Lucas at Large: Badgers’ seniors pass the torch
January 03, 2019 | Football, Mike Lucas, Varsity Magazine
Outgoing Badgers cherish last bowl victory with teammates
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BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — During his post-Pinstripe Bowl walk across the hallowed Yankee Stadium turf — from the first base dugout to Monument Park and beyond, to where the team busses were parked — Alec Ingold paused before reaching the warning track and glanced at his rearview mirror.
"Seeing his play in the last quarter," he said, "it was a pass-the-torch moment."
Ingold, a senior fullback, was talking about his understudy, Mason Stokke, a sophomore.
Without prodding, Ingold insisted, "He's so ready — he's so ready for everything."
Stokke, who had dealt with injuries and played sparingly in eight regular-season games, took some offensive snaps in the fourth quarter of Wisconsin's convincing 35-3 win over Miami. On an off-tackle run, Stokke decleated one defender and sealed another to create a crease for the tailback.
"You get to see a guy grow up right in front of your eyes," Ingold said of Stokke. "I feel a little bit choked up and stuff. He's a great guy and this team is going to build off this — winter, spring ball, all the way to fall camp — they're going to have this taste in their mouth. And that's big for everybody.
"Getting that last win is always pretty cool."
𝟒-𝟎 In four years under head coach Paul Chryst, the #Badgers are now 42-12 (.778) and 4-0 in bowl games #OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFB) January 2, 2019
Nobody should know that better than Ingold and his senior teammates.
"I haven't lost a bowl game," Ingold enthused, "and it's a big part of our program."
Put a check mark by the Pinstripe Bowl, the Orange Bowl (34-24 over Miami), the Cotton Bowl (24-16 over Western Michigan), the Holiday Bowl (23-21 over USC) and the Outback Bowl (34-31 over Auburn). The Badgers have now won an unprecedented five straight bowl games.
Nobody else has done that as a Big Ten member.
"It's something we take pride in," Ingold said.
It's something that Ingold is passing on to Stokke. Something that nose guard Olive Sagapolu is passing on to Bryson Williams. Something that safety D'Cota Dixon is passing on to Scott Nelson. Something that inside linebackers T.J. Edwards and Ryan Connelly are passing on to Jack Sanborn.
On the offensive line, it's something Michael Deiter and Beau Benzschawel are passing on to the returning starters and subs. As fifth-year seniors, with a combined 103 starts, they've been on teams that have gone 53-15 overall, 34-9 in the Big Ten and 5-0 in bowls. Their torches glow brightly.
"Sending our seniors off the right way was our main goal and that's what we did. It was an awesome experience," said Cole Van Lanen, a redshirt sophomore. "I'm definitely ready to go. There's still a lot to learn. But I'm ready to take on the challenge and come back even better next year."
Van Lanen split reps at left tackle with Jon Dietzen, a redshirt junior. Although Dietzen started 12 games this season, he was on the equivalent of a "pitch count" because of past injuries and surgeries. As a result, Van Lanen, who started once, got priceless game experience.
"Coach (Joe) Rudolph valued me as a starter, I felt like I was a starter and I played as much as a starter," said Van Lanen, who cited the losses of Deiter and Benzschawel, and maybe others, and noted, "We're losing a lot. But we still have a lot coming back. They've taught us a ton."
Among the O-line teachers/mentors was redshirt junior David Edwards, who has groomed Logan Bruss as his successor at right tackle. Bruss, a redshirt freshman, started the last three games for the injured Edwards, who this week announced his intentions to forgo his final season and declare for the NFL draft.
A year ago, Deiter, Benzschawel and Edwards submitted their names to the draft advisory board and got a grade based on the evaluation of NFL general managers and personnel directors. Redshirt sophomore center Tyler Biadasz, who has started 27 straight games, went through that process in December and announced this week his intention to return for his junior season.
Options at guard include redshirt junior Jason Erdmann, who has appeared in 40 games, and redshirt freshman Kayden Lyles, who started seven games at defensive end out of necessity.
