MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin running backs coach John Settle insists his tailbacks maintained a sense of pride last season about doing the little things necessary to help the Badgers win. They pass protected, they ran routes, they tried to find whatever holes available behind a banged-up and inexperienced offensive line. And despite a slew of backfield injuries, Wisconsin managed to win 10 games and beat USC in the Holiday Bowl.

But was last season a success on the ground? That's a harder sell to make. Because the way in which Wisconsin won could not have been more, well, un-Wisconsin-like.

The Badgers attempted a single-season program record 419 passes -- 64 more than any other season in school history. Meanwhile, Wisconsin registered 512 rushing attempts, the lowest figure since 2001. UW averaged only 150.3 yards rushing per game (the lowest mark since 1995). And the Badgers finished without a 1,000-yard rusher for the first time since 2004.

"It was probably the most unorthodox year you could ask for," Badgers running back Corey Clement said.

Clement was supposed to be the man to keep Wisconsin's rushing attack among the nation's elite. In 2014, with Melvin Gordon leading the charge, the Badgers averaged 320.1 rushing yards per game and ranked No. 3 in the country. But Wisconsin lost Clement in the 2015 season opener against Alabama to a sports hernia injury that sidelined him for nearly two months -- the biggest casualty in a series of unfortunate events that triggered a down year on the ground. The Badgers finished the season ranked 94th nationally in rushing yards per game.

Tailback Taiwan Deal missed three games because of an ankle injury, which forced coaches to flip freshman linebacker Alec Ingold over to running back. He wound up scoring six touchdowns, tying for second on the team. Wisconsin also used a revolving door of offensive linemen, trying five different starting combinations in the first seven games and starting four freshmen late in the season because of injuries.

As Wisconsin's running backs prepare for 2016, the goal is to turn the tables and restore the Badgers' old-school ground game dominance. A healthy Clement, along with Dare Ogunbowale, Deal and a more experienced offensive line has the Badgers believing they again can rise to an elite level.

"We could be scary," Settle said. "This could be a scary group with the progress that Taiwan Deal has made, what he brings and adds to the table. ... We've got three good ones that should be able to really put stress on defenses."

Settle's praise for Deal following Tuesday's practice was effusive, and Deal's development during his sophomore season should provide Wisconsin with a trusted third tailback option. Deal rushed for 503 yards and six touchdowns last season, and Settle called him "a totally different player at this point than he was at any time last year." Settle noted he wasn't making small mistakes that plagued him in the past. Deal rushed for 117 yards during a scrimmage on Saturday in Green Bay. Ogunbowale and Clement were held out of competition.

Settle also praised his fullbacks, who are an overlooked facet to creating holes for running backs. Ingold has moved to fullback and will be joined by converted linebacker Leon Jacobs and Austin Ramesh, who played in nine games last season.

Ogunbowale will provide Wisconsin with the most versatility. He is the leading returning rusher (819 yards) and receiver (299 yards). The senior has made strides in both areas as he enters his second full season at the position since moving from cornerback. His rushing total a year ago marked the fewest by a Badgers team leader since 1992, when Brent Moss rushed for 739 yards.

"Our goal is to have a big season, to not be looked at as a team that can't run the ball," Ogunbowale said. "We didn’t affect the game with the run as we should and as we wanted to, so we hope to fix that this season."

Added Clement: "I think last year we should've been the best in the league, but things happen. This season we're working our tails off. The work we're putting in should show forth with the best season we can have."

Gaining a better push at the line of scrimmage will be vital for the run game, and the Badgers are working to refine their offensive line. Three starters on the line this spring -- center Michael Deiter, right guard Beau Benzschawel and right tackle Jacob Maxwell -- all saw their first college action last season as freshmen and should be much improved.

Wisconsin is practicing this spring without center Dan Voltz, who is recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee suffered last October. Voltz has started 27 career games and will further bolster the offensive line. He is expected to be ready for the team's season opener against LSU, when the Badgers can truly put their revamped ground game to the test.

"I think this group this year has taken what happened last year as a challenge," Voltz said. "We did what we had to do to win, and we won a lot of games, and that was great. But we want to win games on the ground this year. We don't want it to be like last year. We want to put that on our backs up front, open up those holes so the running backs can get big yards, control the clock and get back to Wisconsin football like most people know it."