Inside the Numbers: The Running Game

With Steven Peoples as the primary ball carrier, the Hokies averaged more yards per carry as a team than they have since 2011. (Photo by Ivan Morozov)

Today we’re going to take a closer look at the numbers the Virginia Tech running game put up in the 2018 season.  Yes, we all know Tech’s running game needs to improve. But I’d also like to point out that the running game was arguably better this year than it’s been since David Wilson was Tech’s starting running back way back in 2011.

Here are the numbers…

2012: 145.8 ypg, 3.7 ypc
2013: 119.8 ypg, 3.2 ypc
2014: 147.9 ypg, 3.8 ypc
2015: 159.3 ypg, 3.8 ypc
2016: 183.1 ypg, 4.0 ypc
2017: 173.4 ypg, 3.9 ypc
2018: 170.2 ypg, 4.3 ypc

Tech’s 4.3 yards per carry average is well ahead of the second-best season (2016) of the past seven years.  Their 170.2 yards per game average on the ground is the third-best of that seven-year stretch, but we all know that the per-game average would be higher had the Hokies not been getting blown out in the second half so many times.  I’m not going to sit here and tell you that the running game was good, but it wasn’t as bad as some people make it out to be.

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