Mel Tucker: Kenneth Walker III is Michigan State's 'Heisman guy'
Anyone who has watched college football this season knows Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III is special. But on Saturday, he took it up a notch. He may have had his “Heisman moment.”
In the biggest Big Ten game of the season, the Spartans downed Michigan 37-33 after overcoming a 16-point second-half deficit. The Wake Forest transfer had 23 carries for 197 yards and five touchdowns. He averaged 8.6 yards per carry.
Unsurprisingly, head coach Mel Tucker was pleased with the performance and even dropped the “H word” in his postgame press conference.
“He’s a special player, he’s a team player, and we all know he’s a Heisman type guy,” Tucker said after the win. “And credit to our O-line, our receivers blocking downfield, but we’ve got to give the guy credit where credit is due. He’s a Heisman guy.”
Walker now has 1,194 yards and 14 touchdowns this season. He is averaging 6.8 yards per carry.
Heading into Saturday, Walker trailed only Syracuse’s Sean Tucker in rushing yardage nationally. It is likely Walker will lead Power Five running backs in touchdowns by the conclusion of the Saturday slate.
The junior had the sixth-best Heisman odds (+1600) entering Saturday, per Vegas Insider. Michigan State has never had a Heisman Trophy winner.
Tucker’s five touchdowns top recent greats
Three running backs have won the Heisman Trophy since the turn of the century. USC’s Reggie Bush won the Heisman in 2005, although it was later vacated. The only other two players to win the award played college football in Tuscaloosa: Mark Ingram in 2009 and Derrick Henry in 2015.
Zero of them ever had a five-touchdown game in their Heisman years. In fact, zero of them ever had a four touchdown game the year they were named college football’s top player.
Walker could top several of their stat lines before the season ends. Bush rushed for 1,740 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2005. Ingram amassed 1,658 yards and 17 touchdowns. Henry had the top numbers with 1,986 yards and 23 touchdowns. Bush is the only one with a greater average per carry; he averaged 7.7 yards per carry in his Heisman year.
Remaining run defenses set up big games for Walker
While now 8-0, Michigan State still has a tough slate in front of them. But the run defenses are not too daunting. Ohio State has the best run defense remaining on their schedule, allowing 119.4 yards per game on the ground (fifth in the conference). Purdue, Penn State and Maryland all rank in the lower half of the conference when it comes to defending against the run.
Michigan was allowing 116.6 yards per game before Saturday, and Walker handled that quite well.
The Spartans head to Purdue next weekend. They will face a team that loves to play spoiler, and they will try to avoid being the second top-five victim of the Boilermakers this season.