Walton, Homer key solid rushing attack
CORAL GABLES — It was a scene that likely went unnoticed by most at Hard Rock Stadium except the keenest observers.
With only seconds left in the first half of Miami’s eventual 41-13 win over Bethune-Cookman, Hurricanes running back Mark Walton headed toward the locker room with UM head athletic trainer Vinny Scavo.
Not long after, the rest of the Hurricanes headed the same way and in that moment, there was uncertainty about whether the star running back just needed a breather or had suffered an injury.
Considering Miami’s depth issues at that position and the fact they are breaking in a new quarterback, the last thing the Hurricanes need is for Walton to miss playing time because he’s hurt.
The good news for Miami was that when the second half started, Walton was back on the field, the reported bruise on his knee not enough to keep him on the sideline. Instead, the junior finished with a game-high 148 yards and two touchdowns, including a 6-yarder midway through the third quarter.
That wasn’t the only positive for Miami’s running game. In the second half, the 18th-ranked Hurricanes also got a solid effort from sophomore Travis Homer, who played well as the No. 2 back, finished with 103 rushing yards and showed that the Hurricanes could have a solid one-two punch at running back.
His performance, combined with Walton’s, gave the Hurricanes (1-0) their first game with two 100-yard rushers since last September when Walton and Joe Yearby topped that mark against FAU.
“To see him develop … from spring ball to fall camp to today’s game, he did a great job of sticking with the run, running hard, and trusting his ability,” Walton said of Homer. “He’s just progressed from last year. It wasn’t shocking to me that he was going to do what he did today. He’s been running hard all year, from the spring to the fall and I just can’t wait to see how he progresses in the future.”
Added Hurricanes coach Mark Richt, “Travis ran the ball well and he secured the football. That was big. I don’t know if anybody had the ball come out as a runner or receiver … which was great.”
Both Walton and Rosier will be counted on this season to help Hurricanes quarterback Malik Rosier, who was solid in his debut as Miami’s regular starter. Not only did Miami’s two running backs gain more than 100 yards on the ground, both were passing targets out of the backfield, with Homer catching two passes for 25 yards and Walton catching two passes for 8 yards.
For Walton, Homer, Rosier and the rest of the Hurricanes, the focus now turns to Arkansas State, who put together an impressive effort in their opener, a 43-36 loss to Nebraska in Lincoln.
In that loss, the Red Wolves (0-1) allowed the Huskers to gain 225 yards on the ground, something that could prove positive for Walton and Homer as they look to build on their success against the Wildcats.
“It felt great to go out there and run for 100 yards,” Walton said. “Coach Richt did a great job of trusting us and the running backs. Our offensive line did a great job, picking up key blocks and giving us running lanes and we just took advantage of it. We just trusted our ability and ran hard.”
ccabrera@ sun-sentinel.com; On Twitter @ChristyChirinos.