MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon often is his own harshest critic. So the fact Gordon assessed his play this season with a "D" letter grade on Monday should be met with some reservations.
Gordon is, after all, still one of the most talented and feared running backs in college football. His blend of speed and power makes him a highlight-reel in the making, a player capable of snapping off a long, dazzling run at any moment.
But past success and future potential can't change the statistics Gordon has put together through two games in 2014. And that is one of the reasons Gordon finds himself so frustrated in mid-September: Despite having put in the work to succeed, the numbers don't reflect that work just yet.
One year after ranking 12th nationally in rushing yards per game, Gordon now is tied for 43rd in the same category at 89.0 yards rushing per outing. Four tailbacks in the Big Ten alone are averaging more yards rushing per game than Gordon (Indiana's Tevin Coleman, Nebraska's Ameer Abdullah, Minnesota's David Cobb and Michigan's Derrick Green).
"It's tough," Gordon said. "When everyone across the country is expecting you to break a long one probably every game and if you don't, it's like, 'Maybe he's not what I thought he was.' It's tough at times. But you've got to ignore it the best you can and just try to move forward and put your best foot forward the next game."
Gordon bypassed the NFL Draft and began the season with expectations of being a Heisman Trophy finalist. He acknowledged during the offseason that reaching 2,000 yards rushing was a realistic goal. And through three quarters against LSU in Wisconsin's season opener, all seemed right in his world. He had rushed for 139 yards with a touchdown, and Wisconsin held a manageable lead.
Then, disaster struck. Gordon barely ran the ball in the fourth quarter after a miscommunication in which he thought he was healthy enough to play while coaches believed he had sustained a hip flexor strain. Wisconsin lost the LSU game, and the Badgers ran especially poorly against Western Illinois one week later.
Over the last five quarters, Gordon has carried the ball 19 times for 39 yards -- an average of 2.05 yards per attempt. And for a player like Gordon, who opened the season averaging 8.08 career yards per carry, it has not been an easy couple of weeks. Even before the Western Illinois game, he admitted to feeling the pressure of living up to expectations.
"I'm harsh on myself," Gordon said Monday. "Second game, it really didn't pan out how I wanted it to. The whole thing with the miscommunications in the first game kind of overshadowed my performance in that game, which kind of sucked. We've got a lot of football left to be played, and I've still got a lot of time to show what I can do."
Gordon noted he had relied on the support of his mother, Carmen, as well as teammates over the past few weeks. Fullback Derek Watt told him on Sunday to stay focused, keep working hard in practice and don't allow one bad game to bring him down. Most unsettling to Gordon is that he isn't sure what, exactly, he could have done differently in games to change his statistical output.
Western Illinois, for example, loaded the box with more men than Wisconsin could block, which was not Gordon's fault. The Leathernecks also dared the Badgers to pass, allowing quarterback Tanner McEvoy to complete 17 straight passes and throw for three touchdowns.
For the game, Gordon finished with 17 carries for 38 yards. What's more, he was tackled for negative yards on six different players -- a year ago, he lost yardage on 10 runs all season.
"Teams are going to see that film and see, 'Oh, Melvin rushes for 38 yards,'" Badgers right tackle Rob Havenstein said last week. "For Melvin and for us, that's terrible. We obviously want more than that. Melvin's definitely not the guy to blame for that. That's on us to open holes and get him free. He's such a special player. We put ourselves in that position."
The only thing Gordon said he could improve was the way in which he mentally prepared for opposing teams to stack the box -- a tactic he expects to see on Saturday when Wisconsin plays host to Bowling Green at 11 a.m. in Camp Randall Stadium.
"I completely put my trust in the offensive linemen," Gordon said. "I know they'll get the job done. There were some things that I don't think they've seen before. Rob told me he was going to clean it up, he's going to be great and they're going to get the job done. I believe him. I'm going to just follow behind those guys and they're going to pave the way."
Gordon's performance against Western Illinois two Saturdays ago also was irksome to him because McEvoy wound up with more rushing yards, outgaining Gordon 55-38 on the ground. McEvoy, never one to miss out on some good-natured ribbing of a teammate, made sure to let Gordon know.
"I got the stats after the game," McEvoy said. "I'm not going to let that one slide. With how much he talks, I've got to do it."
Despite Gordon's limited individual achievements thus far, Badgers coach Gary Andersen insisted his star running back had maintained a positive attitude early this season.
"I'm on guard on that for any player, when they may be in a position to have expectations that they put on themselves or that they think have been put on them," Andersen said. "I see zero signs of that, and when I talk to Melvin about it, he's like, 'Coach, I'm good. I'm ready to go.'
"I believe him when he says that to me. I don't think he's just casually saying that to move me along the way and just end the conversation. I honestly believe he's saying, 'Coach, I know I'm going to have my opportunity to get mine,' and I'm looking forward to that happening hopefully this week."
Gordon, of course, can't wait for his next opportunity to prove he is better than the statistics have indicated thus far.
"I'm very eager to get back on the field," Gordon said. "I kind of hate we had a bye week. Having a bad game and then a bye week doesn't sit well. You've got a lot of time to just think about all the mistakes you made and what you didn't do and what you could have done.
"It's tough having a bad game, then a bye week. I'm eager to get out there to practice, to run hard. I've got to work harder, and I definitely want to show that come Bowling Green."
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