Five Burning Questions: No. 19 Penn State vs No. 12 Wisconsin

A key Big Ten cross-divisional clash commences the 2021 season inside Camp Randall Stadium when No. 12 Wisconsin hosts No. 19 Penn State this weekend.

BadgerBlitz.com brings back our "Five Burning Questions" series when beginning to break down Saturday's matchup between UW and Penn State (11 a.m. CT, FOX).

No one expected Wisconsin to be a rushing juggernaut in 2020, its first season without Jonathan Taylor. However, the Badgers averaged just 164.6 yards per game on 3.9 yards per carry. UW's 2019 output -- with Taylor and others in the backfield -- included 233.1 yards per contest on 5.3 yards per attempt.

The Badgers registered just one contest where it ran for more than 200 yards (the 341-yard outburst at Michigan) last year and they achieved just one individual 100-yard rushing effort (Garrett Groshek's 154-yard performance in the overtime win against Minnesota in December).

Jalen Berger had three games where he came close to the 100-yard mark as a true freshman, (two 87 and one 93-yard rushing endeavors), but in his second season, he and Clemson transfer Chez Mellusi should lead a resurgence in the room under new position coach Gary Brown.

Mellusi claimed the first-team designation at tailback this week, and head coach Paul Chryst spoke about him earlier this week. Can Berger, Isaac Guerendo and others also help to reload and evolve the running game?

"I think what he's done is he's been really consistent, and that I think means a lot," head coach Chryst said of Mellusi on Monday. "And as you know or could easily guess, I think we're still in a position where we've got to have a number of backs play and play well. That was one that as we went into camp, there was a lot of questions at that position, and yet, I think each one of them has taken positive strides.

"You know, it's been great having Isaac going, and I think with him being able to practice every day -- which, you know, in the past that wasn't always the case -- you build some confidence. And Jalen, he's still young, and it's been good to see him continue to grow. I think Braelon [Allen]'s got some things that he can give us. You know, Brady Schipper's done some really good things throughout camp, but I think Chez has been the most consistent player at that position we've had, and that's been good for this team."

One should not look solely at those inhabiting the backfield, however, when projecting the running game. Wisconsin's retooled line holds on the depth chart, from left tackle to right tackle: Tyler Beach, Josh Seltzner, Joe Tippmann, Jack Nelson and Logan Bruss. How will these five fare against an intriguing Penn State defensive line that still needs to replace key standouts Ofade Oweh and Shaka Toney?

BadgerBlitz.com already discussed Wisconsin needing to prepare not just for a new Penn State team with roster addition and attrition, but also needing to scout a new offensive coordinator in Mike Yurcich. Yurcich has made stops recently at Oklahoma State, Ohio State and Texas.

Even without a new offense to dissect, the Nittany Lions' receiving corps with Jahan Dotson and Parker Washington provides some matchup concerns. Dotson caught 52 receptions, for 884 yards and eight touchdowns on way to consensus third-team All-Big Ten accolades last season. Washington, now entering his second year in Happy Valley, hauled in 36 catches for 489 yards and six touchdowns of his own in complementing one of the conference's best wide outs a year ago.

Wisconsin boasts a senior-laden, game-ready secondary with Faion Hicks and Caesar Williams at the cornerback spots, along with Collin Wilder and Scott Nelson at safety. Those groups looked mostly sharp during fall camp practices open to the media, especially in attacking and breaking up passes.

How defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard and his backfield take on the challenge of facing Penn State's receivers will be a storyline of the game.

"It gets really easy to motivate the guys," Leonhard said on Monday. "They've been through it before. They understand what talented football players, the issues they can cause and what it's all about. I think our guys have been really focused throughout the offseason and going into camp knowing that Week 1 is going to be a huge test.

"Look, whether it's Penn State, Texas, wherever this coaching tree has been, they challenge secondaries in a big way. So our guys are excited for that opportunity, and looking forward to watching them play on Saturday.”

Mertz lit up a barren Camp Randall Stadium in 2020's season opener against Illinois. He broke one single-game record and tied two others with his 20-of-21, 248-yard and five-touchdown performance last October. Wisconsin showcased a flash of its rushing prowess against Michigan three weeks later, but injuries to key playmakers like wide receivers Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor and other factors contributed to a fizzling of offensive output for the remainder of the season. Even though UW scored 42 points against Wake Forest, it capitalized off of second-half turnovers and gained only 266 yards in the Duke Mayo's Bowl victory.

