Wisconsin ended its season on a winning note with a 24-17 over Oklahoma State in the Guaranteed Bowl on Dec. 27. After a brief break, UW will kick up winter conditioning as it begins its early preparation for the 2023 campaign.

Over the next two weeks, BadgerBlitz.com will review each position before turning the page from the 2022 season. Tuesday brings a look back on the running backs and a rushing attack that currently ranks 37th in the FBS in yards per rush (4.66) and 46th in total rush yards (2337).

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Overall, Wisconsin's ground game was rather disappointing in 2022. It failed to truly be dominant against a worthy foe, and was shut down too often when relying on the passing game simply wasn't an option. That said, it still produced dynamic runs and electrifying plays.

Braelon Allen perhaps didn't take the huge step forward that was expected of him after such a promising true freshman season. But the tailback still racked up over 1,200 yards and had his share of explosive highlights.

It didn't take long — Allen took an inside run 96 yards to the house against an overmatched Illinois State team in the opener. In the blink of an eye he was into the secondary, and he outraced the entire Illinois State defense on the emphatic run.

That run came during good times for the Badgers. However, Allen runs hard and plays with heart regardless of the situation. Against Ohio State, down 52-14 with just seven minutes to go, Allen got the handoff on a draw play and raced down the sideline for a 75-yard touchdown. In what was a massively disappointing game against the Buckeyes in Columbus, Allen was still able to score on one of his signature long breakaway runs. It was a real identity moment for the Badgers. They may be getting destroyed by a clearly superior team, but they're still going to run the ball down your throat. And because the running back room is populated by guys like Allen, those runs always have a chance to be spectacular.

Isaac Guerendo was a bright spot in the Badgers rushing attack in 2022. His 6.0 yards-per-carry was the highest of any tailback that consistently got touches, and he consistently showcased his big-play ability.

Guerendo may have been the fastest player on the 2022 Badgers. His breakaway ability and elite top-end speed resulted in some eye-popping runs, none more impressive than his 89-yard scamper against Maryland. In a soaked, stormy Camp Randall with Wisconsin up 7-0, Guerendo took a handoff and weaved through the Terps defense, tight-roping the sideline and expertly following a downfield block from wide out Chimere Dike.

In the game prior, against Purdue, Guerendo ripped off a 54-yard burst for a score. The tailback followed the pulling blocks of Joe Tippmann and Tanor Bortolini, made a hapless safety miss in the open field, kept his balance and raced to the end zone. Guerendo's backfield mates clearly have big play ability as well, but there's something about Guerendo's explosiveness that makes you hold your breath any time he finds daylight. He entered the transfer portal at the end of the season, and despite a crowded running back room, he'll be sorely missed in 2023.

Illinois' stomping of Wisconsin in week five, the game that ultimately got Paul Chryst axed, wasn't just one of the worst Badger performances in recent memory. It was a low point for a ground game that the program has been built on.

Wisconsin's longest run went for five yards. Allen had a grand total of two yards on eight rushing attempts. Chez Mellusi's seven carries only resulted in 16 yards. As a whole, Wisconsin's running backs gained just 31 yards rushing on 1.6 yards-per-carry. The Badgers' running game was completely shut down, while Illinois' tailback, Chase Brown, ran all over them.

Bret Bielema's return to Madison was a complete role reversal for a Wisconsin team that is used to pounding teams into submission with a punishing ground game and a stout defensive front. The Illini came into town and hung 34 on the Badgers, while only giving up 10. Wisconsin scored on their first drive, with a beautiful touchdown catch from Guerendo. That's when the highlights stopped. The typically sure-handed Guerendo would muff a kick later in the game that all but dashed Wisconsin's hopes of an unrealistic comeback. The Illinois game was a low for the program, and especially a low for the running back room.

Wisconsin had been having an uncharacteristic season under Chryst to that point, but Illinois absolutely routing the Badgers showed just how far away they were from being legitimately competitive. Under Luke Fickell and Phil Longo, Wisconsin will be transitioning to a pass-heavy air raid offense. Regardless, as the Illinois game displayed, the Badgers' offense won't function when their tailbacks put up that kind of stat line.

Besides the departure of Guerendo, and Jackson Acker's likely transition to halfback, the Badgers' running backs should look very similar in 2023. The top of the position is still spearheaded by the dangerous one-two punch of Allen and Mellusi, who elected to return for his third year in Madison. With the top two ball carriers returning, and much of the supporting cast such as Acker and reserve Julius Davis still in the mix, the cast at running back will be familiar.

What may not be familiar is how they're used. Longo is implementing his new offense, which, as it's name suggests, is pass-happy by nature. However, Fickell has repeatedly stressed that he's not in the business of completely disregarding the things that have made Wisconsin a storied program. That includes the tradition of running the football.

Longo is known for his passing game acumen, but his offenses have produced terrific rushing attacks as well. This is the same coordinator that let Javonte Williams and Michael Carter run wild in 2020, collecting 2,413 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns between the two of them. That was while he had future NFL quarterback Sam Howell on his roster, who had a prolific season of his own.

Longo still knows how to run the ball, and is clearly not opposed to heavily utilizing the ground game. But with three new scholarship quarterbacks projected to be on the roster by spring ball, designing the passing game and getting them up to speed will surely be high on the list of priorities.

With the two highly-touted incoming transfers at quarterback, Tanner Mordecai and Nick Evers, the narratives will revolve around the passing game all offseason. Nevertheless, Longo also has two highly regarded tailbacks in Allen and Mellusi that Wisconsin's offense has revolved around for the past two seasons. Between those two and the rest of the running back room, there's still plenty of mouths to feed in the ground game. How Longo decides to approach his running backs will be fascinating.

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