Badgers' running back rotation down to two

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MADISON - Wisconsin’s three-headed running back system is pretty much down to two-heads. Coach Bret Bielema said he would mainly go with junior starter John Clay and freshman James White in the backfield on Saturday against Minnesota. But he said it would depend on the flow of the game.

White ran his way into the number-two slot over Montee Ball with a highly-productive average of eight-point-three yards a carry. And it appears he won’t take snaps away from Clay, who’s averaging 116 yards on the ground and a career-high average of six-point-two yards a carry.

Bielema says Clay and White provide a number of different options in the Wisconsin running game. While Clay is a solid inside rusher, White has the speed and the power to either go outside or inside. Bielema says the combination is the one of the best he’s coached, and as he puts it, “that’s been around some pretty good backs.”

Wisconsin right guard Kevin Zeitler will make his second straight start for the Badgers on Saturday. Zeitler replaced Bill Nagy in last Saturday’s Big Ten opener at Michigan State.

And while the Badgers lost the game by 10, offensive line coach Bob Bostad said Zeitler did some good things. He started all 13 games last season, and he came back this year from a sprained ankle suffered at pre-season camp. Nagy, a senior, was moved to a blocking tight end spot – and he’s expected to stay there. He replaced Jake Byrne against the Spartans, and Byrne is expected to be available against Minnesota.

Also, sophomore Ricky Wagner will continue to start at right tackle in place of Josh Oglesby – who injured a knee last month but is healthy now. Also, back-up quarterback Curt Phillips has been cleared to play after coming off an ACL knee injury this past spring. And tight end Brian Wozniak is back after a shoulder injury. He could play on special teams against the Gophers.

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