If he had the chance, Wisconsin running back Anthony Davis would gladly give credit where it's due for his monstrous freshman season last year.

One problem: He can't afford to.

Feeding each and every one of the big hosses up front would break him. Literally.

"Are you kidding me? I'm just a college student," Davis said of the idea. "They've earned it, but there's no way I could take those guys out. Maybe for a Coke or something, but that's about it."

	Wisconsin RB Anthony Davis rushed for 1,466 yards last year.

They deserve prime rib and lobster. The 5-foot-8 inch Davis admits that he was often in awe of the holes the line opened for him last season. His 1,466 yards rushing was fifth-best in the nation, while his average of 133.3 yards per game led the Big Ten.

But now comes the real challenge -- proving it wasn't a fluke. At Wisconsin, aka "Running Back U," fans respond to 1,400 yards rushing like they do a cold beer -- with a yawn. Been there, done that, have the Heisman.

Ron Dayne. Michael Bennett. And now Davis.

"They've definitely seen some great running backs up here," Davis said. "So the bar is set very, very high."

Davis rushed for 100 yards in 10 games last year, an NCAA record for a freshman. He had 79 percent of Wisconsin's carries and gained 83 percent of its yardage. That was both a good and bad thing. The work load was trying for the tiny Davis, who suffered a toe injury against Western Kentucky and then needed shoulder surgery in the offseason.

This year, he'll share more of the load with Jerone Pettus. He's also added 11 pounds of muscle, putting him at 191 pounds overall, in hopes of improving his durability during the grinding Big Ten season.

"You get dinged up," Davis said. "But that's part of the job. I feel I can handle the load. But we've got some other talented backs, so by rotating, we'll all be able to stay fresh."

Coach Barry Alvarez, who knows a thing or two about coddling and protecting young backs, agrees.

"He might not put up the numbers of last year," Alvarez said, "But I think you're going to see a better football player. He's going to get more rest. He is stronger. The line has improved. And he's still improving."

On everything. Ask Davis what he focused on this past offseason and he struggles to name one particular task. Pass-blocking, vision, durability, speed, pass-catching, they all come to mind.

"Constant improvement -- that's what I shoot for," Davis said. "There is always improvement for everything."

Including wins. Last season's 5-7 mark was Wisconsin's worst since 1995's 4-5-2 mark. That was also the last time the Badgers didn't play in a bowl game.

For all the impressive stats Davis put up last year, he says that record is the only one he remembers.

"It's the most important thing to me," he said. "The other backs here before me -- they helped this team to the promised land. I haven't done that yet. Last year didn't turn out the way we wanted. So now it's time to change that."

Wayne Drehs is a staff writer at ESPN.com. He can be reached at wayne.drehs@espn3.com.