Lucas: Wisconsin’s O-line is embracing the grind
October 06, 2019 | Football, Mike Lucas
Victory over Kent State offers valuable reps for ‘road graders’ down the depth chart
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BY MIKE LUCAS
UWBadgers.com Senior Writer
MADISON, Wis. — Moments after grinding out 354 rushing yards (6.3 per carry) against a physically overmatched Mid-American Conference opponent (Kent State), offensive coordinator Joe Rudolph huddled in the locker room with his grinders, road graders, herd, O-line.
They stood two and three deep around Rudolph — dwarfing the former UW guard.
"I thought they took a step today," Rudolph said. "It's not easy to sustain long drives."
And yet, the Badgers went 7-for-7 by scoring on their first 7 possessions, all touchdowns.
First quarter: 9 plays, 68 yards, 4 minutes, 26 seconds.
Second quarter: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:46.
Second quarter: 17 plays, 74 yards, 9:12.
Second quarter: 4 plays, 67 yards, 1:14.
Third quarter: 2 plays, 60 yards, 0:34.
Third quarter: 7 plays, 70 yards, 4:20.
Fourth quarter: 11 plays, 65 yards, 6:03.
On their eighth series, they reached the KSU 41 before stopping themselves with a turnover.
"We were just grinding it out," said fifth-year senior Jason Erdmann. "That's what Wisconsin football is. That's what we're going to do. We're going to pound it, we're going to pound it, we're going to pound it. We're just like road graders."
Rudolph was obviously pleased with the results. But he was happy about something else, too.
"He was excited for us," Erdmann said, "because everyone got in the game … 12 guys."
Rudolph cleared out his depth chart of all the offensive linemen healthy enough to play.
Nobody was more grateful afterwards than the No. 77 who replaced center Tyler Biadasz.
"Honestly, it was a dream come true," said Blake Smithback, No. 77, a redshirt sophomore from Waunakee. "Ever since I was a kid, living 20 minutes from here, that's what you think about — playing on this team and getting on this field … being out there with these guys means the world to me."
The feeling was mutual.
"He played in his first game as a Badger and it's pretty cool," Rudolph said. "We love Smitty and this whole group was pumped. It was a great message to everyone … never take for granted any rep you do get … look, man, it's not always an easy road to get there … and when you're there, value every rep."
Smithback, a two-time Badger North offensive lineman of the year, had verbally committed to South Dakota State. But he had a change of heart and accepted UW's preferred walk-on offer. Another member of his recruiting class, guard Josh Seltzner, was also a walk-on and is now on scholarship.
On why he was attracted to the Badgers with no guarantees, Smithback said, "It's the tradition of walk-ons that we have and the respect for walk-ons that this program has. Everybody in this group treats you the same. There are no preferences. You just feel like it's a family here because it truly is."
Smithback had much more to overcome beyond just being under-recruited.
After redshirting as a freshman, he missed the 2018 season with a knee injury.
"Going through that knee surgery and battling back from it, there were moments where you feel it was not impossible to overcome, but it was just difficult," Smithback said. "I was just keeping that vision of being out here and trying to come back and contribute. That's what kept me going."
Smithback's commitment did not go unnoticed.
"We have a special chemistry in our O-line and we're all really excited to see somebody come back from something like that," Erdmann said. "It was one of those brutal injuries that can end up ending a career. But he powered through it and it's exciting to see what he can do in the future."
Erdmann, by the way, is a former in-state walk-on from Slinger High School. And he has developed into one of the most indispensable members of the road graders fraternity because of his versatility.
"He has given us great flexibility," Rudolph said of Erdmann, who has appeared in 45 career games with six starts. "He has played a tremendous amount of snaps at two different spots."
Because Rudolph wants to keep Kayden Lyles at left guard and Seltzner at right guard, Erdmann has served as the swing guard from possession to possession, subbing in for Lyles and/or Seltzner.
"It's not that big of a deal now but when I first started doing it, flipping back and forth, I'd get to the line and think, 'Oh, bleep, I'm on the other side of the ball' and I've got to flip everything in my head," said Erdmann. "But now, it's pretty seamless."
Erdmann has also gotten snaps in the "Hippo" package with tackle David Moorman; a unique short-yardage formation that has them both lining up in the backfield. It adds up to eight offensive linemen on the field at the same time. Tight end Cormac Sampson is a converted O-lineman.
"I like it a lot," Erdmann said, "because of the trust they put in us to get the yards."
When asked about Erdmann and his growing impact, Rudolph said, "I really love his approach this year. He has matured. He has really put it on himself — no pretend — just be a consistent, hard-nosed player. He has earned a lot of respect because of that."
Erdmann didn't shrink from that assessment.
"I feel like I'm more in a leader role," he said. "Playing on both sides of the ball, I have to know my stuff. Also backing up Tyler (Biadasz), I have to know the whole offense and my confidence is really high because I know center, I know both guards, I know what the tackles and tight ends are doing.
"Confidence comes from knowing …"
Knowing, in particular, that you're blocking for Jonathan Taylor.
"If the play is designed to run a certain way, we'll try to block it that way," Erdmann said. "But if it doesn't end up like that exactly, he (Taylor) will make us right. He'll bounce something, take it backside, whatever, to make us look good."
Taylor had five touchdowns Saturday and now has 16 through five games; the most by an FBS player since Ricky Williams had 20 in the first five games of his Heisman season in '98. If there was any thought the Badgers might take Kent State lightly, it was erased quickly by Taylor and his grinders.
"It doesn't matter who our opponent is," Erdmann said. "We're going to line up the same way against everybody and we're going to run what we run and we're going to play the D that we play."
That's what Wisconsin football is, he reiterated, in 2019.
