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Breece Hall has certainly been the best running back in the Big 12 conference, if not the country through the first four games of 2020. While Hall has been getting all the shine, redshirt-senior Kene Nwangwu has been using every touch he has gotten to the best of his ability.
With 18 total offensive touches in four games, Nwangwu has recorded 129 yards from scrimmage already eclipsing his yardage total from a season ago. His two rushing touchdowns also doubles his previous career total of only one. The Frisco, TX native has obviously done a great job being the change of pace back for Breece, as he has carried the ball 15 times for 107 yards on the season, but his presence has been felt on special teams.
Kene Nwangwu has been one of the best kick returners in the entire country to begin this season, as the RS-senior is currently seventh in country in average kick return yardage with 32.0 yards per return. Out of the seven players above him, Nwangwu only trails one player in total number of returns. Therefore, if you include his return yards, Kene is averaging a ridiculous 16.03 yards per touch on the season.
With his 49 yard touchdown run in week two against TCU and his handful of long kick returns, Nwangwu has been one of the most explosive weapons for the Cyclones this season. Although starting with the ball on the 32 yard line might not be that valuable, his return prowess has certainly shown how deadly Nwangwu can be with the ball in his hands. Further proving that he deserves to be a part of the Cyclones’ offense with at least five offensive touches a game.
This week Oklahoma State currently allows the sixth least yard per carry in the entire country with only 2.5 yards per rush. Iowa State will need all hands on deck when the head to Stillwater and keeping Nwangwu in the offense’s fold could be exactly what the Cyclones’ need. If Nwangwu and Hall continue to dominate out of the backfield, we could see Iowa State with a stranglehold of the top spot in the Big 12 at the end of the week.