Desmond Reid’s career day at Chattanooga put the Western Carolina sophomore running back at the top of the FCS leaderboard in rushing yards and rushing yards-per-game.
Reid, from Miami Gardens, Fla., galloped for a collegiate-best 211 yards in roughly two quarters of action Saturday, helping the Catamounts fell the Mocs 52-50. Reid has now tallied 847 yards on the season — eight yards ahead of UT Martin’s Sam Franklin for most among FCS players.
Reid’s 141.8 yards-per-game average is also No. 1 among FCS rushers. His 12 touchdowns is one shy of the FCS lead held by Jordan Fuller of Holly Cross. Reid is eighth nationally in yards-per-carry, grinding out 7.37 each time he’s handed the ball.
“He’s a special kid,” Western Carolina coach Kerwin Bell said in an ESPN interview after the Sept. 30 win over The Citadel. “He has helped us so much when we wanted to build this program back a couple of years ago. He committed to us out of Miami and we think he’s one of the best that’s ever come out of there the last few of years. He’s a dynamic player.”
Other notes on the 5-8, 170-pounder courtesy of WCU sports information:
* Saturday’s effort marked Reid’s fifth-straight game of surpassing the magical 100-yard rushing mark and the eighth time in his career as a Catamount.
* His 211 yards ranks as the 10th best single-game rushing performance by an FCS player this season.
* Reid became the 13th WCU player to achieve a 200-yard rushing day. He’s the first since Detrez Newsome went for 277 yards in 2016 (also against Chattanooga).
* Reid scored touchdowns Saturday on runs of 70 and 58 yards before exiting the game with an apparent injury.
As a team, Western Carolina is averaging 531.8 yards per game. That number leads the FCS by more than 28 yards. Montana State is second in total offense with 503.4 ypg, while Davidson ranks third at 489.
“Our offensive line, it starts with them,” Bell said. “We think they are as good as anybody in FCS.”
Western Carolina has a bye week, then will host a top-five Furman team on Oct. 21 with the Southern Conference lead on the line.
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