Through four games, Wisconsin’s offense has a player who keeps flashing above everyone else - and he’s not even the starter at running back.
Darrion Dupree made that case again Saturday night in Happy Valley. He didn’t finish either of the two huge touchdown drives in Wisconsin’s furious comeback, but he still looked like the most complete weapon on the field for the Badgers.
The second half had a rough moment that could have buried him. On 3rd-and-12, Colton Joseph dropped in a perfectly placed pass, and Dupree came away with a brutal drop.
It looked like the kind of mistake that might swing the night for good. Instead, he answered by flipping the switch and playing with a different kind of edge the rest of the way.
With starter Abu Sama knocked out of the game early, Dupree finished as Wisconsin’s leading rusher with eight carries for 52 yards, good for 6.5 yards per carry, and a long run of 17. He also finished second on the team in receiving behind tight end Jacob Harris, catching four passes for 44 yards. One of those grabs was a 25-yard screen that became a massive piece of the Badgers’ game-winning touchdown drive.
That performance against the Nittany Lions was impressive enough on its own, especially after the drop. But the bigger point is that Dupree has been making this case all season.
His value starts with versatility. He can run between the tackles, catch the ball out of the backfield, and give Colton Joseph a reliable check-down option. He also gives offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes something to build around in the passing game, like that 25-yard screen on the must-have drive.
And when defenders get hands on him, they often still can’t finish the play. Dupree has forced 13 missed tackles so far, easily the most on the Badgers through four games. The mix of quick feet and contact balance has made him a tough out every week.
The numbers around him help explain the bigger picture. Dupree’s longest run this season is 28 yards, while Wisconsin’s ground game as a whole has been pretty quiet outside Abu Sama’s 72-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage against Western Illinois. Sama’s 6.8 yards per carry is better than Dupree’s 5.6, but Dupree has already shown what he can do in the open field - including an 82-yard touchdown run last fall against Illinois.
Wisconsin does have other high-end offensive talent. Joseph brings an athletic ceiling at quarterback that Madison may not have seen before, even if his mistakes have been costly.
Sama is a strong all-around back, though he has not yet had a chance to show the full range of his game while dealing with a bit of an injury issue. Malachi Coleman is the kind of physical perimeter presence Wisconsin has not had in a while, but he returned in Happy Valley and did not record a catch.
Even with all of that, Dupree stands out. He looks stronger, shiftier, and more dangerous this season, and right now he’s the Badgers’ best offensive player - even if the depth chart still lists him as RB2.
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Instead, Penn State head coach Matt Campbell spent his postgame news conference dwelling almost entirely on his own teams mistakes. He pointed to missed chances, a touchdown given up after a player slipped, and a long list of opportunities Penn State failed to convert, while Wisconsins performance barely got a mention. For the Badgers, it was a reminder that a hard-earned win does not always come with the respect it deserves. [Read more 🡒]
Wisconsin Gets A Big Ten Test It Cant Afford To Waste
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The injury reports should arrive the day before kickoff, and for Wisconsin that timing matters as much as anything else. Availability can shape a game like this before either team takes the field, especially in a matchup where the margins figure to be tight and the Badgers cannot afford to let a home conference date slip away without making the most of it. [Read more 🡒]