Georgia State Panthers head coach Trent Miles. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM

To mix things up, I thought I’d do a look-ahead to Georgia State’s August camp in a different format, A-to-Z:

I’ll continue to post one letter a day on the blog for the next 26 days:

Today is …

K is for Kelepi Folau

Folau is one of six transfers who enrolled at Georgia State following the dissolution of UAB’s football program. He is expected to start at center and coaches hope will used 305 pounds to provide a push up the middle to spark a running game that has been mostly powered by embers the past two years.

Georgia State had one running back rush for at least 100 yards last year. It came in Week 2 against New Mexico State. That back, Krysten Hammon, then left the program.

Georgia State had one running back, and one oddly wide receiver, crack 100 yards in 2013.

So in two years, Georgia State has had a running back crack 100 yards three times.

That’s not enough for a team that coach Trent Miles wants to play tough.

That toughness, that ability to run, starts by being able to get those yards up the middle when it’s third and short or fourth or short.

Folau, or whomever is at center, must be able to get that push to create the space for the running back to put his head down and drive and get that 3 feet.

If the team can get three feet when it’s absolutely needed, it should be able to get 100 yards.

Now, one running back reaching 100 yards isn’t a guarantee for success. A truer barometer might be a team’s ability to rush for 100 yards in this day of rotated running backs.

So, how has Georgia State done if that’s the goal?

Looking exclusively at the running backs, the Panthers did it five times in 12 games last year and twice two y ears ago. When you add in quarterbacks and wide receivers, they did it six times last year and six times in 2013.