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BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. -- There were two distinct hurdles Wisconsin junior tailback Corey Clement had to overcome in order to return to duty.
The biggest, of course, had to do with his physical wellness.
The other was more subtle and, ultimately, a bit complicated.
Clement had surgery to repair a sports hernia on Oct. 1. The procedure - performed in Germany - came roughly a month after he suffered the injury in a practice leading up to the season opener vs. Alabama on Sept. 5.
Clement saw his first action since the operation when he carried 11 times for 115 yards and a career-best three touchdowns Saturday during a 48-10 Big Ten Conference victory over Rutgers at Camp Randall Stadium.
It was the eighth career 100-yard rushing game for Clement, who said afterward that he was not yet at full strength.
"Eighty-five percent," he said in a quiet hallway adjacent to the Wisconsin locker room. "I really tried to push it to the side and do what I do.
"For the next few weeks I think the surgical pains are going to fall by the wayside and I think I'm going to be back to normal soon."
The impressive outing by Clement came after he had a long talk with Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst on Monday.
Intrigue has swirled around Clement in recent weeks. He suited up and led the Badgers onto the field for their home game against Purdue on Oct. 17, but didn't see the field. Some thought he'd return to the lineup for a game at Illinois the following week, but Clement didn't even make the trip.
"If you're not looking good in practice, I'm not going to play you," Chryst told him during the meeting. "It's as simple as that."
Clement interpreted that as Chryst looking out for his best interests over the long haul. Turns out it was a welcome voice of reason amid a chorus of conflicting dialogue.
Asked what barrier he had to clear in order to return to the field, Clement offered an intriguing answer. It had nothing to do with his physical condition.
"Outsiders," he said. "Those who aren't playing the game, such as, you know, sometimes family, sometimes friends, sometimes fanatics - I mean fans - and all that, that say, 'Play. Don't play.'"
Clement suggested the voices were loud and diverse.
"It's stupid if you step back out there again after six weeks," he said of one thread.
"Why don't you go back out there? Your team needs you," he said of another.
The voices created uncertainty and hesitation. The talk with Chryst helped clear that up.
"He gave me some pointers," Clement said. "It was his decision for me to play today."
Told what Clement said about the voices, Chryst offered a small smile.
"I know what he meant," Chryst said, declining to elaborate.
Clement came into the season as one of the marquee backs in the nation. He rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore backup to Heisman Trophy runner-up Melvin Gordon.
Listed at 5-foot-11 and 219 pounds, Clement was projected to be a major cog in the Wisconsin offense this year. Given his performance arc - 547 rushing yards as a true freshman and 949 yards last season - it was reasonable to think Clement might be NFL-bound if he had a breakthrough season.
The priority now is for Clement to get back to full strength and fortify an offense that has missed his game-breaking presence despite winning seven of nine games to date.
The win over Rutgers marked this first time this Big Ten season that the Badgers (7-2 overall, 4-1 in league play) topped 150 yards on the ground (215) and finished with more rushing attempts (38) than passes (28).
Bear in mind that three relative novices carried the load while Clement was out. Junior Dare Ogunbowale is a converted cornerback, true freshman Alec Ingold came into preseason camp as an inside linebacker and redshirt freshman Taiwan Deal had no game experience.
Ogunbowale and Deal mustered 100-yard games, but it was odd to see senior wide receiver Alex Erickson lead Wisconsin in rushing during its win at Illinois.
That Clement was back in the ball-carrying rotation against the Scarlet Knights "meant a lot," according to senior fullback Derek Watt.
"He's a special player," Watt said. "He looked pretty good to me."
Clement was on the field for 13 plays from scrimmage this day. Asked if there was a specific usage plan for his return, Clement nodded.
"If you're going to go, go," he said. "Don't 50-percent it, 75-percent it. Go."
Clement's first carry, for a 2-yard gain, brought a loud cheer from the crowd of 74,575.
On the subsequent snap, Clement churned off right tackle and motored untouched into the end zone from 12 yards out. His first rushing TD since Nov. 29 at Minnesota last season prompted him to unleash a lot of pent-up energy in front of the student section, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for excessive celebration.
"I lost my bearings," Clement said. "But I hope everyone who follows this team understands what I've been through, watching (other) guys score when it's supposed to be your year. You have that itch to get back out there.
"When I crossed that goal line I felt back in the moment. I was very excited and I just wanted to share that with my teammates."
When Clement returned to the sideline, he shared a moment with Chryst.
"I'm glad to have you back out there," Chryst told him.
Clement saw the field once over the next three Wisconsin possessions, a fact he tied to Chryst's concern for his health.
"He was scared for me basically," Clement said. "Things were getting clustered in the middle and I respect that. He was looking out for me, but I just told him, 'I can play.'"
Asked if he was scared for Clement, Chryst said he wouldn't have played him at all if there was any fear involved.
Clement's signature moment was a 58-yard run in the third quarter in which he angled down the left sideline before being caught from behind by Rutgers free safety Anthony Cioffi. The run showed Clement is still healing, still missing a gear.
"I should have scored," he said.
At the end of the day, Clement could have chosen from a long list of emotions - relief, happiness, vindication - but he went in another direction.
"I'm still unsatisfied," he said. "Still mad within myself and feel like I could have done better."
