By Kevin Lonnquist
Publisher
Baylor’s coaching staff is on the road looking for the future. But it also needs to ensure what it presently has on its roster can help it bounce back in 2023.
The running game is the epicenter of the RVO’s success. A back can pick the hole he chooses to break through and collect enough to keep drives going and eventually find the one that leads to a big gain.
The Bears rushed for 2,371 yards and 34 scores in 2022. Break that down, they averaged 4.4 yards per carry and 182.4 yards per game. Those were solid numbers. However, it was a big drop off of 800 yards, 37 yards per game and one yard per carry from 2021.
In a new series, we break down how Baylor’s positions may play out this fall. On Monday, we started with the quarterbacks. We continue with the running backs.
Lead back: While the running game across all levels of football focus on a distribution of carries, there still is the need for someone to be considered the primary ball carrier.
In Baylor’s case, that’s going to be an interesting watch between sophomore Richard Reese and Oklahoma State transfer, junior Dominic Richardson. Reese is the leading returning rusher from 2022 when he finished with 972 yards. After rushing for 148 yards Oct. 29 at Texas Tech, Reese totaled just 181 yards in his last five games. It’s unknown what caused the slowdown other than the coaching staff wanting to pace a young player through the end of the season.
Richardson was Oklahoma State’s leading rusher from 2022. But that really isn’t saying much since he finished with 543 yards and averaged just 3.6 yards per carry.
But he does offer a veteran presence that Baylor’s backfield needs. Plus, the departure of Sqwirl Williams to Louisiana Tech means there will be opportunities.
If the staff’s goal is to balance the carries between its top two rushers, then Richardson should fill that.
In 2022, Reese had 198 carries. Williams had 101. For clarity, Richardson collected 149.
You could see this play out to where one game Reese has the most carries at 17-20 and then Richardson the most in the next game. But the gap between those two should be fairly close. Still, never discount the hot hand.
Secondary Backs: Baylor really needs four quality running backs in its system for depth and to make the RVO really wear down the opponent. After Qualan Jones, it stopped. Blake Shapen was the fourth-leading rusher in terms of attempts. And it stopped because expected starter Taye McWilliams was lost for the season after the BYU game with a concussion. Now, McWilliams is no longer part of the program.
Jones should still be that third back since he enjoyed his most productive season at Baylor (92-462, 5.0 7TD). Hopes are high with 2023 signee and January arrival Bryson Washington from Franklin. But he is coming off a 16-game season where he had more than 200 carries and 2,000 yards. Coaching staff might want to watch that a bit. While Jordan Jenkins was thought at one point to enter the NCAA transfer portal, that apparently did not happen. He only had three attempts in 2022.
This running game always has a chance to be solid. Managing it through 12 games is a challenge. Sometimes, the answers reveal themselves. Of course, it’s going to depend on how a re-constructed offensive line is going to gel.
Publisher
Baylor’s coaching staff is on the road looking for the future. But it also needs to ensure what it presently has on its roster can help it bounce back in 2023.
The running game is the epicenter of the RVO’s success. A back can pick the hole he chooses to break through and collect enough to keep drives going and eventually find the one that leads to a big gain.
The Bears rushed for 2,371 yards and 34 scores in 2022. Break that down, they averaged 4.4 yards per carry and 182.4 yards per game. Those were solid numbers. However, it was a big drop off of 800 yards, 37 yards per game and one yard per carry from 2021.
In a new series, we break down how Baylor’s positions may play out this fall. On Monday, we started with the quarterbacks. We continue with the running backs.
Lead back: While the running game across all levels of football focus on a distribution of carries, there still is the need for someone to be considered the primary ball carrier.
In Baylor’s case, that’s going to be an interesting watch between sophomore Richard Reese and Oklahoma State transfer, junior Dominic Richardson. Reese is the leading returning rusher from 2022 when he finished with 972 yards. After rushing for 148 yards Oct. 29 at Texas Tech, Reese totaled just 181 yards in his last five games. It’s unknown what caused the slowdown other than the coaching staff wanting to pace a young player through the end of the season.
Richardson was Oklahoma State’s leading rusher from 2022. But that really isn’t saying much since he finished with 543 yards and averaged just 3.6 yards per carry.
But he does offer a veteran presence that Baylor’s backfield needs. Plus, the departure of Sqwirl Williams to Louisiana Tech means there will be opportunities.
If the staff’s goal is to balance the carries between its top two rushers, then Richardson should fill that.
In 2022, Reese had 198 carries. Williams had 101. For clarity, Richardson collected 149.
You could see this play out to where one game Reese has the most carries at 17-20 and then Richardson the most in the next game. But the gap between those two should be fairly close. Still, never discount the hot hand.
Secondary Backs: Baylor really needs four quality running backs in its system for depth and to make the RVO really wear down the opponent. After Qualan Jones, it stopped. Blake Shapen was the fourth-leading rusher in terms of attempts. And it stopped because expected starter Taye McWilliams was lost for the season after the BYU game with a concussion. Now, McWilliams is no longer part of the program.
Jones should still be that third back since he enjoyed his most productive season at Baylor (92-462, 5.0 7TD). Hopes are high with 2023 signee and January arrival Bryson Washington from Franklin. But he is coming off a 16-game season where he had more than 200 carries and 2,000 yards. Coaching staff might want to watch that a bit. While Jordan Jenkins was thought at one point to enter the NCAA transfer portal, that apparently did not happen. He only had three attempts in 2022.
This running game always has a chance to be solid. Managing it through 12 games is a challenge. Sometimes, the answers reveal themselves. Of course, it’s going to depend on how a re-constructed offensive line is going to gel.
