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Wisconsin football: Why was Jalen Berger idle on Saturday? We still don’t know

Erik Buchinger

By Erik Buchinger

Published:

Graham Mertz is getting plenty of attention in the days following Wisconsin’s season-opening loss to Penn State after turning the ball over 3 times and missing a few crucial throws. The quarterback position is always going to be a major discussion topic when the passing game isn’t performing well, but Badgers fans have to be wondering about another key staple of the Wisconsin offense. Where was running back Jalen Berger in Week 1?

The Badgers leading rusher from last season did not play a single snap on Saturday despite splitting carries with the first-team offense throughout fall camp and being listed as the backup on the depth chart for the opener. Clemson transfer Chez Mellusi saw a ton of carries in his Wisconsin debut, and when he needed a breather, Isaac Guerendo spelled him. No other running back received a carry. Berger watched from the sideline.

As Jesse Temple of The Athletic observed during the first half, Berger was nowhere near the other backs as they huddled with running backs coach Gary Brown on the sideline during a Wisconsin drive. Berger dressed for the game, but it seemed like he knew he wouldn’t play.

After the game, coach Paul Chryst said he liked what Mellusi and Guerendo had been doing. He didn’t go into further detail as to why Berger never saw the field. In another press conference this week, Chryst said Berger’s absence doesn’t mean he has done anything wrong.

As a true freshman in 2020, Berger quickly jumped to the top of the depth chart and was Wisconsin’s best running back when he was available. He played in just 4 of 7 games, and his carry count was capped at 15 each time. In 60 rushes, he ran for a team-high 301 yards.

He seemed to be the next No. 1 guy in the Wisconsin backfield.

Earlier this week, the Badgers released the Week 2 version of their depth chart, which obviously doesn’t mean a whole lot after considering what we saw on Saturday, and Berger and Guerendo are now listed as co-backups to Mellusi. Heading into last week’s game, Berger had been alone in the No. 2 spot.

Mellusi showed potential with a solid burst in his first game with the Badgers, though the final statistics are not all that eye opening aside from the number of rushing attempts. He ran the ball 31 times for 121 yards (3.9 per carry) with a touchdown — this after never seeing more than 8 rushing attempts in a game over 2 seasons at Clemson.

Guerendo received his first carry in the second quarter for a 15-yard gain, his best run of the day. He finished with 56 yards on 13 attempts. Guerendo’s biggest issue throughout his career has been staying healthy, as he has played in just 12 games to this point in his 4th season with the program.

Maybe there’s nothing more to this story, and the coaching staff simply likes what Mellusi and Guerendo can do. Berger and Mellusi have similar skill sets, while Guerendo is more of a speedster. It’s possible the coaching staff thinks Mellusi and Guerendo complement each other well, and there is no reason to add a third back into the mix.

Still, it’s strange that Berger saw so much time with the No. 1 offense during fall camp only to be out-carried 31-0 by the player he split time with, and that he seemed to know he would not see the field.

The Badgers shouldn’t have any issues against Eastern Michigan this Saturday as nearly 4-touchdown favorites. If Berger does not make his season debut, something is definitely going on — whether it’s an injury or some other issue Wisconsin does not want anybody to know about.

Erik Buchinger

Erik Buchinger brings his vast experience covering Wisconsin and B1G football to Saturday Tradition. Follow him on Twitter @DeceptiveSpeed.