By Dave Johnson
W&M Athletics
Going into last week's game at Elon, William & Mary was ranked ninth among FCS teams in rushing offense at 246 yards a game. Without starter
Bronson Yoder, facing one of the nation's stingiest defenses against the run, that average figured to drop.
Instead, it jumped more than 12 points. Going into Saturday's trip to Virginia, the Tribe is now fourth nationally at 258.2 yards a game. W&M rushed for 307 yards against the Phoenix with
Malachi Imoh and
Martin Lucas combining for 227 of that.
In addition to the individuals, give credit to the system.
"Depth is especially important for us as running backs in this offense because we are utilized so often," said Imoh, who ran for 132 yards on a career-high 27 carries at Elon. "It's really important throughout spring ball and training camp to create the kind of depth that if one of us isn't able to play, the next guy or guys can step in and fill that role."
Before Yoder's injury, Lucas was third on the depth chart with 14 carries in his first three games. But at Elon, he nearly matched that with 13 attempts for a career-high 95 yards.
"I feel like we can all run the ball well," Lucas said. "It's tough for a defense to handle all of us, especially when Bronson comes back."
For his career, Imoh is averaging 7.3 yards a carry. Although he's had more than 10 rushing attempts in only three games, he's rushed for 1,729 yards in his career.
Lucas had 95 total yards in the season opener at Campbell, 27 coming on a touchdown reception. Against Maine two weeks ago, he rushed for 49 yards, 36 (along with a touchdown) coming after Yoder's fourth quarter injury.
At 5-foot-8 and 180 pounds, Imoh is quick and elusive — which isn't to say he can't run between the tackles. At 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, Lucas is straight-ahead power — which isn't to say he can't get to the edge.
"Their styles are different, but they're guys we rely on to run the ball," W&M coach
Mike London said. "Elon had been giving up 88 yards (a game) against the run, and we had over 300. Those two guys complement each other."
Imoh faced a similar situation last season when Yoder was unable to play at Stony Brook. He responded with 128 yards and three touchdowns.
His 27 carries last week were six more than his previous high. And they were the most rushing attempts by a Tribe back since Kendell Anderson's school-record 42 against Richmond in 2016.
"You don't fully realize it until it's over and look at the stat sheet and say, 'Wow, that was a lot of carries,'" Imoh said. "Normally that's not something that we have to deal with. I definitely felt it the next morning."
Imoh came to W&M from John Handley High in Winchester, where he played quarterback as a senior out of necessity. His father, James (soccer), and older brother, Tirone (football), were both athletes at the United States Military Academy.
Lucas, from Abingdon in Southwest Virginia, had offers from FBS programs that included Arizona State, Marshall and Coastal Carolina. But William & Mary was his first.
"It's like a waterfall effect — once you get that first offer, they all come in," Lucas said. "But they were the first one to take a chance on me. It felt like a home vibe here."
For each, Saturday will be their first time on the field against a Power Five opponent and in a stadium that seats more than 60,000. There is no connection to U.Va., but each has an uncle who played at Virginia Tech.
Mike Imoh was the Hokies' leading rusher in 2004 — London was U.Va.'s defensive line coach at the time — with 780 yards and six touchdowns. Sean Lucas was a starting safety for Tech in the late 1980s.
"I grew up a Tech fan — that was my dream school,"
Martin Lucas said. "Sean was at the Elon game. He talked to me after it."
Imoh was injured when the Tribe went to Charlottesville in the 2021 season opener. So this one will be special.
"We try to treat all games the same, but we see this game as a great opportunity to play against a Power Five team and show everyone what we are capable of doing," he said. "We're all very excited going into that game."
