Biggest story in college football visits Kinnick Stadium

IOWA CITY - The biggest story going in college football this week will put on a white No. 25 jersey in the pink visitors locker room at Kinnick Stadium. Presumably, Melvin Gordon, like the rest of us, will put one cleat on at a time.

Though, you could understand if Wisconsin's junior running back tried jumping into both shoes at once. You can't wait to see what's next, and, probably, neither can he.

How do you follow up an FBS record 408 rushing yards in front of your adoring fans at Camp Randall Stadium? Not only was it the most breathtaking, eye-popping and plainly unambiguous performance of the 2014 football season, it came in a showdown with Nebraska, a Big Ten West Division foe that Wisconsin (8-2, 5-1 Big Ten) needed to beat to reach its immediate goals.

Today, the Hawkeyes (7-3, 4-2) are the immediate goal. So, what are you going to do against the biggest story in college football in the open field, Hawkeyes?

'It's going to take more than one person,” free safety Jordan Lomax said. 'It's going to take the entire defense getting to the ball and gang tackling him. He's an explosive running back and it's going to be important that we're all on our keys, in the right gaps and on the same communication.”

Gordon sits at 1,909 yards this season, which leads the nation. A running back hitting 2,000 yards at Kinnick Stadium isn't something you see every day. Or any day. Ever.

'They've had a tradition of great backs,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. 'I'm not sure I've seen a better one than the one we're going to see this Saturday. He's just an outstanding football player.”

Ferentz was asked about the time in August 2010 when Gordon, a Kenosha, Wis., native committed to the Hawkeyes. If there was bitterness at one time, it's gone now.

'It's like ancient history,” Ferentz said. 'He was, we thought a great young man, outstanding prospect, didn't take Einstein to figure that out. He was good in high school, and he's even better now. So, you know, we dated for a while, he picked the home state school, which is usually not a big news headline.”

On 2011 signing day, former Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema, who also happens to be a former Iowa defensive lineman and assistant coach, said, 'Another young man that was committed to another school, actually in our conference, early on, and came to the Ohio State game and saw the light, and changed his mind.”

Gordon is in 'ancient history” mode on this, too. He said he had great respect for Iowa and, at the time, said it was a fit for him.

'It was probably one of the hardest things I had to do, decommitting from Iowa,” Gordon said. 'I had a great relationship with the running backs coach [then it was Lester Erb], the head coach was a great guy. It had nothing to do with the coaches.”

When Gordon committed, the Badgers has a healthy group of running backs. In 2011, Montee Ball rushed for 1,923 yards and James White had 713. Then as a redshirt freshman, Gordon was the UW's No. 3 rusher behind Ball (a future Denver Bronco) and White (a future New England Patriot). Gordon had kind of a fun, but sleepy freshman season until the Big Ten championship game against Nebraska. He rushed nine times, mostly on jet sweeps, for 216 yards in a 70-31 victory.

In 2011 at Iowa, Marcus Coker rushed for 1,384 yards. Since 2012, Mark Weisman, a former walk-on, has been the Hawkeyes leading rusher. Wisconsin had bona fide stars at running back. Iowa had a need. Still, Gordon picked his home state school.

'There are pros and cons to everything,” Gordon said. 'I had to sit and wait for my turn. Obviously, that was rough. The good thing about that was learning from those guys. Learning how to practice, how to work, how to show up every day. Those guys are a big part of the reason I am where I'm at today.

'But it was tough sitting behind those guys watching, especially when Montee and James were out there making plays and being a freshman coming in, especially your redshirt freshman year, when you really feel like you should be getting more snaps than you're getting. It's depressing almost, but it was a hurdle and some adversity I had to get over.”

Everyone needs some sort of motivation. Then for Gordon, it was getting on the field and showing what he could do. Today for Gordon and the Badgers, it's the Big Ten West Division title. If Wisconsin wins, it clinches at least a share of title. The Hawkeyes need to beat Wisconsin and Nebraska in next week's finale and then hope Minnesota loses.

It's a race to the finish, which, for Gordon, became very real Heisman Trophy hype after his 408 against the Huskers. He said he's put trophy talk out of his mind, but the game notes from the Wisconsin sports information office this week future a healthy dose of Gordon with the Twitter hashtag #GordontoGotham headlining page 2. That's a Heisman campaign that has serious wheels to it.

'After someone sets that 408-yard record, [big game] comes with the territory,” linebacker Quinton Alston said. 'It's already a given, we're not shying away from it. He [Ferentz] is taking the same approach to this, but when someone sets that record, it's a big game, it's a big game. Yeah, it's a big game.”

You'll probably see a side-by-side comparison on today's ABC broadcast, Gordon head-to-head with Weisman. Don't let that, at least in your Iowa mind, diminish Weisman's accomplishments. He does have 30 career rushing TDs, just three of the Iowa record. But just for contrast sake, Gordon leads the nation with 25 TDs and 150 points ... this season.

Gordon's numbers are just nutty. Comparison? Weisman chuckled.

'There's no comparison,” Weisman said. 'He's the best running back in college football. He's unbelievable. He's a force to be reckoned with.”

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com