COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — It feels to Carlos Hyde as if he’s been here before.
His junior year in high school back in Naples, Fla., he rushed for 970 yards – just like he did a year ago as a junior for Ohio State.
”In my senior year I just came out on another level,” he said of topping the mile mark with 1,653 yards rushing. ”I kind of feel it’s all happening again.”
To be clear, Hyde won’t reach that figure again. After all, he was suspended for the first three games. But he could very well hit 1,000 yards to become the first running back in Urban Meyer’s 12 years as a head coach to top the 1K mark.
He’s certainly making up for lost time.
Since breaking in with 41 yards in the final regular-season game with FCS member Florida A&M, the 6-foot, 230-pound battering ram with speed has gone for 85 yards against Wisconsin, 168 yards and three TDs at Northwestern, 149 yards and two scores against Iowa and 147 yards and two touchdowns against Penn State.
He’s averaging 118 yards a game, which would be good enough to get him over the 1,000-yard mark if the Buckeyes, as expected, expand their schedule by making it to the Big Ten championship and also playing in a major bowl.
Also, the Buckeyes (8-0, 4-0 Big Ten) play teams with porous defenses over the final four games on the schedule (at Purdue on Saturday, then at Illinois, home to Indiana and at No. 21 Michigan).
Continue Reading: Buckeyes’ Carlos Hyde makes up for 3 lost games
