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MADISON, Wis. - Coming into the 2010 college football season, there were actually faint whispers of Wisconsin running back John Clay being being considered a Heisman Trophy candidate. Through six games, it is clear Clay will not be invited to this winter's Heisman ceremony.
In fact, it's no longer clear whether Clay, the reigning Big Ten Conference offensive player of the year, is even the best running back on his own team. True freshman James White has emerged as a very real threat out of No. 20 Wisconsin's backfield. While Clay is the Badgers' big bruiser, White is a 5-foot-10, 198-pound bundle of shiftiness and speed. White is the home-run threat that Clay never will be, and the rookie has also displayed great patience and vision picking his holes. As long as Clay is comfortable sharing the limelight, White's emergence can only be a good thing for Wisconsin. Offensive coordinator Paul Chryst now has at his disposal two top-shelf running backs to whom he can give the ball. In Saturday's 41-23 victory over Minnesota at Camp Randall Stadium, Clay rushed 21 times for 111 yards and three touchdowns, and White carried 19 times for 118 yards and two scores. White averaged 6.2 yards per carry and Clay 5.3. "We're going to go with the people that are hot, guys that are having production," Badgers coach Bret Bielema said of his team's running back rotation. Clay has not looked healthy for much of the fall, but on Saturday he ran better than he has all season. "John, probably this week more so than ever before, looked really good during practice and the result was what you saw today," Bielema said. Clay should benefit from the extended spells White's emergence has afforded him. As the grueling Big Ten Conference season wears on, the Badgers should have a pair of relatively fresh runners in their backfield. "I feel good. Being able to get rest and also being able to count on other guys to step up whenever they need to has really helped out," Clay said. Clay, who ran for 1,517 yards and 18 touchdowns last season, has averaged 115.3 yards per game and 6.0 per carry through six games this season; White has averaged 80.8 per game and 7.7 per carry. "I really like what they're doing," Bielema said. "I think the complement of our offensive line play with those guys is exceptional." Bielema said the two backs are each other's biggest fans, and both said they are just fine sharing Wisconsin's carries. "It doesn't matter. Whenever we touch the ball we're trying to get positive gains, trying to score touchdowns. Whoever gets the carries, you just have to take advantage of it," White said. "We're all in there cheering for each other and we're all capable of doing big things. It's like a brotherhood back there. We love each other to death. "We were both running with a lot of confidence today, and that's what we're going to have to do each and every week to be successful. If we just go out and play as physical as we did today, we'll be alright."
