Melvin Gordon ended the second half with all of three carries, a curious total considering his first carry of the half went for 63 yards. It led to speculation that something medically had to have been wrong.
However, following the game head coach Gary Andersen and Gordon himself both shrugged off any consideration of an injury occurring. Gordon called a “coaching decision” when asked about it following the game.
As it turns out, there was indeed a medical reason for holding Gordon out, one that makes Gordon’s statement not 100 percent false:
GA on Gordon: “Melvin had a bit of a hip flexor. We were trying to be smart with him as the rest of the game went on” #Badgers
— Badger Football (@BadgerFootball) September 1, 2014
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Gordon managed to rush for 140 yards on 16 carries, and appeared poised for a massive second half before apparently injuring himself just before the half.
Melvin Gordon: My hip injury happened on my last run before halftime. I was ready to go, but they were looking out for what’s best for me.
— Badger Football (@BadgerFootball) September 1, 2014
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Gordon came out and ran the ball on the first play of the second half for that memorable 63-yard burst, but was not see much at all after that.
From there it was the Corey Clement show, and when Gordon took a pitch on the edge later in the half it was clear something just wasn’t right. He didn’t have the usual burst, or the ability to cut it up field and lost yardage on the play.
So, while Gordon may have been playing coy and leaving it up to the coaching staff to talk, or not talk, about injuries, he was right in that it was a coaching decision to not put him out there again.
While the coaching choice was peculiar at the time, it may very well be that move that saves Gordon for a game or two down the line. After all, the season is a marathon and not a one-game sprint.
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