A 145-yard rushing performance from WKU Football against the Nevada Wolf Pack could be the turning point for a rushing attack that struggled through the first three weeks of the season.
In a game where the Hilltoppers threw for just 216 yards, their lowest mark of the season, it was the ground game that was the consistent offense in the second half.
Senior running back George Hart III led the way with 11 carries for 63 yards and a touchdown, and freshman running back Marvis Parrish added on with 10 carries for 44 yards.
This offseason, the Hilltopper coaching staff brought in 61 newcomers, including running back La’Vell Wright, as well as four of the five starting offensive linemen to boost the running game.
Wright was a key piece against the Wolf Pack, rushing for 47 yards and 2 touchdowns, on just 7 carries.
“I’m really proud of La’vell Wright,” Head Coach Tyson Helton said after the game. “I gave him the game ball tonight. He put us on his shoulders, and carried us and made some fantastic runs.”
Despite the strong game against the Wolf Pack, the Hilltoppers have been held to 473 yards on the season, which ranks 108th in the country out of 134 teams. The Tops’ season-high of 165 rushing yards came against North Alabama in week two.
True-freshman running back Marvis Parrish leads the Hilltoppers in rushing yards on the season with 137 yards. No other running back on the roster has more than 122.
“We need to continue to get better in the run game,” Helton said. “That’s been a point of emphasis. Life gets easier when you can run the ball pretty effectively.”
The running back by committee approach was successful for the first two games due to the passing game picking up the slack. The Hilltoppers threw for 706 yards through the first two weeks, while rushing for 270.
“You can’t have a good run game without a good pass game,” Hart III said. “Us being able to lean on them when the run game may not be there in certain situations [We need to be] a complete and whole offense.”
The Toledo game in week three served as the blueprint for disaster, as the Tops only gained 58 yards on the ground, with Parrish leading the way with 22. The passing game couldn’t hold serve, with only 235 yards through the air.
“We have a good quarterback, a good offense,” Helton said. “We have to try and get those four-yard runs when we do hand the ball off, and then be able to pop an explosive run.”
The Hilltopper running back room is coming into an easier stretch with several teams that rank low in rushing defense on the schedule, including FIU (92nd), Middle Tennessee (105th), and New Mexico State (117th). The Wolf Pack ranked 67th in the country.