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Wayshawn Parker felt as if he was letting down his team.
The Utes are one of the best rushing teams in the nation, currently ranked No. 3 in rushing yards per game with 267.1, but Parker felt he had more to give on an individual level.
Through the majority of the season, the sophomore from Washington State split carries with NaQuari Rogers, the senior New Mexico transfer, and that arrangement seemed to work wonders for the Utes. Both players are talented running backs, and without having to shoulder a full workload, it kept each of them fresh.
Whittingham often repeated throughout the season that Parker and Rogers were 1a and 1b, and until someone separated themselves, the carries would be by committee.
In Utah’s last two games, Parker officially separated himself.
The WSU transfer set his season high against Colorado with 145 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, including a 58-yard touchdown run where he outran everyone, looking the fastest he has in a Utah uniform.
“I’ve been failing Utah. I haven’t touched a hundred yards, so I had to touch a hundred yards this game and I promise that’s not going to be the last game,” Parker said after his performance in Utah’s 53-7 win over Colorado.
Parker made good on his word the next week, rushing for 104 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries in Utah’s 45-14 win over then No. 17 Cincinnati.
It was the breakout stretch that Parker — and the Utes — had been looking for ever since Utah landed one of the most talented running backs available in this offseason’s transfer portal.
“I mean, this year hasn’t been pretty, I haven’t touched a hundred (yards), so the last two games that I touched a hundred and I challenged myself really hard, I got to do it,” Parker said.
That mindset shift started in practice.
“The thing that I really changed from the season is coming out (at practice) and acting like it’s a game. So when a game do come, it’s a little bit easier. So just come out here with the mindset of it’s game day, let’s be hungry, let’s go do what we do,” Parker said.
Whittingham took quick notice of how well Parker was practicing, and that allowed him to get more carries when the game arrived.
In the weeks leading up to Parker’s breakout game, the argument could have been made that Parker needed more touches every game after averaging 6 yards per carry heading into the Colorado game. Utah agreed, and gave Parker 10 carries.
After his 145-yard performance vs. the Buffaloes, Utah’s coaches planned to dial up that number even more, giving Parker 17 carries in the next game.
“Well, he’s practicing very well. Not that he was a bad practicer, but he’s starting to separate himself and it was a concerted effort on our part to get him more touches because when you look at his production, he deserves more,” Whittingham said after the Cincinnati game.
Amid all the discussion this season about Utah needing more explosive plays through the air, Parker — and other players — have provided explosive plays on the ground. Utah has 20 runs of 20-plus yards, nine runs of 30-plus yards and seven runs of 40-plus yards.
“He’s had more carries, he’s shown a lot of explosiveness,” Whittingham said. “You talk about explosive throws, you also need explosive runs. That’s another way to get explosive plays. And so he’s given us several of those.”
Parker has separated himself as RB1, but the entire rushing workload still won’t be solely on him. Devon Dampier, who has rushed for 520 yards and five touchdowns on 94 carries, will still be heavily involved in the run game. Rogers will lighten the load for Parker when he needs it, and speedster Daniel Bray is there for certain plays as well, but with three games remaining, this is Parker’s show.
“He’s a really good back and he is really starting to hit his stride,” Whittingham said. “...He has really separated himself right now as running back one. He’s the guy that is our lead back and deservedly so.”
Parker will get an opportunity to rush for a third-straight 100-yard game — something he’s never done in his career — on Saturday against Baylor. The Bears have not been stout against the run, allowing 177.6 yards per game (No. 111 in the nation), presenting an opportunity for Parker and Utah’s offensive line, though Parker isn’t getting ahead of himself yet.
“I mean, that’s not changing my approach to anything. I mean, these teams can come out here and stop us, but we can also run over them. So our mindset’s still going to be the same as it was week one. Go out there and ball out, play the game, let the game come to us and be hungry always,” Parker said.
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