VERMILLION, S.D.—VERMILLION, S.D.— Running back Kai Henry will be the first to tell you football is a team game and the numbers attached to his name this season come only with the continued dedication and improvement of a lot of other people on his side of the ball. 

That makes perfect sense. So the point is, the Coyotes have done a good job of running the ball this year. There have been some ups and downs to be sure, but the numbers on the run game stand up pretty well.

Henry, a 5-8, 200-pound junior from Miami, is averaging 5.8 yards a carry this year, rushing for 739 yards in 10 games.
 
The Coyotes began the season with three offensive linemen getting their first real taste of starting and their first real taste of extended action in college football. They have since proven they are headed in the right direction. 

A very clear indication of that took place last Saturday for the Coyotes in a one-sided win over Missouri Valley foe Youngstown State. At the Dome, USD rolled up 327 yards rushing in 41 carries in the 56-21 victory. Henry had 130 yards in just 13 carries. Sophomore Canaan Brooks ran 11 times for 112 yards and quarterback Austin Simmons ran 13 times for 72 yards.

"We can't give all the credit to the running back group on a game like that," Henry said. "Our guys up front have done a great job. They've really been doing that since the beginning of the season. As a group, we kept watching the films, looking at the right holes to hit. Or getting through the hole and then looking to that second level and making those five-yard runs into 30- or 40-yard runs."
 
Many people see running backs as athletes whose effectiveness can be improved on exclusively via lifting weights. Henry, however, can tell you the things you learn as you go along figure into that improvement.
 
"We do a whole lot of drills for Coach (Dante) Warren that prepare us for the week," Henry said. "He does a great job of preparing us in the film room, also. It's not just on the field. We spend a lot of time in the film room. Probably as much as any position group on the team. The cornerbacks might be in a tie with us, but we definitely put the time in."

Warren, a former standout USD quarterback, rejoined the program in 2018 as an assistant coach. He has been around for a lot of Henry's progress as a Coyote.
 
"What we're seeing right now is definitely an evolution of not only the running backs but the linemen, the tight ends and the quarterback," Warren said. "You think carrying a running back is pretty instinctual but when you start to break it down, there are ways to get guys headed to the right areas. You recruit good kids and let a special player be a special player, but our job is to get them to the right spot as efficiently as possible."

It's definitely appreciated. It's not like a college kid is in a position to take out a whole offensive line to a top restaurant like you read about in the NFL, but it's the thought that counts. And occasionally the food.

"We're not sure when we're going to do it yet, but we have to congratulate those boys," Henry said. "Canaan Brooks and I are planning on a little party for the linemen. Maybe we'll invite the tight ends, too, because they've done some pretty good blocking. We're going to get a whole bunch of meat and have a good time."


 
What could be better than that? Well, a win this week would qualify.
 
Sustaining momentum via the run game against North Dakota State, the defending champions and No. 1 team in the nation, would likely be part of any successful upset bid. And hard as it might be to believe, a victory at the Fargodome would be even more fun than throwing a pile of meat at the offensive line.

"It's the No. 1 team in the country and we only have this one opportunity to play them," Henry said. "Like Coach (Bob) Nielson said after practice this week: Why not us? A lot goes with that."

Henry will, especially this week, admit to the weather being a little colder than a typical Floridian would prefer it. But putting up with that inconvience has always been worth it.

"The coaches here actually care about the kids," he said. "It's a blessing to be here. I'm glad my coaches talked me into it. I'm loving it."

It's not close to being over, either. The Coyotes finish 2019 with a pair of huge games and will go into 2020 with several improving players at key positions along the line. And in the backfield.

"All the bumps and bruises have made Kai a better player," Warren said. "He's come a long way. There has been some trial-and-error involved but as a leader he's grown this year. It's showing on the football field. I'm proud of how he's grown."