Texas Tech football: 3 Kansas offensive players Red Raiders have to stop

RB Pooka Williams is one of the most dangerous running backs in the country

In Lawrence, it all begins and ends with sophomore RB Pooka Williams.  The former 4-star high school signee is as important to his team as any individual player in the nation.  That’s not hyperbole.

Take Williams off of the KU roster and there’s nothing to fear, especially since the team’s leading rusher, Khalil Herbert, left the program earlier this month.   Williams gives the Jayhawks one of the nation’s more explosive home run threats and their complete offensive identity.

"“Pooka is extremely, ultra-talented running back,” Matt Wells said earlier this week.  “…when that guy gets into the second level he’s got the ability to hit a homerun every single time, as evidenced by his play a little bit Saturday night. But not just Saturday night. You’ve seen it throughout this year. I know one of our defensive guys said you saw it last year. But the guy can hit a homerun.”"

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound back is a player that wants to get to the edge of the defense as quickly as possible where he can hit a second gear that most defenders can’t match.  He is more powerful than his size suggests and is tough to bring down in the open field because his strength gives him excellent balance as he shrugs defenders aside.

This year, he’s averaging 5.5 yards per carry.  He’s already produced three 100-yard games, including two-straight and a career-high 190 last weekend, while all but one of his outings this year have produced at least 75 yards.   But oddly, he’s only found the endzone three times on the ground.

Through the air, he’s caught 18 passes for 88 yards and another TD.  But against Texas, he caught four passes just one week after catching five against Oklahoma.  That could signal a shift in the way KU is looking to utilize its best playmaker.

The Red Raider defense will have to play better this week than it did Saturday in Lubbock against another dynamic young running back.  Iowa State’s true freshman Breece Hall gashed the Red Raiders for 183 yards and two touchdowns on just 19 carries so there’s no doubt KU will try to replicate that type of production with its star RB.  Whether or not Tech can keep KU’s only consistent threat bottled up will be the most telling aspect of this game when the Red Raider defense is on the field.