Flash forward to 2021, and both spring and fall camps mostly demonstrated that the depth of the skill position groups appeared to grow (for the tailbacks, definitely more in August than the injury-riddled April the room experienced). The running back room with Mellusi and Berger provides at least a nice one-two punch to start. Tight end Jake Ferguson should at the very least emerge as an all-conference tight end, perhaps more, and the sure-handed Jack Eschenbach looked impressive in spring and fall camp open practices.

Davis and Pryor could be joined by sophomore Chimere Dike as a fearsome trio. What are the expectations for not just Davis, but Pryor and Dike in a 11 personnel look and the wide receiver group?

"Big time, man," Davis said. "Just going out there and making plays, pass and run. Just being all-around receivers. All three of us have done a great job in camp this fall, just going out there and attacking in the run and attacking in the pass. So just being complete players, while also being them guys that spark the offense and make those plays that can can lead us to the wins."

The current iteration of the offensive line showcases a combination of experience and youthful athleticism. Beach and Bruss on the edges, along with Seltzner at left guard, provide senior leadership, while Nelson as a second-year player has shown a physicality and mentality that should help him as a first-year starter. Mertz called Tippmann -- his 6-foot-6, 320-pound roommate who won the first-team center spot from Kayden Lyles -- a "frickin' mauler" on Monday.

Mertz, for that matter, looked sharper than his 2020 output by far in both spring and fall camps. Under the tutelage of Chryst, who assumed quarterback mentorship duties along with play calling in 2021, and one can predict significant progression from his first year starting.

Then again, this is all on educated guessing and speculation from what's on paper and seen during practices. We'll see once the game starts and how the season progresses overall if there are more chunk plays in the run and in the pass.

Wisconsin possesses the ability to create havoc in the backfield from all three levels, given with the experienced personnel returning and their respective talents.

Last year, Leonhard's defense only registered 11 sacks in seven games. The front seven, in particular, needs to penetrate and disrupt opposing offenses more frequently in 2021. That is especially true against Penn State, who gave up 28 sacks in nine games last season, and quarterback Sean Clifford, who will be looking to make explosive plays with those aforementioned receivers.

The pressure could come from the edge with Nick Herbig and Noah Burks, from the inside linebacker spots with Leo Chenal and Jack Sanborn, or perhaps the defensive line with Keeanu Benton and Matt Henningsen.

Leonhard was asked about Chenal and Sanborn and their abilities of getting after the quarterback when their respective numbers are called. The coordinator praised both in generating pressure from their positions on the defense, but he also looked broader among the unit and what it has done in years past.

"It's a big part of what we do," Leonhard said. "We've always been able to get pressure on the quarterback. Last year, we didn't have the sack numbers, we felt like we still had good pressure. We weren't getting some of the production.

"This year, that's a huge emphasis of ours is getting back to being disruptive, and if you've looked over the years of this defense, it's always looked a little different. You know, sometimes it's our two edge defenders, sometimes it is an inside 'backer or a safety creating a lot of pressure for us. We're trying to find a skill set, you know, what guys do best and try to put them in those positions as much as possible. Feel like we've done a good job throughout camp of kind of identifying who those playmakers are going to be and what gets them playing most aggressive, fastest, most physical.

"Now you're getting into game weeks, and you're trying to put it all together on just how many different ways you can get in those positions."

Jack Van Dyke and Collin Larsh competed in spring and fall camps, but UW listed the former as limited for an Aug. 13 practice due to a right leg injury. We did not see him attempt field goals during another media-accessible session.

UW listed Larsh as the first-team placekicker on the depth chart this week, and he is the veteran of the specialists. Though he made 17 of 25 field goals the past two seasons, but his longest is from 44 yards out and he went 0-2 for any attempt over 40 yards in 2020. During the Aug. 21 open practice to both media and fans, he missed from about 52 yards out. However, he displayed plenty of leg to make it through the uprights.

Van Dyke received first up opportunities in open practices BadgerBliltz.com watched before the injury, and the second-year player showcased the stronger leg of the two.