Washington Huskies RB Myles Gaskin Going Beast Mode

After being held to just 34 yards against Alabama in Chik-Fil-A Peach Bowl, Washington Huskies running back Myles Gaskin has one thing on his mind. BEAST MODE

Washington Huskies running back Myles Gaskin had a great 2016 season. He rushed for 1,373 yards and 10 touchdowns. In 2015, he rushed for 1,302 yards and 14 touchdowns. So you could conclude that the 2017 football season will end with his stats at 1300 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. But, you would be a tad too conservative. You see, the 2016 season ended for Myles Gaskin and the Washington Huskies at the hands of Alabama last year.

Against the Crimson Tide, Myles Gaskin rushed 10 times for just 34 yards.

Now he’s about to do something about it.  And like another great running back, he isn’t going to talk anyone to death. He is simply outworking and outhustling.  All for one goal

Going BEASTMODE!

Myles Gaskin had six contests in the 2016 season of more than 100 yards rushing.  As a freshman in 2015, he had seven such 100+ yard games.  In 2017, you should expect nine or more such games.

As I had pointed out in a recent article: Washington Huskies Football Five Steps Repeat PAC 12 Champs , one of the keys to repeating this year is to get that backfield balanced. That means splitting the number of carries.  Now, that is not saying that the team uses an adding machine to perfectly synchronize the number of carries in each game. But it simply means that the team use Gaskin as the work horse.

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Less Is More

In both 2015 and 2016, Myles Gaskin carried the ball nearly 50 percent of the time.  But his best “per carry” statistics happened under 20 carries per game. That won’t change in 2017.

Myles Gaskin is a physical punishing running back who plows defenders out of his way. When he sees daylight, he kicks in the afterburners and it’s off to the races.  While he will maintain that same style, look for his power game and his speed to take it up a notch this year.

Head Coach Chris Petersen is a savvy football strategist.  He may have walked away from the 2016 Peach Bowl with a loss, but he gained immeasurable football strategy experience and knowledge. Now, he is applying that costly knowledge.

Next: 4-Star Running Back Trey Lowe Commits To Washington Huskies Recruiting Class of 2018

His long range strategy is to implement a double-barreled shotgun at the quarterback position to beat Alabama in 2018. But in 2017, the key will hinge upon three factors.  The Washington Huskies must have a strong defense, solid quarterback play from playoff-experienced Jake Browning, and a strong running game. Myles Gaskin, meted out during the season, ensures the third part.