Badgers back Jonathan Taylor among the nation's best

The challenges from the Big Ten's upper tier of running backs have come often for the Gophers.

Last week, it was Northwestern's Justin Jackson, who rushed for 166 yards.

Two weeks earlier, Michigan's Karan Higdon carried for 200 yards and Chris Evans for 191.

In mid-October, Michigan State's LJ Scott rolled to 194.

On Saturday in the regular-season finale at TCF Bank Stadium, the Gophers will face possibly the best of them all, Wisconsin freshman Jonathan Taylor, who leads the Big Ten and ranks third nationally at 150.6 yards per game. Taylor, who operates behind a massive, mobile line, is the engine behind an offense that has fifth-ranked Wisconsin off to an 11-0 start, the best in school history, and deep in the race for a berth in the College Football Playoff.

"They've got one of the best running backs in the country, and he's only a freshman," Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said. "Their offensive line, they're big, they're strong, they move people at will."

Behind that line, Taylor has gotten better as the season has matured. His 152.4 yards per game in Big Ten play is more than 56 ahead of the next-closest back, Higdon.

"Toward the end of the season is when the accolades start coming around. That's when people tend to get off track," Taylor said. "But the end of the season is when you've got to be the most focused because that's when the games are the most vital."

For Wisconsin, Saturday's game is vital. If the Badgers, who are 17-point favorites, get past the Gophers, they'll have a Big Ten Championship Game matchup against Ohio State on Dec. 2. A slip-up against the Gophers in the game for Paul Bunyan's Axe would end any playoff hopes.

Taylor said there's a video loop of previous Badgers-Gophers games playing at Wisconsin's football facility, and it has him intrigued about his first "Axe" game. "Just seeing those guys after the game sprint to the Axe and having so much excitement after the game, I can't wait," he said.

Tasked with the job of stopping Taylor and the Badgers offense, which averages 239.3 rushing yards and 35.2 points, is Gophers defensive coordinator Robb Smith. Disruption, he said, will be the key.

"We've got to create penetration at the line of scrimmage," Smith said. "… We've got to have our eyes in the right place, and it's going to take 11 guys getting to the football and tackling."

The Gophers added senior Eric Carter and sophomore Matt Morse to the depth chart at wide receiver, with starter Clay Geary, a redshirt freshman from Lakeville South.

The 5-10 Geary, a walk-on, has yet to play this season and was a surprising addition to the depth chart.

Fleck said Carter has been dealing with a broken wrist while continuing to play.

Tyler Johnson, the team's leading receiver with 35 catches, is out for the season because of a broken left hand, and freshman Demetrius Douglas (11 catches) was shut down after the third game because of an undisclosed injury.