Improved rushing attack gives football team an offensive identity
North Texas sophomore running back Jeffery Wilson (26) runs the ball out of bounds late in the game. Wilson had 135 yards on 22 carries against UTSA. Colin Mitchell | Intern Photographer
Brady Keane | Staff Writer
Through North Texas’ first five games of the 2015 season, the Mean Green failed to establish much offensive momentum.
But since the record-setting loss to Portland State University on homecoming, North Texas has begun to form an offensive identity. In the last three games, the offense has found new life on the legs of quarterback DaMarcus Smith and running back Jeffrey Wilson, with the Mean Green averaging 227 yards rushing per game in that span.
The improvement was evident in the team’s 30-23 win over the University of Texas at San Antonio on Saturday, Oct. 31, as both Smith and Wilson finished with over 120 yards on the ground against a UTSA squad that entered the game with the second best run defense in Conference USA.
“Our offensive line played much more physical,” interim head coach Mike Canales said. “We ran the ball with confidence. Wilson ran with a lot of determination and you could see it in his eyes. He wanted the ball.”
Wilson, a sophomore from Elkhart High School, a 2A school, is having a breakout season after missing the majority of his freshman campaign. Despite playing in only six games this year, after missing the first two games with a hand injury, Wilson is the fourth leading rusher in C-USA and is averaging over a 100 yards per game on the ground. He has rushed for over 100 yards in two straight games and scored his first touchdown of the year in the win over UTSA.
The Mean Green have also paired sophomore Willy Ivery with Wilson in the backfield, giving the team a solid one-two punch. Ivery leads the running back corps in yards per carry and touchdowns this season.
“I think it’s big,” Smith said of the rejuvenated running game. “They’re both hard runners. Jeffrey is elusive and can make guys miss, and Willy will put his head down.”
The consistency Wilson brings to the field as the featured back combined with the dual-threat ability of Smith has given the Mean Green a dynamic duo that keeps defenses on their toes. North Texas is averaging almost twice as many points per game, 26, with Smith under center than it did in the first five losses of the season, 14.8.
“DaMarcus is getting better,” Canales said. “We saw him grow up in the run game.”
Although the backfield receives the majority of the credit for the offensive breakthrough on the ground, the Mean Green offensive line has stepped up despite a lack of experience in the trenches.
Center Kaydon Kirby is the only starter with significant experience in a North Texas uniform, as the junior has started every game dating back to his freshman year.
“We’ve gotten a lot better this year,” Kirby said. “We are a lot closer, and that’s huge. I think it’s really important to have that chemistry to make sure that we can all be in sync with each other.”
Additionally, Canales has taken a new approach to the practice schedule in order to ensure that the team is fresh and ready to go full speed on game day.
“We go to practice and I want to get them on and off the field,” Canales said. “It’s about executing the plays and moving to the next drill.”
The Mean Green will need Wilson, Smith and company to be as fresh as possible entering this week’s game at Lousiana Tech, as the Bulldogs have the top run defense in C-USA and the ninth best run defense in the entire country.
Featured Image: North Texas sophomore running back Jeffery Wilson (26) runs the ball out of bounds late in the game. Wilson had 135 yards on 22 carries against UTSA. Colin Mitchell | Intern Photographer
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