Jonathan Taylor – Noteworthy
Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor kept pounding away on his thick, strong legs Saturday. Eventually, his patience paid dividends. Taylor wore down Purdue’s defense, finishing with a career high 321 yards and scoring three times in the second half, including the decisive 17-yard touchdown run in the third overtime to lead the Badgers past Purdue 47-44. “That’s something that you watch on TV,” Taylor said. “As a kid, you’re watching and saying that must feel amazing. This is the exact same feeling that you dream of.” Except it was all real and the elements made this one tailor-made for the Badgers’ bruising back. On a cold, rainy day that turned into night, the 231-pound Taylor certainly packed a punch.
He matched his career high with 33 carries, averaging 9.7 yards per carry while scoring on runs of 80, 12 and 17 yards when the reeling Badgers needed a boost after their playoff aspirations and Big Ten title hopes had been derailed by three losses in their last five games – two of those without injured quarterback Alex Hornibrook who also missed Saturday’s game. Taylor jump-started the Badgers’ offense with the 80-yard run on the first offensive play of the second half, helped open things up for the passing game with his strong runs and eventually created enough headaches for the Boilermakers to help Wisconsin overcome a 27-13 deficit in the final seven minutes of regulation before reaching the end zone in all three overtimes. – AP College Football