Ryan Day reveals what makes one-two running back punch successful

Ohio State coach Ryan Day is pleased with how running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams have worked together this season. Through the first four games, the pair have combined for 626 yards rushing and six touchdowns as the Buckeyes rank third in the Big Ten with 219.8 ground yards per game.

They again dominated Saturday in a 52-21 victory against Wisconsin. Henderson led the team with 121 yards on 21 carries, while Williams scored two touchdowns and added 101 yards on 11 carries.

That performance led Day to offer postgame praise to both for their willingness to share the backfield.

“I think it’s just the mentality of we know how long of a season this is gonna be,” Day said. “When you have two guys that you can go back-and-forth, who are unselfish, who understand what it means to be a team — that’s the key. If it starts to become, ‘What are my carries? What are my touchdowns? What are my runs?’ Then it doesn’t work. TreVeyon and Miyan both have been excellent.

“TreVeyon’s energy before the game was off the chart. You could just feel it. I felt it warmups. I felt it in the locker room. I felt it coming out of the locker room. And then he ran that way. He just ran hard. He ran physical. He ran with energy. And so did Miyan. Miyan ran hard. So I think we’ve got something good going in that room. You saw Dallan (Hayden) even run at the end. I thought he was running well. But hats off to the offensive line and tight ends. I thought they really moved the line of scrimmage today against a good defense.”

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So far this season, Henderson leads Ohio State with 318 yards and three touchdowns on 50 carries. Williams is not far behind him with 308 yards and three scores on 43 attempts. Hayden, a true freshman, ranks third on the team with 152 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries.

But Ryan Day knows not all the credit can go to the running backs. The offensive line, tight ends and even the receivers deserve some recognition for their blocking that has created the space for Henderson and Williams to run through.

“I think our offensive line is doing a good job,” Day said. “I think our tight ends are doing a good job. I think we have the right mix right now. Their approach has been excellent. But I think it’s probably a combination of them, the offensive line, the tight ends and our wide receivers.

“Our wide receivers are doing a very, very good job. They’re making plays down the field, but they’re also blocking and being physical on the perimeter. You could see the physical play of Julian Fleming today. You see the shot Emeka took on that crossing route. I mean, that’s tough play. Then he comes back and gets that touchdown pass. I think you’re seeing a physicality across the board that isn’t just up front. It’s everybody.”

The Ohio State rushing attack will hope to keep humming along next week when the Buckeyes face Rutgers at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.