By David Boyce  |  No. 7 Northwest at Emporia State  |  Saturday, Nov. 8  |  2 p.m.  |  Welch Stadium  |  Emporia, Kan.
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MARYVILLE, Mo. - In late September, redshirt freshman running back Cameron Wilcox put himself in position to be one of the main options carrying the football.
 
Wilcox rushed the ball 18 times and nearly hit the century mark in yards for the first time in his career at Northwest Missouri State, falling one yard short.
 
Opposing defense now needed to game plan for him. When Northwest travels to Emporia State for a 2 p.m. kickoff Saturday afternoon, the Bearcats probably know the Hornets have mentioned No. 38 a few times in defensive meetings.
 
Wilcox is coming off his best performance so far in his collegiate career. Last week, Wilcox carried the ball a career-high 19 times for a career-high 125 yards in a 40-3 victory over Missouri Western.
 
And this performance was coming on the heels of his first 100-yard game at Fort Hays State on Oct. 25 when he went for 103 yards in 10 carries.
 
Wilcox has arrived as a back the Bearcats can count on.
 
"It feels good," Wilcox said after the Western game. "It shows hard work pays off. You are waiting your turn and staying humble. I am blessed to be in this position."
 
Wilcox is in this position because he has worked hard and he didn't sulk when his development hit a bit of a snag after his first big game at Central Oklahoma on Sept. 27.
 
It takes a while to adjust to college football, especially when you know you aren't going to see any game action the first season as a redshirt.
 
"Coming out of high school when you had a lot of playing time, it is hard to adjust to not actually playing," Wilcox said. "This moment here shows if you work hard, great things will happen."
 
Entering this season, Wilcox knew opportunity awaited if he worked hard in practice and did everything expected of him. He did and he played early on.
 
But after the Central Oklahoma game, Wilcox carried the ball only five times the following week and seven times the week after that.
 
"The reason he is playing right now is he has changed a lot in one year's time," Northwest head coach Adam Dorrel said. "He has become a lot better practice player. He understands our offense completely, the protections and being able to catch the football out of the backfield. He has continued to grind.
 
"A few weeks ago, he kind of reverted back a little bit. We told him we weren't going to play him a few weeks ago. Instead of pouting, he responded and he came out the following week and refocused. That is why I am proud of him. You think what we might not been able do today (against Western) if he went the other way. I am proud of his coaches for helping him battle through that, too."
 
 Older teammates also helped Wilcox get back on track. One of them is senior running back Robert Burton III, known as Bobby to his teammates.
 
Burton leads the Bearcats in rushing, but understands that if Northwest is going to reach its goals this season, the Bearcats need Wilcox and sophomore running back Phil Jackson to run the ball well.
 
For these Bearcats, it is not about who gets the most carries and the most yards. It is about putting forth a winning effort.
 
"He is doing everything great," Burton said of Wilcox. "At the start, he was slow getting things down, mentally. I have been helping him out. He has been watching film. He is getting plays down. He is doing a great job. He is our speed back. He is getting these big plays. It is good to have him out there."
 
One player who benefits from a strong rushing attack is junior quarterback Brady Bolles. A strong running game always helps the passing game.
 
Bolles is thrilled that Wilcox has come on strong in the last two weeks.
 
"He has really turned into a good running back," Bolles said. "He is taking advantage of his opportunities. We feel really comfortable with him right now. All three of those guys, Phil, Bobby and Cam, they rotate a lot, get a lot of snaps. They have done a really good job."
 
Wilcox now ranks second on the team in rushing with 418 yards in 66 carries for an eye-popping 6.3 yards per carry. He has scored five rushing touchdowns. Burton leads the trio with eight rushing touchdowns and Jackson has six.
 
"It feels good and amazing," Wilcox said. "I waited a long time for this. I am just glad it is finally paying off."