Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing…. and while Wisconsin got the W, it could be considered bittersweet because of the name added to the list of the walking wounded yesterday. That is if you take the loss of Montee Ball as a major blow to this team. Is losing Ball, who was taken out of the game with what the team was calling a "head injury," the major issue some seem to think it will be?
First things first, we clearly don't know how long he will be out if at all, but having a 2nd concussion in less than two months has to be a bit of a worry.
I'm not saying Ball isn't a great player because that would be even dumber than being a Gophers fan. He certainly is a very good player. However, his start to 2012 has left a lot to be desired and perhaps the pressure of Heisman hype and being "the guy" was getting to him?
One thing is for sure, he was getting more carries than the team wanted.
"I think two things, Monte had gotten reps the first three games and just, you know, to into a Big Ten season we didn't think he would be able to do that for the entire season," said head coach Bret Bielema.
So far this season Ball has just 360 yards on 93 carries with a 3.9 average.
Those numbers tell us the production also wasn't there for whatever reason. Chalk some of it up to bad offensive line play, but there were other things at work beyond that. Things that probably only Montee knows at this point.
After watching the game unfold yesterday there shouldn't be any worry from Badger fans about the loss of Montee Ball, even if it's an extended time. That's because of what happened yesterday starting with the fact that the rest of the world got a chance to see what some of us already knew – Melvin Gordon is going to be a STAR.
Gordon had just 8 carries, but that was all he needed to make UTEP look silly. He had 112 yards on those 8 carries and scored his first touchdown in the victory. He averaged 14 yards a carry and showed off his ability to run away from defenders almost at will. He has the Badgers longest run of the season on his 26 yard TD run late in Saturday's win.
James White also showed that he can be a good option again, going for 40 yards on 9 carries for a 4.4 average. But Badger fans already know what he can do thanks to that 1,000 yard season in 2010.
One thing is for sure, at least we know Wisconsin's running game won't miss a beat should Ball be gone for more than a game or two and that's a credit to recruiting and the talent we've got stored at the running back position. Other teams would see this injury as a near death sentence to their season, but for Wisconsin the loss of a player like Ball isn't that big of a deal in the grand scheme of this season.
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