Nickel: Call them UW's one-one punch or 'co-opetition,' but Braelon Allen and Chez Mellusi run well together

MADISON – Chez Mellusi sees Braelon Allen push the sled 30 or 40 yards in practice and then immediately tries to push that dreadful thing just a bit farther.

Allen can squat more than 600 pounds and so Mellusi dominates the bench press with 385.

“Lower body-wise he has me beat. He squats a house,” said Mellusi, Wisconsin's senior tailback. “Upper body-wise, I would say I’ve got him.”

Allen and Mellusi are workout partners and weight-room warriors. On the sideline bench during games, No. 0 and No. 1 sit next to each other (hopefully for someone that’s a Halloween costume in Madison this year with a nod to Dr. Seuss’ Thing 1 and Thing 2), to discuss plays with the position coach, of course, but also to exchange observations from the field.

There’s a difference between petty jealousy or insecurity between same-team rivals and healthy competition between close friends with a common goal. That distinction is on display with Wisconsin’s tandem of running backs, Mellusi and the often-times more-heralded Allen.

While Allen gets a lot of external focus for his size, youth and ability, Mellusi is right there, pushing him – and also being one of his closest friends.

"Super competitive,” Mellusi said. “I have a really good run? He needs to go do that now as well. We feed off each other's success.”

This is more than a benefit for the Badgers, who have 12 transfer players, with 10 playing last week in the season-opening win against Buffalo. Allen and Mellusi show what kind of unity Wisconsin needs. Both have been through trying seasons, both understand what it means to be a Badger and both are inseparable.

“They’re two peas in a pod,” said sixth-year and transfer quarterback Tanner Mordecai.

“Yeah, I think that stuff matters,” said teammate and linebacker Maema Njongmeta.

It doesn’t take a lot of effort. Allen and Mellusi watch film together. Play video games together. They are spotted around Madison together, shopping or grabbing a meal at a restaurant. But this kind of football co-opetition helps.

“We do things like that because on the field it makes everything a lot easier,” Mellusi said. “If he ever had something to say to me – ‘you need to pick it up, bro’ – or like something like that, it's coming from a place that he means that. That criticism that we have towards each other is brotherly. It's not coming from a bad place.”

When Mellusi was just steps in to his 89-yard touchdown run against Buffalo last weekend to give Wisconsin a 20-10 lead in the third quarter, Allen knew exactly how he was going to do it. The run was tied for the fifth-longest rush in Badgers history.

"He made a cut back on the first safety, I thought he was going to take it to the opposite pylon," Allen said. "After he made a second cut – I was like, ’nooo,’ but, he made it work. We kind of laughed about that, too, because he's notorious for that, getting into the second level of kind of weaving and doing or whatever, but he made it work. That was awesome."

Said Mellusi: “I do it often in practice, but we don't really have a good feel because nothing's really live. So when it comes to game time, and I get to see defenders angles, I get to do things like that. And in the game, he was like, ‘I knew you're gonna do that.’ Before I even did it.”

Added Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell: “You say its a one-two punch; I say it’s a one-one punch. They're really good friends. I saw it today. I didn’t just see the energy that Chez brought on his big run; I saw the energy that Braelon had for Chez after he had the long run.“

That’s unique. With some of the best competition right next to you, it can turn another mundane practice in to a spirited, firey competition. And there’s always something to work on.

Mellusi’s upper-body strength leads to him being a good pass blocker and stronger runner with a potent stiff arm, and that’s something Allen can aspire to. Allen led all Badgers last week with seven receptions, a career high, something that Mellusi can set as a goal.

“Unfortunately, this past game I didn't get a catch,” Mellusi said. “I thought I was going to have a couple, but it’s just how the game played out.”

Both Allen and Mellusi are under 10% body fat as well − maybe even in the 8% and 9% range, which is insanely lean and muscular − yet still managed the 90-degree heat last week just fine by being hydrated and prepared, and not cramping up.

It makes them both powerful runners who will take advantage of different defensive schemes in 2023 if opponents try to stop Wisconsin's “Air Raid.“ And teammate Njongmeta, who faced both of them all camp, has no empathy for opposing linebackers.

“No sympathy, at all,“ Njongmeta said. “It's fun because you go through fall camp, you talk all the trash, you go through spring ball, talk all the trash, and then five days before the first game, it's like, we're on the same team now.

“And it's always fun to watch them go out there. Braelon and Chez took over the game last week. It's what I love about this team. Any given Saturday, anyone could take over the game. We weren't doing great on defense and they took it over. I'm really excited about how we play complementary football. But as far as opposing linebackers, yeah, no sympathy for that.“

When Mellusi and Allen both rushed for more than 100 yards against Buffalo, it was the third time for them as a duo. Mellusi led the Badgers rushing attack with a career-high 157 yards and two scores on 13 carries.

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“They both have the whole package as running backs,” Mordecai said. “Braelon is 245 pounds, but he can still move really well. Chez is explosive in his own right, great hands. Whenever he wants to hit the hole, he really hits it decisively.

“They compete with each other and make each other better every day. It’s special to have that kind of competition in the room.”

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin tailbacks Braelon Allen, Chez Mellusi have a special bond