Just Block and See What Happens: Israel Abanikanda Runs Pitt’s Offense

He may have spearheaded Israel Abanikanda’s dominant first half against Virginia Tech, but Jake Kradel didn’t start to recognize what was unfolding behind him (or ahead of him, to be honest) until he was able to collect his thoughts at the half.

Kradel, and Pitt’s offensive line as a whole, was no stranger to big games from Abanikanda, but Saturday felt different. It was special.

Pitt led Virginia Tech by a point entering the halftime break, a game in which Pitt desperately needed a win to reassure both itself and the masses that the season wasn’t over, and it would’ve been bleak if not for 109 yards and two touchdowns from Abanikanda in 30 minutes of play.

It wasn’t as if it was a freak performance from Abanikanda, not after performances of 154, 133 and 177 yards earlier in the season, but the first half against Virginia was still different. Kradel felt like a sustained effort from the offensive line would still be able to help unlock a truly special performance from Abanikanda. He was unaware of any records; he just wanted to block.

“I honestly had no idea what the record was, so I was like, ‘I’m just gonna keep blocking and see what happens,'” Kradel said following Saturday’s game. “And I guess we broke it.”

Abanikanda’s first half was strong, but his second half was historic. How do you follow up 109 yards and two touchdowns? With 211 yards and four touchdowns. It was an effort that saw Abanikanda’s 35th carry of the night push his rushing total to 304 yards — breaking a 47-year-old school record set by the legendary Tony Dorsett for the most rushing yards in a single game.

Pittsburgh Panthers running back Israel Abanikanda (2) October 8, 2022 David Hague/PSN

It felt amazing to break a record set by a Heisman Trophy-winning, NFL Hall of Fame running back like Dorsett, and Abanikanda made sure to extend his sincerest gratitude to all those who made it possible when afforded the chance to sit back and think about it, but it also wasn’t a surprise either — at least not to Abanikanda himself.

“It just made me feel like me,” Abanikanda said following Saturday’s game. “I was just showing them me, that’s how I’ve always been my whole life since I was four years old and started playing football. This ain’t nothing new to me. I say it every time, I’ve been doing this.

“It feels amazing, unreal, but also I know what I’m capable of, I know what I can do. It’s nothing new to me, but it feels unreal breaking these legendary records.”

Abanikanda finished the afternoon with 36 carries for 320 yards and six touchdowns. The 320 yards broke Dorsett’s record set against Notre Dame in 1975, and the six touchdowns tied Norman “Bill” Budd’s record set against Ohio Medical College (yes, I know) in 1910. It was a historic, ground-breaking production, but it was also very, very much needed in a game very much undecided well into the fourth quarter.

There’s an expectation to ‘solider on’ in the face of adversity, and Abanikanda did just that. He knew he needed to be a solider as he racked up a career-high 36 carries. He also knew that it wasn’t just on his shoulders to help guide Pitt to a crucial conference victory, but at the end of the day, it was on his shoulders. And he delivered.

Abanikanda said after the game that didn’t feel like he had to put Pitt on his shoulders, he just needed to do what he does. It just so happens that this season that involves putting Pitt on his shoulders.

And unlike Kradel, it actually took Abanikanda until his fourth touchdown of the game, a five-yard scamper for his shortest touchdown of the day, to start to recognize his own special performance. Scoring four touchdowns wasn’t new, occurring just two weeks before Virginia Tech came to town, but that fourth touchdown was still an indicator. Abanikanda knew he was going somewhere.

Abanikanda’s fifth touchdown of the day, which came directly off a crucial forced fumble from John Morgan to swing the tides of the game, was a seemingly effortless 10-yard burst turned outside. The sixth touchdown of the day though? That one was special. An 80-yard sprint to the end zone, hammering the final nail into the proverbial coffin. And Kedon Slovis got to watch the whole play unfold.

“It’s nice, I told one of our assistants that I have the best seat in the house,” Slovis said following Saturday’s game. “I kinda see the play develop, I saw on that last one – Marcus kinda pulling up and working to the backer and I was kinda thinking, ‘Izzy, hit it right, hit it right.’ And he hits it perfectly.”

