Walter Fletcher showed flashes of the brilliance that made him a Division II All-American when he took a short pass and scampered 45 yards for a touchdown in Ball State's season opener against Indiana.
But the graduate transfer readily admits it took half the season or so for him to feel completely comfortable in his new system. He produced some big plays, but consistency, especially in the running game, took a little while to come around.
Over the past month, though, Fletcher has really blossomed. The past four games have seen him average more than 100 yards on the ground and 7.8 yards per carry. Closer to the type of production he had as a record-setting back at Edinboro where he ran for nearly 3,400 yards over his final two years.
Part of Fletcher's success is that the flow of recent games has dictated more opportunities for him. And part is his acclimation to a higher level of football.
"I think it took me a little while to get adjusted to things, and just now over the past month I think things have finally slowed down," Fletcher said. "The game has slowed down, and I'm just trying to take advantage of my opportunities."
Fletcher ran for a season-high 156 yards on just 14 carries in the rain against Ohio.
Every opportunity is precious for Fletcher, an under-recruited back out of high school who was seeking a place to demonstrate his talent at the FBS level in his final year of eligibility.
It can be hard to project how a player's skills will translate when making a jump like that, but BSU running backs coach Kevin Lynch loved what he initially saw on tape and has been thrilled with the element Fletcher has provided the Cardinals this year.
"He has been awesome," Lynch said. "He certainly looks like a guy who has been here for five years now. He's a really good player, and he's playing with a lot of confidence. I think confidence has so much to do with it. But he's everything we hoped for and more, to be honest."
Everything happens quickly for grad transfers in football. Fletcher enrolled at Ball State over the summer and went through the blur that is fall camp. Then came the games, one after another until somehow the Cardinals are 10 games in with just two to play in the regular season.
Ball State visits Kent State on Saturday, still with hopes alive to get to 6-6, bowl eligibility and a share of the MAC West Division title despite a recent string of close losses.
The BSU running game has gotten even stronger over that stretch, thanks in large part to Fletcher's emergence. Teaming with Caleb Huntley, he has given the Cardinals a true one-two punch and helped BSU become the MAC's top rushing team in league play at 256 yards per game.
Last week against Central Michigan, Fletcher ran for 115 yards on 15 carries as part of a performance that saw the versatile back rack up 240 all-purpose yards.
"This last couple weeks we've been able to really mix it up, and I feel pretty good about the rotation with the two," Lynch said. "It's really nice that we don't have to do anything special. They both can do it all, and our full offense is in with both of them."
The numbers back up Lynch's description of Fletcher as a "do it all" back. Fletcher has run for 574 yards and four touchdowns on 100 carries this season and caught 20 passes for 226 yards. He has also emerged as a kick returner in recent weeks, giving the Cardinals another option back there with established return man Malik Dunner.
For Fletcher, it's all about doing whatever he is called upon to help the Cardinals come out on top in these next two games.
"I just want to put myself in a position to help my team win," he said. "So if that's going out for passes, or pass blocking or running in between the tackles, I'm just going to do whatever it takes."
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