SMU Transfer Williams Making Most of Opportunities At Running Back For NDSU

Junior has 26 carries for 206 yards and two touchdowns

FARGO, N.D — North Dakota State running back TaMerik Williams is one of seven transfers to join the roster this fall. Since heading up north from SMU in the spring, he’s made the most of his opportunities.

As one of 11 backers, Williams has seen just 26 carries through six games, however on the flip side has rushed for 206 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Those numbers are good for third best on the team at an average of over 40 yards per game.

Head coach Matt Entz said the workload has become heavier because Williams has earned the trust of the coaches especially in protection.

“We have to give him so leeway for learning. He’s continued to do a really good job,” Entz said. He’s established himself. Coaches trust he can been in there. I know this last game, he probably only played 8 or 9 snaps. Half of them he carried it but the other half, he was doing something without the ball and the exception is you have to be great even without the football especially at that position.”

“Just being at SMU and a part of that and their spread offense for three years and then coming here with a little bit of spread but it’s mostly part of the power I,” Williams said. “I think a lot of the terminology is still the same and I was able to pick it up well.”

The biggest help for Williams to transition so well to his new bison family was relying on those in the position group especially Kobe Johnson.

“We have a lot of the same interest outside of football. It really helped,” Williams said. “Anytime I had a question about offense, I would always go to Kobe. I knew he had been a part of the offense both him and jalen bussey. They had been a part of it and here for a while. They knew everything.”

Bussey, Johnson and Williams will all continue to split carries alongside Dom Gonnella and Hunter Luepke.