MORGANTOWN, West Virginia (Ticker) -- Junior Anthony Davis begins a quest for a third straight 1,000-yard rushing season Saturday when 20th-ranked Wisconsin opens it campaign at West Virginia.
Davis, who has gained more yards than any other running back in the country the last two years, rushed for 1,555 yards last season. He ran for 154 yards against Michigan two weeks after getting stabbed in a domestic dispute, then rambled for 301 a week later against Minnesota.
While the Badgers endured an up-and-down 8-6 season in 2002 that ended with a 31-28 overtime victory over Colorado in the Alamo Bowl, they kept alive an impressive streak. Wisconsin has had a 1,000-yard rusher in nine straight seasons, a Big Ten Conference record.
The Badgers have to replace quarterback Brooks Bollinger, their all-time leader in wins with 30 and now a member of the New York Jets.
While replacement Jim Sorgi is not without experience, having played in 27 games and started five, the Badgers likely will go as far as Davis takes them. He was second in the Big Ten in rushing last season behind Penn State's Larry Johnson.
Wisconsin defeated West Virginia, 34-17, last season to improve to 3-0 in the all-time series. It was the first meeting between the teams since 1957. All three previous games took place in Wisconsin.
West Virginia does not have the luxury of a dependable running back, having to fill a huge void left by the departure of Avon Cobourne, the school's all-time leading rusher.
Senior Quincy Wilson will play a prominent role after rushing for 901 yards last year as Cobourne's backup.
Coach Rich Rodriguez orchestrated the biggest turnaround in Big East history last season as the Mountaineers went from 3-8 to 9-4, but they were hit hard by graduation.
