Carlos Locklyn asks for contact balance and short-area burst from all his running backs. And he loves the work of Bucky Irving.

The former Minnesota Gopher has quickly endeared himself to his new Oregon teammates, coaches, and fans thanks to his running style. Asked to describe it on Tuesday, Irving said one word: “Elusive.” Combine that with the descriptor his head coach, Dan Lanning, used Monday night: “Violent.” Irving has been a value add for the Ducks in more ways than one, and he’s producing on the field each Saturday.

“I’ve just got that mentality of don’t let the first man bring me down,” Irving told local reporters.

He had 14 carries for 97 yards in Saturday’s 41-20 win over BYU. That included a 36-yard explosion on the Ducks’ first drive, a run that led directly to a touchdown. But perhaps his most impressive run came on the first play of the third — an 11-yard gain that flashed all the things that make Irving a promising runner. Ducks Wire’s Zachary Neal shared it to Twitter.

Irving has 188 yards and a score on 27 carries so far this season. He’s averaging 7 yards a carry, the third-best mark among qualified Pac-12 running backs. And that includes a five-for-13 performance against the Georgia Bulldogs.

He has already forced 12 missed tackles this season — the fourth-most among Pac-12 runners. So far this season, he has the fifth-best run grade among all Power Five running backs.

And Irving has already mastered the skill that’ll open up more opportunities for him: he threw all the credit back to the offensive line.

“I feel like our offensive line doesn’t get the recognition for the great job that they do every week,” Irving said. “I want to always give them a compliment or a great job for what they’re doing to open great holes for all of our running backs.”

Irving will look to keep things rolling for the Ducks when they head to Pullman this weekend to battle Washington State (3-0). Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. PT on FOX. Irving isn’t satisfied.

“I feel like my game is not where I want it to be,” he said. “I feel like I’ve still got room for improvement.”