Kansas State used a trio of running backs in the first three games of the season, but none of them solidified the position.

So coach Ron Prince put one of his receivers in the backfield against Louisiana-Lafayette last week, and now Lamark Brown is no longer a receiver.

Brown provided quite a boost to a previously anemic running game, carrying the ball 29 times for 137 yards and a touchdown in Saturday’s 45-37 victory. The performance made Brown the Wildcats’ leading rusher this season, and it also made him the bona fide starter according to Prince.

“That was a relief to see him run the ball the way he did,” said K-State receiver Brandon Banks, who leads the Big 12 Conference with 115.8 receiving yards per game. “We were kind of one-dimensional on offense, and he kind of completed our offense.”

Keithen Valentine, Logan Dold and Justin Woods combined for only 247 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the first three games, and none gained more than 67 yards in a game. That put most of the pressure on quarterback Josh Freeman and his receivers, who have teamed up for 1,105 yards and 11 TDs through the air.

Enter Brown, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound sophomore who “surprised a lot of people” according to Banks. But Prince knew all along that his experiment might work, saying Brown is a “very good athlete” who “brings a certain amount of confidence in everything that he does.”

Brown was a standout running back in high school – rushing for 1,249 yards and 21 TDs as a junior – and Prince told him in the offseason that he might be used in the backfield. The move was still somewhat of a shock to Brown, who carried the ball only once in the first three games.

“I didn’t think it would come this fast,” said Brown, who learned of the move last Tuesday. “We had talked about it, but I put it out of my mind. I forgot about it.”

Brown didn’t forget how to run the ball effectively, though. He said the Wildcats’ rushing schemes are similar to those employed by his high school team in Hazelwood, Mo., so all he had to do was shake off the rust.

Prince was plenty satisfied with Saturday’s performance, and he’s also “really pleased” with how Brown has handled the switch.

“His confidence level continued to grow throughout the game, and you could really see him run with a lot of toughness and power,” said Prince, whose Wildcats (3-1) will host No. 7 Texas Tech (4-0) in the two teams’ Big 12 opener on Saturday. “That was excellent for us.”

Prince also said Brown’s ability as a pass-catcher gives K-State a “dimension that we haven’t had for a while.” And ironically, Brown’s best game as a receiver came in his first start as a running back.

Brown caught a career-high five passes for 36 yards against Louisiana-Lafayette, and for the season he has 12 receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown.

Brown wouldn’t say whether he prefers running the ball or catching it. He’s just glad to have solidified his role on the team.

“I just wanted to be able to get on the field and help us win any way I could,” he said. “Anything that gets me on the field, I’m happy with.”