BYU Football: Did you know? (200-yard rushers)

Squally Canada can give BYU football something it has never had with another 200-yard rushing game in 2018.

When Squally Canada eclipsed the 200-yard mark against UNLV last season, he gave the BYU Cougars a 200-yard rusher for the second straight season. Jamaal Williams had 200-yard games against Toledo and Wyoming in 2016.

Did you know that BYU has never had a player rush for over 200 yards in a game for three consecutive seasons, and that having a 200-yard rusher in back-to-back seasons has happened just one other time?

The only other time that BYU has had two straight seasons with a 200-yard rusher was 2001-02. Luke Staley notched 207 yards against Utah State, and Curtis Brown followed then next season with 217, also against the Aggies.

To read about every 200-yard rusher in BYU history, click here.

Let's be clear, a 200-yard rushing game is a very significant achievement, but for the sake of discussion, let's look at the possibility of BYU having a third consecutive season with a 200-yard rusher.

It seems like this season could be the perfect storm for that to happen. Offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes may decide to lean heavily on the run game. There is a full stable of quality backs BYU can use. If true freshman Zach Wilson is named the starting quarterback, the more BYU runs the less pressure that he will have. If Tanner Mangum comes back and wins the starting job, then keeping him healthy will be a primary concern. Emphasizing the run will go a long way in protecting Mangum.


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