Dixon adjusts quickly, sets records

As a senior last fall at Strong High School Kenneth Dixon was named the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette co-Offensive Player of the Year with Pulaski Academy’s Fredi Knighten.
As a senior last fall at Strong High School Kenneth Dixon was named the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette co-Offensive Player of the Year with Pulaski Academy’s Fredi Knighten.

— Setting records is nothing new for running back Kenneth Dixon.

He’s just doing it on a bigger stage this season.

Dixon, a 6-0, 215-pound freshman at Louisiana Tech, set three NCAA records in Saturday’s 62-55 victory over Texas State.

His 24 rushing touchdowns, 25 total touchdowns (one receiving) and 150 points scored are NCAA single season records for a freshman.

“It was a good achievement, but I feel like we achieved it as a team,” Dixon said. “We all played a part in it, and it was just good to enjoy the win as a team.”

As a senior last fall at Strong High School, Dixon set a single-season state rushing record with 3,153 yards on 315 carries with 39 touchdowns.

He was named the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette co-Offensive Player of the Year with Pulaski Academy’s Fredi Knighten.

This season, Dixon has rushed for 1,052 yards on 170 carries and is averaging 6.2 yards per carry. He is the top rushing freshman in the country and ranks 26th overall in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

“We knew we were fortunate to get such a special player,” Louisiana Tech Coach Sonny Dykes said. “He did a great job of calling us early and getting a head start on learning the offense. That gave him a chance to play.”

That chance to play, Dixon said, was all he was looking for at the beginning of the season.

“I just wanted to get strong in the weight room, learn to pick up the blitz and whatever I needed to work on. I just wanted to compete for a starting spot,” he said.

When the opportunity to play came, Dixon took advantage of it, but it came at a bit of a price. Fellow freshman running back Tevin King sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the Bulldogs’ victory over Illinois on Sept. 22, giving Dixon more of the workload.

Dixon said the increase in playing time was an adjustment, but one he dealt with easily.

“He [King] is my best friend, first of all, so I had a hard time picking it up at first,” Dixon said. “It wasn’t a big deal. It just came down to doing what I know how to do and to help the team win.”

It was that attitude that sold Dixon on the Bulldogs. When it came to choosing Louisiana Tech over Arkansas State, Dixon said the decision came down to his comfort level.

“We have great players here and great coaches. I felt very at-home,” Dixon said. “[Running backs] Coach [Pierre] Ingram didn’t tell me anything that wasn’t going to come true.”

Dixon’s best game of the season came Oct. 20, when he rushed for 232 yards and six touchdowns in a 70-28 victory over Idaho. With the increased playing time came steady production, but Dixon said his focus wasn’t on any records.

“I just focus week to week, day to day,” Dixon said. “I never really set a goal. I just do whatever I need to do to help the team win.”

Dykes said the team had the same mentality.

“We really hadn’t given it too much thought, so we didn’t change our thought process,” Dykes said. “We figured there were four games left in the season and that would give him plenty of opportunities to break the record.”

Now that he has broken the records, Dixon said he and the Bulldogs can focus on winning a Western Athletic Conference championship.

“At least I don’t have people asking me, ‘Are you going to do it this week?’ It’s good to get it out the way so you can focus,” Dixon said.

The Bulldogs will take a big step toward winning a conference title if they can beat Utah State on Saturday in Ruston, La. Both teams are 4-0 in WAC play with two games remaining.

“Having this game at home is a big deal for us,” Dykes said. “It’s senior day for us. We’ll be honoring 31 seniors, so it will be a great atmosphere. We just have to keep playing well to put us in position to win a conference championship.”

Sports, Pages 19 on 11/16/2012

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