Coming into the season, it was expected that Florida State running back Trey Benson would pick up right where he left off from last season as one of the premier backs in the ACC.

Through seven games, things have been inconsistent for the redshirt junior and the narratives of what could be preventing Benson from breaking out have been numerous and varied. Is the offensive line giving Benson enough space to run? Is he not running as hard out of fear of injury, or is he just trying to do too much to get the running game going?

Perhaps all of the above may have been true for a time but the narratives may be in the rear view mirror as Benson is finding new ways to be an impact in the Florida State offense.

During Florida State's 41-16 blowout against Wake Forest on Saturday, Benson was not only the leading rusher on the team with 55 rushing yards, he was the leading receiver with 100 yards on the afternoon as well. Eighty of these yards came on a screen pass in which Benson broke a pair of tackles and then ran 60 more yards to the end zone for a touchdown.

"I actually told Keon (Coleman) to meet me in the end zone," Benson smiled. "I just saw it forming before it happened. I visualized it, saw the green grass and no one was going to catch me."

It is the first time that Benson has had a 100-yard receiving day in his career at Florida State. Benson also ended the day with an 18-yard touchdown run.

"That boy had 100 receiving yards as a running back," Coleman smirked postgame. "He can do it all. It's great being on the field with those guys. It's hard to not get caught up watching them make those plays."

In doing so, Benson became the first player in Florida State history to have both an 80-yard rushing touchdown and an 80-yard receiving touchdown in his career — never mind the same season. The 80-yard touchdown run occurred during his 200-yard performance against Virginia Tech.

"Trey was awesome," FSU coach Mike Norvell said. "Trey has been battling. Whether it's been running or catching the ball out of the backfield — it's something that he has improved in so much. Those were two monumental plays in the game."

Catching the ball out of the backfield was something that Trey worked on tirelessly during the offseason, as it was something that he felt was not displayed enough in his game last season. Though the work Benson has put in has shown up at times in games earlier this season, it hasn't quite gone the way he wanted.

"I'm not going to lie, I was down on myself," Benson said. "The running back room, J-Trav (Jordan Travis) and my teammates were lifting me up every single day and telling me that my time will come and I'll get to redeem myself. Today was that day."

The running back's ability to catch passes out of the backfield has become a big part of this year's offense. Lawrance Toafili is typically viewed as the pass-catcher of the room, but Saturday displayed Benson's improvement in that area.

"Whenever you can hand the ball off or throw a screen and they take it a long way, it's the best and it helps me get my passing yards up a bit," Travis said, jokingly. "I am happy for him. He's a really hard worker and I'm so thankful to have him next to me all the time."

Whether or not the traditional running game has officially turned the corner remains to be seen but the silver lining remains to be that Trey Benson is finding ways to make an impact again — something that has not gone unnoticed as he was rewarded with the honor of breaking the rock.

"Trey is so hard on himself," Norvell said. "I love him — I love the human being because he cares so much about his teammates. He is the biggest fan of every player on this team and you feel his energy and encouragement. When it comes to himself, he is always pushing. What he has done as a pass-catcher and the plays that he has made throughout the course of the year has been awesome ... He is a special player in all that he does."

Follow The Osceola on Facebook

Follow The Osceola on Twitter

Subscribe to the Osceola's YouTube channel

Subscribe to the Osceola's podcasts on Apple

Subscribe to the Osceola's podcasts on Spotify