The success of UW sophomore running back P.J. Hill last season would convince any fan of his return as the leading back. But his off-season shoulder surgery and continuing rehabilitation has kept him out of pads this whole spring, and possibly until the middle of summer, opening the door for sophomore back Lance Smith.
Smith was Hill's back-up last year and mostly just learned about playing college ball his first season, taking notes as Hill ran for a conference-best 1,569 yards. But Smith proved he could do it himself, rushing for 345 yards and five touchdowns in limited action.
With Hill out this spring, Smith has been carrying the load, taking the majority of his repetitions in practice as the No. 1 back.
This experience has been a good stepping stone for Smith and could mean a dangerous duo once the season begins and Hill is at full strength. The tandem could be right out of the ""Thunder and Lightning"" mold former Badger Ron Dayne made up with Tiki Barber while they were teammates on the New York Giants. Dayne, the thunder, pounded the ball, while Barber, the lightning, used agility and quickness to gain big yards. Hill and Smith, respectively, have the body compositions and ability to do just that this season.
""We have two different styles of running, but we are both good backs,"" Hill said. ""When he gets in there, he handles the job pretty well. Throughout the spring I've seen a lot of improvement each day with him, so he's going to contribute to this team a lot.""
The sentiment is shared throughout the team, and Smith may be ready to take a more active offensive role in his second season.
""He's definitely improved,"" junior fullback Chris Pressley said. ""He's matured a lot, and most guys will tell you that spring ball after your freshman season is when guys make their biggest strides. He can definitely still improve, but from what we have seen so far, he's shown he is a guy we can depend on. All we ask for is a good effort to try and get better, and that's what he's done.""
Over the years, a big indicator of the type of season Badger running backs will have is the strength of the offensive line. The big loss this off-season was Joe Thomas, a potential top five pick in the NFL Draft. But the Badgers have four starters on the offensive line returning, as well as Pressley.
Pressley missed all of last season due to injury, but has experience from 2005 when he blocked for former Badger Brian Calhoun. As a lead blocker on many runs, Pressley depends on the offensive line almost as much as the running backs.
""When you lose a guy like Joe [Thomas], you have to depend on the guys around you to be on the same page,"" Pressley said. ""We just have to work as a team and get that chemistry together.""
With a solid bunch of guys leading the way, the running attack should be extremely dangerous for the Badgers, whoever may be carrying the ball.
Injury Report
Smith rolled his ankle early on in practice. He had it taped and tested it out, but came back out and iced it for a while. He came back from the locker room minus pads and done for the day, but seems to have sat out the rest of practice only as a precautionary measure.
Surgeries have taken the spring practices of both Hill and tight end Andy Crooks, but the two made an appearance Tuesday, participating in footwork drills without pads.
