Texas Longhorns

D'Onta Foreman the Breakout Star of Prolific Texas Football Offense

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Texas football is going through some turbulent times right now. They have lost three straight games, their coaching staff is on the chopping block, and the defense is giving up way too many big plays. But it’s not all bad on the Forty Acres as long as Texas has D’Onta Foreman.

Foreman entered his junior season as one half of a fearsome running back tandem with Chris Warren. The Bash Brothers were two of the most productive rushers in the Big 12 a season ago. In 2016, they picked up right where they left off. However, with Warren injured, there were questions about whether Foreman could shoulder the load on his own.

He answered that question emphatically last Saturday. Against Oklahoma, Foreman rushed for a season-high 159 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. While OU running back Samaje Perine finished the day with a flashier statline (214 yards and 2 TDs), Foreman was the better rusher in the game, particularly in the second half. For the game, Foreman averaged 6.36 yards per carry against Perine’s 6.11. In the second half, Foreman put up 9.77 yards per carry while Perine averaged 5.29.

As it stands now, Foreman leads the Big 12 in just about every rushing statistical category. He is No. 1 in yards (595), yards per carry (6.84), attempts per game (21.75), yards per game (148.75) and is tied for most rushing touchdowns (7). He leads the No. 2 rusher in the Big 12, Kyle Hicks of TCU, by 116 yards. That’s impressive since Hicks has played in TWO more games than Foreman. He’s also the only back in the Big 12 to average more than 100 yards per game on the ground. Perine is No. 2 at 92.20 yards per game.

Those stats are even more impressive when you consider that Foreman missed a “stat game” against UTEP and all four games have come against Power 5 opponents. He has now recorded six straight games of 100 yards rushing or more, tied with Cedric Benson and Chris Gilbert for second most in school history. Earl Campbell still sits at No. 1 with 11 straight 100-yard games in 1977.

So while the headlines focus on the poor defensive play and the uncertainty on the coaching staff, take some time to appreciate what D’Onta Foreman is doing right now. He is a truly unique talent that is putting it all together for the Longhorns.