Gordon, Wisconsin stampede past Bowling Green in record-breaking performance
MADISON, Wis. -- The run that could come to define Melvin Gordon's ascendancy back into the Heisman Trophy picture began inauspiciously with a low shotgun snap to quarterback Tanner McEvoy that skimmed the turf. When Gordon finally extracted the handoff, a 248-pound defensive end met him at the line of scrimmage and smothered him like ranch dressing on a cheese curd.
Gordon, already in the midst of a spectacular day, slithered through anyway past Bowling Green's Bryan Thomas at the 19-yard line. And the fun was only beginning.
Next, Wisconsin's standout tailback spun left off Falcons defensive back Brian Sutton at the 13, juked backward to elude defensive back Jude Adjei-Barimah at the 11 and outran linebacker Gabe Martin, whose shoestring tackle missed at the 4 as Gordon zipped into the front left corner of the end zone.
The 21-yard score represented a mesmerizing display of power, speed and agility from one of the most talented running backs in college football. It also was the fourth of his five rushing touchdowns, which helped the Badgers set a couple of astounding single-game program records.
When the carnage finally ended, No. 19 Wisconsin had obliterated Bowling Green, 68-17, on Saturday afternoon at Camp Randall Stadium. Gordon finished with 13 carries for a career-high 253 yards -- the most by any tailback in the FBS this season. He tallied five rushing touchdowns to tie the program record and boosted his career yards-per-carry average to 8.26. That mark ties the all-time NCAA record held by Army's Glenn Davis, who last played a college football game in 1946.
"Man," Badgers coach Gary Andersen said afterward, as if exhaling to gather his thoughts on the magnitude of the performance. "He made a lot of people miss today."
No kidding.
All those numbers are well and good, of course, but Gordon's day in particular was the talk of the team.
"I think Melvin can do things that no one else in the country can do," Badgers right tackle Rob Havenstein said. "He should have put himself back in the Heisman watch. Just the special player he is -- his speed, agility, the power, the reads -- everything he does, he does well."
Saturday's game signified the type of performance Gordon had been waiting for since he bypassed the NFL draft in the offseason. Three weeks ago, the 6-foot-1, 213-pound redshirt junior sat for much of the second half against LSU in the season opener with a hip flexor injury and rushed for only 38 yards on 17 carries against FCS foe Western Illinois in the second game.
At the time, it appeared Gordon's Heisman candidacy was all but over. And Gordon didn't help his cause early in Saturday's game when he lost the first fumble on a running play in his college career.
He responded with a game for the ages. Gordon's 19.5 yards per carry shattered the school record for average per carry in a game with at least 10 attempts. Ken Starch established the previous mark of 14.9 on Sept. 28, 1974.
"I was really motivated," Gordon said. "I just heard a lot of people just doubting me saying I can't do this, I can't do that. Melvin's not this, Melvin shouldn't be considered with this guy or be talked about with this guy. I heard it, and people were coming back to me and telling me.
"That definitely motivated me to get out there and do what I needed to do. Plus, I kept thinking about the Western Illinois game as a player, as a competitor. That's not the type of performance you want to have. So I just kept thinking about that every day in practice, and it motivated me and everything showed today."
Gordon began the day with just one touchdown this season and an average of 89.0 rushing yards per game. He left with six touchdowns and an average of 143.7 rushing yards per game. Gordon notched touchdown runs of 2, 50, 3, 21 and 69 yards on Saturday against a Bowling Green defense that had been especially porous this season.
"We knew they weren't too great tackling in open space," Gordon said. "We just tried to take advantage of that. That's what I did."
On Gordon's 50-yard score up the middle, which gave Wisconsin a 27-10 lead, he stiff-armed a defender just inside the 30 and burned past him into the end zone. And it was about all Bowling Green coach Dino Babers could stomach.
"There is no doubt about it, that's the best tailback I've seen in a long time," Babers said. "He's stiff-arming kids like he's grown and playing in a Pop Warner game. And I know the guys were strong that he was throwing off of him. He's very shifty, great speed, great strength."
Earlier in the week, Gordon provided a harsh assessment of his performance this season, giving himself a "D" grade through two games. But the pressure to live up to expectations was lifted significantly following Saturday's record-breaking day.
Where would Gordon rate his season now?
"I don't know," he said, laughing. "I'll let you guys be the judge of that."
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