Breaking down Badie's case for Doak Walker Award
Entering the 2021 season, Tyler Badie had a lot to prove. After spending the first three years of his college career playing a change-of-pace role behind Larry Rountree III, Badie wanted to show that he could manage an every-down workload while maintaining his explosiveness. During interviews both during the season and before, he told reporters he planned to prove that he could be the best back in the SEC.
“I read everything,” Badie said following Missouri’s win over South Carolina. “Oh,’ what can Tyler do when Larry’s not here?’ I’m going to show what I can do. I believe in my actions and I believe in myself, so every day I step out there, I know I trust myself, I know what I can do, I know what I’m capable of, and I’m just going to show it to you guys every day.”
Mission accomplished. After racking up 1,934 yards from scrimmage and 18 touchdowns this season, Badie has been named to the all-SEC first team by both the AP and the league’s coaches over the past week. He’s the first Missouri running back to earn first-team all-SEC honors at the position since the Tigers joined the league in 2012. He also received the Scholar Athlete of the Year award from the conference.
The accolades haven’t stopped at best running back in the conference, though. With his 1,604 rushing yards, Badie set the Missouri record for rushing yards in a single season, breaking Devin West’s mark set in 1997. And he has a chance to add another achievement to the list. Badie is one of three finalists for the Doak Walker Award, given annually to the best running back in the nation. The winner will be announced Thursday night on ESPN.
If Badie were to win the Doak Walker Award, he would be just the third player in Missouri history to win a national, individual award and the first since Chase Coffman won the John Mackey Award in 2008. Brock Olivo also won the Mosi Tatupu National Special Teams Player of the Year Award in 1997.
The other finalists for the Doak Walker Award are Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III and Iowa State’s Breece Hall. Here is a breakdown of how Badie stacks up.
Individual Stats
| Player | Attempts | Yards | Average | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Tyler Badie |
268 |
1,604 |
5.99 |
14 |
|
Kenneth Walker III |
263 |
1,636 |
6.22 |
18 |
|
Breece Hall |
253 |
1,472 |
5.82 |
20 |
| Player | Touches | Yards | Average | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Tyler Badie |
322 |
1,934 |
6.0 |
18 |
|
Kenneth Walker III |
276 |
1,725 |
6.3 |
19 |
|
Breece Hall |
289 |
1,774 |
6.1 |
23 |
| Player | 10-plus yard runs | 20-plus yard runs | 30-plus yard runs | 40-plus yard runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Tyler Badie |
46 |
13 |
10 |
7 |
|
Kenneth Walker III |
46 |
21 |
8 |
4 |
|
Breece Hall |
36 |
17 |
12 |
7 |
Walker led the way in rushing yardage, which seems likely to be a major factor in determining the best running back in the country. Badie, who led Missouri in receptions and receiving touchdowns in addition to rushing, totaled the most total yardage. However, he was slightly less efficient with his touches than both Walker and Hall. Hall scored the most touchdowns of the group.
Team Success
Badie’s case might be hurt a bit by the fact that both Michigan State (10-2) and Iowa State (7-5) not only finished the season with better records than Missouri, but played in more high-profile games. Walker, in particular, impressed when playing in front of a national audience. During the Spartans’ season-opening game on a Friday night against Northwestern, he racked up 264 yards and four touchdowns. When Michigan State beat rival Michigan, he rushed for 197 yards and five scores. The performance generated Heisman Trophy buzz around his name. Michigan State finished the season ranked No. 10 in the final College Football Playoff top 25.
Hall was by far the most well-publicized player of the three entering this season, having been named a first-team all-American by the AP last season. He didn’t top 100 yards in any of the Cyclones’ most high-profile games of the season — against Iowa, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma — but he did finish the year by exploding for 271 total yards and five touchdowns against TCU.
While Missouri’s 6-6 record and general lack of exposure might damage Badie’s case, one could also argue that he put together a similarly prodigious season to the other two finalists with less help around him. If the criteria for the award were which running back was more valuable to his team this season, Badie would likely win. Badie accounted for 75.1 percent of Missouri’s rushing offense and 39.3 percent of its total offense this season. Walker accounted for 73.9 percent of Michigan State’s rushing total and 33.6 percent of its total yardage. Hall’s numbers were similar, accounting for 72.8 percent of Iowa State’s rushing attack and 33.5 percent of its total offense.
Asked about Badie’s value to the Missouri team when the team’s record was 5-5, head coach Eli Drinkwitz said “I don’t know that we have five wins if it’s not for Tyler Badie.”
Regardless of whether Badie receives the Doak Walker Award, his 2021 season will go down as one of the best ever by a Missouri football player. And it’s not over yet. Badie told reporters following the Tigers’ season-ending loss at Arkansas that he plans to play in the Armed Forces Bowl. Missouri will face Army in the Dec. 22 matchup. Drinkwitz reiterated that remains the expectation while speaking to reporters Sunday.
“We anticipate him giving it a go in the bowl game,” Drinkwitz said. “So, very excited about his competitive spirit.”
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