Cincinnati Bearcats Football Season in Review: Gerrid Doaks

The Numbers

• 526 rushing yards
• 100 carries
• 5.3 yards per carry
• 70 receiving yards
• 6 total touchdowns

People forget things all the time. Where there keys are. Whether or not they left the dishwasher on. What time their dentist appointment is. Some people also probably forgot just how good Gerrid Doaks was at football before last season. That’s what can happen in the immediacy of the sports news cycle, as Doaks missed all of 2018 due to an injury after a promising 2017 campaign.

Doaks largely got back to business after that missed season, reminding everyone that he can run the ball with the best of them. Although he had to cede starting running back duties to Michael Warren, Doaks still got plenty of chances to work, with 100 carries and eight receptions overall. Although he was never pushed to carry the entirety of the rushing offense, Doaks did reach double-digits in carries five times and had three games with at least 50 rushing yards.

With those opportunities and consistent efficiency, Doaks produced 526 yards and five touchdowns, proving that his ability to break tackles and pick up yardage on the ground was not diminished. In fact, his rushing total in 2019 surpassed his mark from 2017. He also averaged more than five yards per carry and ripped off some longer runs, including a season-best of 53 yards against UConn.

As a receiver, Doaks wasn’t utilized very frequently, although that wasn’t entirely unique to him among Cincinnati running backs outside of Warren. As mentioned above, Doaks accumulated eight catches overall and produced 70 yards and a touchdown with those aerial opportunities.

All in all, the 2019 season was about as good a bounce back season as you could expect from Doaks considering he was contending not only with returning from injury but more than a little competition for reps in the backfield.

The Best of the Best

Aug. 29, 2019 vs. UCLA

Carrying the ball 10 times for 53 yards may not seem like a huge deal, but it was a boost of confidence to see Doaks work so effectively, even if he did miss the next two games of the season.

Oct. 19, 2019 vs. Tulsa

Doaks really powered the offense in this victory. He led the team in rushes (17), rushing yards (91) and also scored three touchdowns, including one through the air. Considering the 24-13 final score, Doaks was far and away the most important player on the field for the Bearcats during this victory.

Nov. 9, 2019 vs. UConn

As I said, Doaks had a 53-yard run in this game, but his other 12 carries were solid as well. He finished with 123 rushing yards and a touchdown as the Bearcats thrashed the Huskies.

Nov. 16, 2019 at USF

Maybe I’m being too lenient with this, but Doaks produced 48 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries and also contributed two catches. That’s a solid day for your backup running back.

For Next Year

Doaks should be in for a major promotion next season with the UC backfield suddenly looking a little emptier. There isn’t much Doaks needs to prove beyond his durability. He did miss two games last season and although he got a pretty solid amount of work, it was nothing compared to how often the Bearcats leaned on Warren the last two years. Doaks still has the explosiveness and the yards after contact ability he’s always had. If he can keep it up over the course of a starting work load, we may not forget about Warren, but the Bearcats will certainly replace him well enough.