jonathan Taylor against Nebraska.
Wisconsin often used a pair of offensive linemen as tight ends in a jumbo formation against Iowa on the road in a 28-17 win at Kinnick Stadium on Sept. 22. The Badgers ran for more than 200 yards against a Hawkeye defense that had previously allowed just 126 total rushing yards in its first three games of the season (against Northern Illinois, Iowa State and Northern Iowa).
The Badgers decided to utilize their big men again following a bye week, and sent out a pair of offensive linemen as tight ends in the jumbo formation against Nebraska.
Here's how the Badgers lined up their typical jumbo formation, from left to right:
| Player | Pos. | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Erdmann | TE | 6-6 | 325 |
| Cole Van Lanen | LT | 6-5 | 311 |
| Michael Deiter | LG | 6-6 | 310 |
| Tyler Biadasz | C | 6-3 | 319 |
| Beau Benzschawel | RG | 6-6 | 315 |
| David Edwards | RT | 6-7 | 315 |
| Logan Bruss | TE | 6-5 | 303 |
That's two pounds short of 2,200 total pounds. Add in H-back Kyle Penniston (6-foot-4, 243 pounds), fullback Alec Ingold (6-foot-2, 242 pounds), running back Jonathan Taylor (5-foot-11, 223 pounds) and quarterback Alex Hornibrook (6-foot-4, 219 pounds), and the Badgers had 3,125 pounds of offense on the field for this Taylor touchdown run:
The #Badgers had 3,125 pounds of offensive players on the field for this Jonathan Taylor TD run https://t.co/nAGyknyZFu
— Jim Oxley (@HEROSportsOX) October 7, 2018
Wisconsin finished off Nebraska 41-24, rushing for 370 total yards in the process. Taylor finished with 221 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries (9.2 yards per carry), and Taiwan Deal and Garrett Groshek added 74 and 73 yards, respectively, and Deal scored Wisconsin's 4th rushing TD in the game.
