Former Florida State running back shines in major upset

Back to back 100+ yard outings for the former Seminole.

The Seminoles may not have had a more perfectly timed BYE week following the wonkiness that occurred over the weekend in college football. Six ranked teams went down, including two programs that were previously in the top-10 (Texas A&M, Notre Dame) who were upset by two unranked teams out of the Sun Belt Conference (Appalachian State, Marshall).

READ MORE: Recruits react to Florida State's thrilling victory over LSU

Former Florida State running back Khalan Laborn crossed the triple digit mark for the first time in his collegiate career in his debut with Marshall during week 1. On Saturday, Laborn put on another thrilling performance as the Thundering Herd went into South Bend and knocked out the Fighting Irish, 26-21.

Marshall's defense came up big in limiting Notre Dame's offense. On the other side of the ball, the Thundering Herd leaned heavily on Laborn to keep them ahead of the chains. Out of 71 offensive plays, the former five-star prospect had the ball in his hands on 32 of them or 45.1%.

WHOA KHALAN LABORN WITH THE MOVES MMMMM 🥶🥶🥶 pic.twitter.com/9aSBoHn5WK

— The Transfer Portal CFB (@TPortalCFB) September 10, 2022

The Virginia native recorded 31 carries for 163 yards and a touchdown. He added one reception for five yards. Laborn exploded for a 42-yard run in the fourth quarter on a drive late in the fourth quarter where Marshall took the lead for good. 

Through two weeks, Laborn is already close to surpassing the numbers he put up during an entire season at Florida State. He's totaled 43 carries for 265 yards and three touchdowns on the ground in the Thundering Herd's 2-0 start. He's also caught two passes for 12 yards.

The 5-foot-11, 212-pound running back originally signed with Florida State in 2017 as a member of a star-studded running back class that also included Cam Akers (Los Angeles Rams) and Zaquandre White (Miami Dolphins). Despite redshirting as a true freshman, Laborn looked like he could break out ahead of the 2018 season. He caught a 37-yard pass in his first career appearance before being knocked out for the season the following week.

Laborn rehabbed from the knee injury to return for the entire 2019 season. He recorded 63 carries for 297 yards (4.7 YPC) and four touchdowns. Laborn added ten catches for 66 yards.

After being dismissed from the program in 2020, Laborn stayed in Tallahassee to earn his degree at Florida State. He's overcome the adversity and is flouring during his final season of collegiate eligibility.

READ MORE: Former Penn State running back enrolls at Florida State

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