Duke Watson has thrived as the UCF Knights' No. 1 running back this season, earning recognition as a top back in the Big 12.

Top Tier Utah (@TopTierUtes) ranked Watson as the sixth-best running back entering Week 7 on Tuesday. His ranking was the same as last week, still placing below Oklahoma State's Caleb Hawkins and Texas Tech's Ja'Koby Williams.

Watson started the season strong, but his performance has tapered since Big 12 play began. He recorded 297 yards and three touchdowns in non-conference play; the junior tallied 186 yards in three conference games.

His breakaway speed is the backbone of offensive success. Watson broke off two 60-plus-yard runs against Bethune-Cookman in Week 1 and Georgia State in Week 3; both going for touchdowns.

The Knights' offense looks like a well-oiled machine when he can make multiple big yardage runs. However, when opposing teams neutralize the run, their offense becomes stagnant.

UCF lost three of the four games in which he didn't record over 100 yards.

TCU coach Sonny Dykes revealed his game plan for Watson heading into their Big 12 opener against UCF. Dykes said the Horned Frogs had to contain him and tackle the speedster in the open field.

Watson had 57 yards that game, but TCU couldn't overcome late-game turnovers to come back.

Conference opponents have limited the junior's ability to get into the open field. He's averaged 62 yards per game, and his longest rush is 37 yards against the No. 20 Houston Cougars.

UCF's lead back cut through Houston's front seven for his 37-yard rush, placing his team at the 2-yard line. Quarterback Keyone Jenkins capitalized on excellent field positioning with a 5-yard touchdown run.

Watson may still struggle in the coming weeks against No. 8 BYU and Baylor. Both programs have top-5 run defenses: BYU allows 80.4 yards per game and Baylor allows 97.4.

The Knights will likely rely on Jenkins to carry them in the next two games. He had a season-high performance against Oklahoma State, throwing for 265 yards and four touchdowns, which earned him a top-10 quarterback ranking in Week 6.

A breakout conference game will likely have to wait until Nov. 7, when UCF travels to face Kansas. The Jayhawks have the 11th-best run defense, allowing 137.4 yards per game.

It's the perfect environment for Watson to have an explosive performance and return to his early-season form. His ability to make big runs is key to the fast-paced offense UCF wants to play.

Source: Yahoo Sports