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Top 5 Rushing Performances of the 2016-2017 Bowl Season

By Zach Bigalke

Dec 28, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Utah Utes running back Joe Williams (28) carries the ball during the third quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Levi's Stadium. The Utah Utes won 25-23. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 28, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Utah Utes running back Joe Williams (28) carries the ball during the third quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Levi's Stadium. The Utah Utes won 25-23. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 20, 2016; Boca Raton, FL, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers running back Anthony Wales (20) runs the ball against the Memphis Tigers during the first half at FAU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 20, 2016; Boca Raton, FL, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers running back Anthony Wales (20) runs the ball against the Memphis Tigers during the first half at FAU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /

Earlier in December, Anthony Wales racked up 209 yards and four touchdowns to lead Western Kentucky to a Conference USA championship over Louisiana Tech. Throughout the season, Wales provided balance on the ground for a WKU team that traditionally gets its yardage through the air. This bowl season, he continued that momentum to rush for more yards than any other back this bowl season. Wales gashed Memphis for 245 yards and three scores in the Hilltoppers’ 51-31 victory in the Boca Raton Bowl.

Wales punished the Tigers all game long with runs long and short. All three of his touchdowns came in goal-to-go situations. The first, from two yards out, put WKU up 28-17 before halftime. The second, a three-yard scamper, extended the Hilltoppers’ lead to 41-17 in the third quarter. On the last, Wales beat the Memphis defense to the edge from a yard out for the last points of the contest:

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The senior capped his college career with one last huge rushing performance. In addition to his 245 rushing yards, Wales added 84 receiving yards on four catches to go over 300 total yards from scrimmage. In the process, Western Kentucky earned its third straight bowl victory. He helped his draft stock immensely with what turned out to be the biggest rushing performance of the 2016-2017 bowl season.

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