For a group that spent at least the past season and a half feeling the sting of not living up to expectations — and then the frustration and pressure that came with an 0-6 start — the dam break most certainly felt rewarding.
“The first thing is, ‘This works,’ because you have to break that first wall,” said junior right tackle Matt Farniok, who helped anchor a group that jumped from No. 112 nationally in 2017 to 16th in yards per carry (3.51 to 5.41) and nearly doubled its number of rushing touchdowns to 25. “The first half of the season, something would go wrong and the wheels would fall off the cart.