Everything will begin to sort itself out during spring practice.
The only certainty is that tailback Jonathan Taylor will make everyone better.
"He always looked up to Saquon Barkley and Ezekiel Elliott — all the great running backs that came before him," Ingold said. "And I told him, 'Those guys are great. But they're not better than you just because they came before you.' He needs to keep that mindset the whole offseason.
"We know that he's going to be humble. But to have a little swagger about him … to just really understand that he controls his own ceiling is really big for him … and I hope that he really takes that forward."
Taylor has already mapped out his immediate plans.
"I'm going to take a few days off and then start working my way back into the weight room," he said. "Once we come back to school on Jan. 20, we're hitting the ground running. This year was this year. But next year it's a whole new team and a whole new season."
The final chapter to Taylor's sophomore season was historic on many fronts, not the least of which was Taylor authoring another 200-yard rushing game (205 on 27 carries) giving him eight for his career (27 games). Only Ron Dayne reached that 200-plateau more often (14 in 47 games).
"It's amazing to have a back like that and it's a privilege to block for him," said Van Lanen, who fully understands the feeling is mutual from Taylor, the Doak Walker Award winner and the nation's leading rusher. "We make him right and he makes us right. I'm excited to have him for another year."
How much better can Taylor get? And in what areas?
"First off is consistency — that's the main thing — you have to make sure you don't fall off," Taylor said. "Secondly, you look at some of the runs that you missed. Was it a technique issue? Was I out of position? Do I have to work on setting up (the run) and being in a better position?
"I was on some third-down plays this year and I'm going to continue to work on that (receiving skills) because the next level is big on that. It has become more of a passing game.
"But I also have to continue to work on running the football."
Melvin Gordon (2014) - 2,587 yds 𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐨𝐫 (𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟖) - 𝟐,𝟏𝟗𝟒 𝐲𝐝𝐬 Ron Dayne (1996) - 2,109 yds Ron Dayne (1999) - 2,034 yds Wisconsin now has a total of four individual 2,000-yard rushing seasons. No other FBS program has more than two. #OnWisconsin
— Wisconsin Football (@BadgerFB) January 2, 2019
There's nothing Taylor has accomplished that has surprised anyone in the running back room.
"And I don't think he surprises himself, either," said Garrett Groshek, a redshirt sophomore.
What did Taylor think about eclipsing 2,000 yards for the season and 4,000 for his career?
"It indicates the hard work that I've put in," said Taylor, whose 2,194 yards in 2018 is the second-most in school history to Melvin Gordon's 2,587 in 2014. His 4,171 career yards is the third highest two-year rushing total in FBS history, behind Gordon (4,196 from 2013-14) and Iowa State's Troy Davis (4,195 from 1995-96).
"It also shows the tremendous hard work that has been put in by the guys who have been blocking for me the past two years. You hate to see some of them go because you build a bond with them. But you know they're moving on to greater things. I can't wait to watch them on Sundays."
Taylor was more committed than ever to put his stamp on the Pinstripe Bowl for the seniors.
"It was imperative, it was a must-win to send these guys off on a high note," said Taylor, who knows the returning players will be the beneficiaries. "It will definitely help the offseason, especially the younger guys. It will show them what they can be and what hard work and dedication can do."
Stokke has seen those qualities in Ingold — who took the torch from Austin Ramesh — and what it has produced: one TD for every 5.57 touches. Ingold's third-quarter score against Miami gave him 21 career touchdowns on 117 touches (103 rushes and 14 receptions).
Ingold's "touch" even carried over to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
Last Wednesday, he rang the opening bell, spurring a rally that saw the Dow Jones post its highest single-day gain in history.
Last Thursday, he helped the Badgers rout the Hurricanes, lifting the UW's season-ending stock.
"This is surreal; you really can't put it into words," he said, exiting Yankee Stadium through the center field gate. "This whole week has been pretty special. It's a wrap. I don't know what else to say."
