Mark Story

The Snell Watch: Tracking Benny Snell’s pursuit of UK’s all-time rushing record

Kentucky’s Benny Snell looked for running room during the first half against Missouri in Columbia, Mo., on Saturday.
Kentucky’s Benny Snell looked for running room during the first half against Missouri in Columbia, Mo., on Saturday. aslitz@herald-leader.com

Kentucky Wildcats junior running back Benny Snell entered the 2018 season needing to rush for 1,412 yards to pass Sonny Collins (3,835 yards from 1972-75) as UK’s all-time leading rusher.

Over a 12-game schedule, Snell entered the season needing to average 117.7 yards a game to break the record. If UK advances to a bowl game, Snell would need to average 108.7 yards a game on a 13-game slate to break Collins’ record.

Throughout the Kentucky season, we are tracking Snell’s progress toward the record:

Game Eight: Snell ran 19 times for 67 yards at Missouri.

Game Seven: Snell ran 32 times for 169 yards against Vanderbilt.

Game Six: Snell ran 13 times for 60 yards at Texas A&M.

Game Five: Snell ran 28 times for 99 yards against South Carolina.

Game Four: Snell ran 25 times for 165 yards against Mississippi State.

Game Three: Snell ran 15 times for 75 yards against Murray State.

Game Two: Snell ran 27 times for 175 yards at Florida.

Game One: Snell ran 20 times for 125 yards against Central Michigan.

For the season: Snell has run for 935 yards on 179 carries. He now has 3,359 career yards and passed Moe Williams (3,333 yards) Saturday for second all-time on the UK rushing list.

Needed to break the record: 477 yards. That is an average of 119.3 yards in the four remaining games of the regular season or 95.4 in five games counting bowl-eligible UK’s postseason trip.

Mark Story: (859) 231-3230; Twitter: @markcstory

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