MADISON, WIS. -- Wisconsin faced a 3rd-and-1 from its own 34-yard line in the second quarter, down 10-0. At that point they had punted on every one of its previous four possessions.

UW did not call the number of any of its three tailbacks on the depth chart -- Chez Mellusi, Jalen Berger or Isaac Guerendo -- for the short yardage situation. Rather, it was 6-foot-2, 238-pound true freshman Braelon Allen. The Fond du Lac, Wis., native took the Graham Mertz handoff and gained two yards to move the chains.

“I already kind of knew before the game that short yardage situations, I was going to be in," Allen said on Monday. "I guess it wasn't, I wouldn't say nerves but kind of just knowing that I have to get this first down, I got to keep this drive alive, and so I wouldn't say it was really pressure.

"I knew I could get it. It was only two yards, I think, on my first carry, but it was more excitement than anything, more excitement, anxiousness, just to kind of be able to prove what I got against a good team like Michigan."

Wisconsin continued to march down the field, ending a 15-play, 78 yards drive with a Collin Larsh 34-yard field goal, a flash of optimism that sparked an offense for consecutive scoring series.

Allen officially finished the game with a team-high 19 yards on five carries, not eye-popping numbers for an offense that gained a meager 43 yards on 32 attempts. However, UW trusted him with reps during game-time situations where the contest was still competitive and the outcome not already in hand. That, and Allen continues to see time in the third phase of the game on various special teams units in the three contests he has suited up for.

Allen confirmed to BadgerBlitz.com that he has played on kickoff, kickoff return and punt coverage units. He continues to adjust in those roles.

“Before I can get more reps in the backfield, I gotta do what I need to do in the jobs that I have right now," Allen said. "Saturday was my first reps on punt. They made me the gunner last week so that was my first time out there, but kickoff I’ve become a lot more comfortable than I was in camp.

“I wasn’t on kick return on Saturday, but I was taking first-team reps today, and I was on earlier in the season, so that's becoming more comfortable as well. Just got to try to make plays on special teams.”

Offensively, Allen's received just a dozen carries through three games, but has accumulated 49 yards and scored his first career touchdown. The bulk of his attempts came against Eastern Michigan, where he ran seven times for 30 yards. His one-yard touchdown run came with 4:16 to play in the fourth quarter of the 34-7 win against the MAC program.

Allen missed the loss to Notre Dame, but returned last weekend to see time against Michigan. Facing the Wolverines last weekend, he received his first carries as a tailback that were not in the fourth quarter. Three of his five attempts came in the second quarter, which resulted in 18 yards. Two of those resulted in first downs where only a yard was needed to move the chains.

His third touch of the game came with Wisconsin down by 10 with 22 seconds before halftime. His nine-yard run set up a 2nd-and-1 at UW's own 46-yard line after head coach Paul Chryst called a timeout. Mertz then hit wide receiver Chimere Dike on back-to-back throws of 36 and 18 yards, the latter a touchdown to cut the deficit to a field goal going into the locker room.

That run is "probably the biggest" Allen can claim early on in his Wisconsin career besides his touchdown against Eastern Michigan, according to the back.

"It wasn't something that we got a whole lot of in the game, so I feel like it sparked a little bit of that drive," Allen said. "Ultimately, I just saw a hole and hit it, so not too much went into it.”

Allen still continues to learn and develop as all players do, let alone a first-year player who reclassified to a year earlier than expected. Originally listed as a safety on Wisconsin's 2021 national signing day page, he also received official confirmation of a new collegiate position mere months ago in late May -- this after rushing for 1,047 yards on 71 carries and 21 touchdowns during the WIAA's alternate spring season.

However, Allen believes he has progressed under the mentorship of Wisconsin running backs coach Gary Brown.

“I feel like especially from the first week of camp to now -- you could ask Coach Brown, you could ask any of the running backs and the offensive players really -- that my strides have been pretty drastic," Allen said. "That's all thanks to Coach Brown. He basically has built me up from square one with really no knowledge of the position besides how to run the ball. I'd say I made a pretty big leap from first week of camp.

"Even from Week 1 of the season to now with the protections and everything like that. Definitely starting to get a lot more comfortable.”

Allen also noted that he is "locked in" to the running back position, a room where Mellusi, Berger and Guerendo all have received reps this season. Outside of Mellusi's 31-carry, 121-yard effort against Penn State, the majority of the success came against Eastern Michigan -- a contest that saw all four backs score a touchdown each.

How Allen figures to be a presence or impact in the backfield going forward for Wisconsin (1-3 overall, 0-2 Big Ten) will be a storyline to watch the rest of the season, starting on Saturday against Illinois (2-4, 1-2) at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. (2:30 p.m. CT, BTN).

Chryst was asked on Monday if he feels Allen has reached a point where UW needs to give him more carries to help kickstart the run game, which has been stifled the last two weeks in gaining only 121 total yards on 60 carries.

"I think not only did everyone see it, but you feel it, too, when you're not just watching it, but when you're playing," Chryst said. "I think that certainly [he] had done enough to get to that. I think that his trajectory keeps going up that way and can give us something that maybe is a little bit different, absolutely."

A former four-star prospect, Allen believes he can help the program in situations as seen in the first couple of carries last week, but he also thinks he can bring more in supplementing the tailback group.

"I'm a little bit bigger than those guys, so I feel like obviously short yardage situations is a little tougher for a defense to stop a guy of my size, so I feel I can help him that way which was put on display against Michigan I feel like. But I feel also like I can contribute more than just short yardage situations.

"We have a pretty loaded room right now and I feel like all those guys that are playing are great players. I feel like we all complement each other in different ways, so right now is all about expanding my role, which the other guys are trying to do as well, so it's just ongoing competition between us guys. All love and support, but we all complement each other in different ways which I think makes our group very special."