Ad Disclosure
It doesn’t sounds like CMU head coach Jim McElwain is looking forward to playing Jonathan Taylor
Published:
As if his first two seasons in Madison weren’t enough, Jonathan Taylor put the college football world on notice in Wisconsin’s season-opening blowout win over USF on Friday night. He went from expected Heisman candidate to legitimate contender in one game.
Taylor finished the first game of the season with an outstanding stat line, totaling 135 rushing yards, 48 receiving yards and four total touchdowns on the night. He helped the Badgers post a 49-0 victory over USF in Tampa.
Next Saturday, the Badgers return to Madison to take on Central Michigan in the second non-conference matchup of the year and the team’s home opener. First-year head coach Jim McElwain doesn’t sound too excited about the task of trying to shut down the Heisman-worthy back.
“I hope he doesn’t try to win the Heisman in our game,” McElwain said, according to Evan Petzold of CMLife.
As the wide receivers coach at Michigan last fall, McElwain got a first-hand look at Taylor and what he can do for Wisconsin. But the Wolverines dominated last season’s matchup, stabilizing Taylor pretty well throughout the night.
It’s going to be a different story with Central Michigan, though.
The Chippewas started the year 1-0 with a 38-21 win over Albany on Thursday. Obviously, Wisconsin and Taylor present a different challenge for McElwain’s bunch. And while it serves as an opportunity to shock the world — or just measure how their team stands up against the big boys of college football — McElwain understands that this is essentially a necessary evil.
“People in our league, we have to go play these games. It’s an opportunity,” McElwain said. “In our case, we get two that are $1 million-plus paydays that support the whole athletic department. We become the avenue in that to be able to help out.”
RELATED: Patrick Mahomes is Aboard the Jonathan Taylor Heisman Train
McElwain just hopes that $1 million check doesn’t come with Taylor running all over his defense all afternoon on Saturday.
Kickoff between the Badgers and Chippewas is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on BTN. Wisconsin opened as a 33.5-point favorite.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB