Terps boast ‘a one-two punch’ at RB
Hemby, Littleton II embrace sharing breakout season
Heading into the Maryland football season, star quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa and the Terps’ talented wide receivers generated the most buzz, making little-known redshirt freshman running backs Roman Hemby and Antwain Littleton II feel underappreciated.
“We knew that we [weren’t] going to be known right off the bat,” said Hemby, who only played 17 snaps last season. “But we were going to make our presence felt.”
Through five games, Hemby and Littleton have lived up to that promise, serving as important pieces of an offense that ranks not only among the best in the Big Ten Conference, but the entire country.
Hemby, a former John Carroll standout, has a team-high 369 yards and three touchdowns on 57 carries, while Littleton, a Greenbelt native who starred at St. John’s College in Washington, has rushed for 267 yards on 39 attempts. Together, they power a rushing attack that averages 5.4 yards per carry, 17th-best in the country, while the Terps’ offense ranks 17th nationally in overall efficiency, according to ESPN’s SP+.
With a 15-yard burst in the first quarter of Saturday’s 27-13 win over Michigan State, Littleton scored a rushing touchdown in a sixth straight game, the longest active streak in the nation.
“We knew going into this season that we had a young running back group that was talented, and I think it’s starting to show,” coach Mike Locksley said.
Even though Hemby is listed as Maryland’s No. 1 running back, Locksley has taken a running back-by-committee approach, riding with whoever has the hot hand each week. So far, that method has paid dividends.
During Maryland’s win over SMU, Hemby rushed for a career-best 151 rushing yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Two weeks later, Littleton took over, rushing for 120 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries against the Spartans, becoming the seventh differ
ent Terp to rush for 100 yards under Locksley. Even sophomore running back Colby McDonald got in on the action against Michigan State, scoring a 2-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
“We are a one-two punch type of deal,” said Hemby, who was named Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Week after rushing for 114 yards and two touchdowns in Maryland’s 31-10 season-opening win over Buffalo. “You can put both of us in any situation and make the best out of it.”
The way Locksley has utilized his running backs is perfect example of Maryland’s identity on offense, which involves multiple players touching the ball. Hemby and Littleton have combined for 59% of the team’s rushing attempts, while Tagovailoa has thrown to at least 10 different wide receivers in four of the five games.
Locksley said Maryland’s offensive approach keeps opponents off balance.
“Statistically, it’s not great for some of the great players that we have because maybe they’re not being the focal point of 20 targets [a game],” he said, “but I think the more diverse you are in who touches the ball, the more [the opponent] has to defend.”
Hemby has embraced splitting carries with Littleton, as they allow each other to stay fresh. “We know when we come out of the game, somebody’s coming in [that’s] going to be able to produce just as much if not better,” he said.
Hemby and Littleton bring a different element to the running game, making it hard for teams to game plan against. Hemby describes himself as an all-around running back who can contribute to pass protection. Littleton, on the other hand, called himself a “bruiser” who isn’t afraid of contact.
“I pride myself on getting those extra yards and helping the team so that we can score on those drives,” said Littleton, who has averaged 5.8 yards after contact, according to Pro Football Focus.
“I remember talking to one of the [defensive players] from Michigan State, and he was like ‘I’m not scared or anything, but he’s a load to tackle,’ ” senior offensive lineman Spencer Anderson said.
Although Anderson knew Hemby was an explosive running back, he said Littleton’s rise has been surprising. When Littleton came to College Park last year, he weighed 265 pounds, making Anderson believe his teammate would end up being a defensive lineman. But Littleton was committed to the team’s conditioning and nutrition program, dropping 30 pounds before the season and now weighing 235.
“We told Antwain that if you want to be a running back, you’re going to be held to the standard of running backs with the conditioning test. We can’t have any amendments to it because of your weight,” Locksley said. “He’s one of the guys that I think can be a person we point to when we talk about how our program develops players.”
Littleton’s size and power has been invaluable in short-yardage situations, as the Terps used him to convert two of their fourth downs against Michigan State conversions last week.
Facing a fourth-and-1 early in the first quarter, Littleton ran up the middle for a 4-yard gain before scoring a touchdown on the next play to give the Terps a 7-0 advantage.
With In the middle of the third and the Terps facing another fourth-and-1 situation from the Spartans’ 47-yard line in the middle of the third, Littleton powered past Michigan State’s defensive front for a 4-yard gain.
“We always see [Littleton] as that power back,” Tagovailoa, a redshirt junior, said. “The things [that] he’s doing right now, he’s always been doing it in practice. I’m happy to see him making use of his opportunities.”