FAYETTEVILLE — One of the best individual performances by an Arkansas running back this decade was overshadowed by an otherwise woeful offensive performance Saturday.
Junior Rakeem Boyd rushed for 185 yards on eight carries, and scored on touchdown runs of 76 and 86 yards during the Razorbacks’ 45-19 loss to Western Kentucky.
The Razorbacks had only 155 yards on their other 46 offensive snaps against the Hilltoppers.
Boyd became the first Arkansas player to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in a season since Rawleigh Williams in 2016. He needed 180 yards entering the game.
“I was proud of my O-linemen for helping me get there,” Boyd said. “That was a goal this week basically, to get 180. Our O-line went in there and got the job done and I saw it and hit it. I was really proud of those guys even though I didn’t touch it much.”
Boyd’s yards were the most since Williams rushed for 205 yards and four touchdowns on 16 carries at Mississippi State in 2016.
The only other backs to hit the 185-yard mark in the past 10 years were Knile Davis (187 yards, 2 TDs on 30 carries) against Mississippi State in 2010, and Alex Collins (185 yards, 3 TDs on 23 carries) against Kansas State in the Liberty Bowl to end the 2015 season.
Boyd’s 23.1-yard average was the third highest by an Arkansas player who rushed for more than 100 yards.
Jonathan Williams had a 35.8-yard average (4 attempts, 143 yards) against Nicholls in 2014 and Matt Jones averaged 25.2 yards (5-126) against Ole Miss in 2004.
Arkansas coach Chad Morris said Boyd’s low carry count was due to multiple factors, including WKU’s time of possession and a large deficit. The Razorbacks trailed 35-7 at halftime.
“Tried to mix it up a little bit,” Morris said. “Tried to throw the ball a little bit, but I think time of possession had a little bit to do with that."
Boyd's 76-yard touchdown run answered Western Kentucky's first touchdown, and tied the game 7-7 with 8:02 remaining in the first quarter.
His 86-yard run came with 12:21 to play in the fourth quarter and pulled the Razorbacks within 38-13.
“I got the ball and I was just trying to score,” Boyd said. “Every time I had it out of those eight times I tried to make something happen.”
Boyd’s other six carries went for 1, 2, 1, 6, 5 and 8 yards. He had a 3-yard carry nullified on the game’s first play because of a hold against tight end Chase Harrell, and was targeted once in the passing game but the pass was incomplete.
Boyd is the first Arkansas running back in at least the past 23 seasons to rush for two touchdowns of 76 yards or more in the same game. That record is not available for games played before 1997.
Five of Boyd's eight touchdown runs this season have been from at least 52 yards. He had a 59-yard touchdown run against Colorado State, a 74-yard touchdown against Kentucky and a 52-yard touchdown run against Mississippi State.
Boyd has rushed for at least 100 yards in five games this season and eight times in his 22 games with the Razorbacks.