Kentucky is on pace to accomplish rare rushing feat

The Kentucky offense is struggling right now. The Wildcats have one of the worst passing operations in college football again and there is a brewing quarterback controversy at the Joe Craft Football Training Facility. UK just lost an eighth consecutive SEC home game, and the natives in the Big Blue Nation are beginning to grow restless with the direction of the program. This team is entering a big stretch where the first road game of the season against South Carolina at the end of the month feels gigantic.

This week is all about finding answers, building off positives, and trying to improve as a football team. The passing game needs plenty of work but Kentucky should feel good about where the rushing game sits heading into Week 3.

Creating explosive plays (7 rushes of 10+ yards | No. 100 nationally) has been an issue but establishing the run game and staying ahead of the chains has not. New tailbacks Dante Dowdell and Seth McGowan are collectively averaging 178 rushing yards per game after playing a top-70 Toledo defense and a top-10 Ole Miss defense to start the season. The transfer additions in the backfield are emerging as the strength of this football team. With improved play from a rebuilt offensive line, there are real reasons to think that Kentucky’s run game success will not go away.

Each tailback is averaging over five yards per rush, has a success rate over 45 percent, and each has a positive EPA/rush number. Both tailbacks are currently on pace to rush for over 1,000 yards. Only Ohio State reached that feat last season with Quinshon Judkins (1,060 yards) and TreVeyon Henderson (1,016 yards). However, Chip Kelly‘s offense needed 16 games to get there.

This is a feat (two tailbacks rushing for over 1,000 yards) that has happened before in normal seasons. Boom Williams (1,170 yards) and Benny Snell Jr. (1,091 yards) each went over the milestone in 2016 as Eddie Gran‘s first offense in Lexington rumbled for 234.1 yards per game. D’Andre Swift (1,049 yards) and Elijah Holyfield (1,018 yards) were the last SEC duo to accomplish this feat back in 2018. Michael Carter (1,245 yards) and Javonte Williams (1,140 yards) each went over 1,000 for North Carolina in just 11 games in 2020.

Kentucky believes they have two NFL tailbacks on the roster. Through eight quarters, Dante Dowdell and Seth McGowan look the part. If the Cats are going to have success this season, the rushing attack will need to be productive throughout the year. The offense needs more explosive plays from the run game, but the early returns say this could become one of the best rushing attacks in college football if the one-two punch at tailback can keep producing.