Benny Snell, Jr. has already made his mark at Kentucky.
Last season he set a few UK freshman rushing records. His 1,091 yards are the most by a freshman in one season. He also broke the single game rushing record when he rushed for 192 yards in the win against Missouri last season. And the 1-2 punch of Stanley “Boom” Williams and Snell combined for the most rushing yards by two players in Kentucky history (Boom added 1,170 yards to Snell’s 1,091).
This season has largely been a continuation of the last. Snell has 721 yards on the ground through 8 games this year; becoming “THE” back for Kentucky hasn’t slowed him down much at all (though he has struggled a little this season as the offensive line has gotten itself sorted out).
That mark has him only 279 yards away from becoming the first back at Kentucky to have back-to-back 1,000 yard rushing seasons.
Snell is also a scoring machine. In his less than two seasons as a Wildcat, Snell has found the end zone 22 times, just four fewer than Moe Williams and Sonny Collins who are tied at the top with 26 scores.
Snell is just a sophomore and if he equals his totals from last season he will become one of the more decorated backs in Kentucky history. And that is something special.
Benny Snell breaks a big one. pic.twitter.com/l1iEuMQByL
— Scott Charlton (@Scott_Charlton) October 29, 2017
Snell’s 721 yards this season are third in the SEC and his 9 touchdowns rank fourth. UK’s next two opponents are among the worst in the nation facing the rush this season. Snell’s 180 yards against Tennessee were his highest total of the year and he is poised to take full advantage of the coming favorable match ups.
I can’t wait to see what Snell does for the rest of the season.