To a generation of Chicago football fans Walter Payton was unmatched. From the late 1970s to the early ’80s, he was about the only reason to watch the Bears.
“He was the best,” said Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald, born in 1974 and raised in Orland Park.
So when Fitzgerald said Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon “reminds me of ‘Sweetness,’ ” it was a powerful statement.
“(Payton) had great vision and great balance — and you see that from Melvin,” Fitzgerald said. “There are times guys have clear shots at him, and he has an unbelievable ability to make people miss. He can take the first hit and not break stride. And he gets stronger throughout the game.”
That last part is especially true. Gordon, who will lead the Badgers into Ryan Field on Saturday, started slowly against South Florida last week but finished strong. After rushing for 50 yards in the first half, he churned out 131 after the break.
“I’m a different player when I’m angry,” he said.
Asked about that comment, Badgers coach Gary Andersen replied: “Maybe he was a little more angry, maybe he had a little more juice. The creases in the second half were a little bit bigger and Melvin was a very physical runner.”
Gordon ranks fifth nationally at 153 yards per game, and among those with at least 50 rushes he’s eighth at 7.9 yards per carry.
No. 2 tailback Corey Clement averages 5.2 yards per carry and 72.3 per game, down from his numbers last season as a freshman. He told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he’s frustrated with his lack of productivity.
“I hate sitting on the sideline,” Clement said. “I did that enough last year. I just want to get more carries, get into (a) rhythm. It aggravates me.”
Fitzgerald is certainly a fan, saying, “I don’t want to understate Melvin’s ability, but Corey is ridiculous too. It’s as good a 1-2 punch as there is in college football.”
Bottom line, Fitzgerald is preparing his defense for a 12-round brawl. He read aloud the height and weight of every Wisconsin offensive lineman before stating, “You know this: When you play Wisconsin, you better have some extra air in your helmet and your chin strap buckled up a little tighter because it’s going to be a physical Big Ten game.”
Thumbs up: NU cornerback Matthew Harris gave a thumbs-up sign as he was carted off the field Saturday at Penn State. Still, his teammates were concerned after Harris went down following a helmet-to-helmet collision with quarterback Christian Hackenberg that left Harris with a sore neck.
“Seeing him drop down and not move, I was scared,” cornerback Nick VanHoose said. “At first he was not moving at all. I needed to pray.”
But Harris flew back with the team and has participated in practice.
“To see him on the field after what he went through … wow,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s really inspiring and we feel very encouraged (that he’ll play) Saturday.”
Extra points: Fitzgerald said quarterback Trevor Siemian’s right ankle is only at about 75 percent strength after he injured it Sept. 6 against Northern Illinois. … NU’s honorary captain will be Nathan Shanks, the former Wildcat who survived a five-car accident and fiery blaze as an Illinois state trooper in March. He earned a scholarship and contributed mainly on special teams from 2004 to ’07.
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