Israel Abanikanda tied the PITT & ACC TOUCHDOWN RECORD (6) with this 80 yard run! @Pitt_FB | @ACCFootball pic.twitter.com/Ied2AvIt2C

— ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) October 8, 2022

The sixth and final touchdown, an 80-yard sprint through the teeth of the Virginia Tech defense, wasn’t enough to break the record. Abanikanda was stopped at 298 yards on 34 carries. So, of course, as Pitt received the football back following a quick three and out, the ball was back in Abanikanda’s hands.

A non-descript six-yard carry, on a play in which he needed five yards to tie the record, officially crowned Abanikanda as Pitt’s new single game rushing leader. He’d add a 16-yard scamper to move inside Virginia Tech territory (and possibly set up a record-shattering seventh touchdown), but a case of the cramps set in to end his afternoon.

With 36 carries for 320 yards and six touchdowns, it was a masterclass. It was a clinic on how to be a running back.

Abanikanda maximized every carry, averaging 8.9 yards per carry, despite starting the afternoon with three carries for -4 yards. With 89 yards after contact, a solid 2.47 YAC per carry, he flashed the ability to muscle off would-be tacklers, but it was the breakaway ability that highlighted a dominant performance.

Abanikanda racked up nine carries of 10+ yards and seven carries of 15+ yards, accumulating 237 yards on designed rushing attempts of 15 yards, for an absurd breakaway percentage of 74.1.

To put that into scale, Abanikanda’s 237 breakaway yards against Virginia Tech would rank inside the Top 25 of all running backs in college football this season, according to Pro Football Focus.

“(Abanikanda’s) got breakaway speed,” Pat Narduzzi said following the game. “If he pops through there, good luck to you. There’s not many guys that can catch him. Over 300 yards rushing, and we didn’t — he only had 36 carries. Probably could have gave it to him another 10 times.”

46 carries would’ve shattered Abanikanda’s career high. He had taken double-digit carries just six times entering this season, with just one game over 20 carries. His career-high of 21 carries was broken as he hit the 25-carry mark against Tennessee. He broke that with 31 carries against Western Michigan and broke that with 36 carries against Virginia Tech. It seems the more carries he receives, the stronger he runs.

If there’s one thing that Abanikanda has proven, aside from his status as one of the best running backs in college football, it’s that Pitt runs through him. Pitt is officially a run-first offense.

Pittsburgh Panthers running back Israel Abanikanda (2) October 8, 2022 David Hague/PSN

“We like to run the ball,” Kradel said. “Just run the ball. Last year we passed the ball all the time, we did really well, Kenny (Pickett) was a Heisman finalist, and now this year, hey, we’ll do what we’re gonna do. If we’re gonna pass it 70 times like we did last year, we will, but we’d like to run it 70 times. That’d be nice. Whatever coach calls, we’re gonna run.

“I would say (we’re a run-first offense), I think so, that’s one thing we try to pride ourselves on, just run the ball first, open up the passing lanes and see what happens.”

Pitt was able to put together a game against Virginia Tech in which the offense line, with Kradel himself still filling in at a slightly unfamiliar position as opposed to his usual right guard spot, was able to put together a complete performance. And it was a performance that wasn’t lost upon the players on the defensive side of the football either.

“It’s hard to ignore the crowd,” Erick Hallett said following Saturday’s game. “(Abanikanda’s) doing a tremendous job, o-line is doing a tremendous job, the receivers are doing a tremendous job blocking. It’s all a credit to them, that’s what they do.”

With 129 carries for 830 yards (6.2 average) and 12 touchdowns, Abanikanda is second in college football in rushing yards and first in touchdowns. With 1,117 all-purpose yards, he leads the nation. It’s what Abanikanda has done this season. He’s been one of the best running backs, if not the best, in college football.

“Izzy is a football player,” Narduzzi said. “Izzy is really good.”