The book on New Mexico’s Richard McQuarley and Hawaii’s Steven Lakalaka is the “Joy of Six.”
Both running backs are prolific six-point producers this football season. McQuarley averages a rushing touchdown every 7.0 carries. That is tops among FBS players with at least nine rushing touchdowns. Lakalaka is second with a rushing touchdown every 7.22 carries.
Their teams meet this Saturday at Aloha Stadium. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.
“That’s all I do right now,” said McQuarley, who has 10 touchdowns in 70 rushes. “As of right now, I’m a scorer. I like contact. When we get down in red-zone situations, I think it’s something the team needs. And they’ll just give it to me, and I’ve got it.”
Lakalaka, who has nine touchdowns in 65 carries, relishes his closer’s role.
“In my head, I get the mentality it’s just 1 yard,” said Lakalaka, who has scored four times from a yard away. “I just grind it out, be determined, and follow my blocks.”
Each is part of a three-player rotation. While the Lobos often use as many as three running backs in their triple-option offense, the Rainbow Warriors usually are in a one-back set. But in shortage situations, especially in the red zone, McQuarley and Lakalaka expect to be summoned.
“When I get in the game, it feels like everyone knows I’m getting the ball,” said McQuarley, who has accounted for 43.5 percent of the Lobos’ red-zone carries. “They kind of make the situation hard. It basically comes down to who wants it the hardest. I feel like me over anybody. I get the ball, lower my shoulder, and do what I’ve got to do. Whoever gets into my way is going to come into the end zone with me.”
McQuarley, who is 5 feet 11 and 218 pounds, relies on daily stretching to keep fit. He has 7 percent body fat. Sitting with his legs spread, he can touch his nose to the ground. He also can do back flips. The flexibility “helps a lot,” McQuarley said
Lakalaka, who is 5-10 and 205 pounds, has adjusted his running style to match his specialized role and offensive set. In the past, he was skilled with jump cuts. Now he uses the straight-ahead approach.
“My goal is to get positive yards,” said Lakalaka, who has eight touchdowns in 21 red-zone carries. “The most positive yards you can get is north-south. Maybe when we’re more backed up, I can do more moves.”
Lakalaka and H-back Kaiwi Chung usually are paired in the same power formation. “I love blocking for Laka,” Chung said. “I’m going to blast the guy in front of us to get the extra yard for him. The defense knows when he’s going to get the ball. It’s up to the offense to out-physical the defense.”
Then again, sometimes feeding Lakalaka is not so automatic. Quarterback Dru Brown rescinded a handoff and sprinted 62 yards on a bootleg for a touchdown. Wideout Marcus Kemp, who often motions across the formation, is a threat on a jet sweep. And Brown threw a play-action pass to Metuisela ‘Unga for a touchdown. But it all starts with Lakalaka’s threat as a tough-yardage runner.
“He has good patience for the package for him,” offensive coordinator Brian Smith said. “And he runs physical. He’s always getting tackled going forward. He’s always getting that extra yard. He’s tough to bring down.”
