Don't be fooled, the ground attack is still a major weapon at Texas FBS schools

[caption id="attachment_23755" align="alignright" width="224"]Screen Shot 2016-06-21 at 11.13.12 AM Photo by Artie Guerrero[/caption] Football evolves. The days of three yards and a cloud of dust were replaced by the spread offense. The state of Texas starting producing quarterbacks. The rise of 7-on-7 within the state caused the running game to take a back seat at the high school level. The same eventually happened at the college programs. Coaches like Art Briles, Mike Leach and Kevin Sumlin made the state known for high-flying passing attacks. The Big 12 became known as a passing league and that stigma continues today, even for the teams not associated with the Big 12. The numbers paint a different story heading into 2016. The top teams in the state are built on a running foundation. Take Baylor’s offense when Briles was still in charge. The Bears would be labeled pass-happy by most despite Baylor rushing the ball 209 more times for 0.2 fewer yards per attempt than LSU, a team most would call run-heavy. Baylor and Houston were ranked fourth and seventh, respectively, in rushing attempts. Alabama was the top-ranked SEC school at nine. Perception skews our reality. Running the ball out of the spread formation isn’t as obviously violent as watching Derrick Henry storm downhill from the I-formation in an Alabama uniform. The idea of Texas Tech’s Justin Stockton doesn’t elicit the same fear, but the result is the same. Texas Tech ranked 15^th in the nation in yards per attempt in 2015. A look around indicates a year of the running back. Shock Linwood will lead Baylor’s attack. Stockton is a weapon at Texas Tech. Texas will rely on the duo of D’Onta Foreman and Chris Warren. UTSA returns Jarveon Williams after he posted the program’s first ever 1,000-yard season and Aaron Jones is back healthy for UTEP. Rice will lean on Darik Dillard and other options at running back. TCU took a blow with the injury to Shaun Nixon, but Michigan transfer Derrick Green could feature alongside Kyle Hicks. Quarterback remains the most important position in sports. Patrick Mahomes, Seth Russell and Greg Ward Jr. impact games with each snap, but not always through the air. The most successful quarterbacks in this state can run the football. Nearly every program in Texas will start a quarterback known for hurting defenses with their legs. Five teams – Baylor, Texas Tech, Texas, TCU and Houston – finished 2015 ranked in the top 30 in rushing yards per attempt. Only three programs from Texas – Texas Tech, TCU and Texas A&M – finished in the top 30 for passing attempts per game. Don’t fall for the narrative. The running game is alive and well in Texas.

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