Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor Totals 4 TDs, 183 Yards in Blowout Win over USF

Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor stated his Heisman Trophy case by amassing 183 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns as the No. 19 Badgers beat the USF Bulls 49-0 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida, on Friday.

Nearly all of Taylor's production occurred in the first half, and his final touch took place with 13 minutes left in the third quarter, on a 38-yard touchdown run:

Taylor's final yards total was three times what USF had at the time.

The junior running back, who had 2,194 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns last season, kicked off his scoring exploits with a 37-yard run to put Wisconsin up 6-0 early:

The Badgers scored a defensive touchdown before Taylor got back in on the fun by taking a screen pass 36 yards to the house:

Taylor's most impressive moment, however, came on his third score, when he put forth extra effort to beat two USF defenders for a 12-yard touchdown catch:

His stretch past the goal line rewarded Wisconsin's gamble to run a play with nine seconds left in the first half and zero timeouts.

Former Badger, three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt gave credit where it was due:

That score helped Wisconsin go up 28-0 at halftime, and Taylor's fourth touchdown gave the Badgers a 34-0 lead early in the third.

His performance started some early Heisman talk, and reigning NFL MVP and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes offered his take:

Adam Rittenberg of ESPN said Taylor was "even better" than Clemson running back Travis Etienne, who started his season with 205 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just 12 carries versus Georgia Tech on Thursday.

Taylor also put himself in great company:

His work in the passing attack was arguably the scariest part of the night for the Badgers' future opponents. As ESPN Stats & Info noted, Taylor did not have a receiving touchdown entering Friday. He finished with two and gained 48 yards through the air, or just 12 fewer than he recorded last year.

Taylor rushed for 4,171 yards and 29 touchdowns in his first two years, but if his receiving performance Friday turns out to be a trend, he could get an invite to New York City as at least a Heisman Trophy finalist.

Wisconsin will host Central Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 7. After an open week, the Badgers will host No. 7 Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 21.