Carr doesn’t mind sharing the wealth in crowded backfield
Cougars’ leading rusher won’t have as big a load with more depth at RB
Until rushing for 868 yards on 152 carries for Houston last season, Patrick Carr had not had much of a workload since high school, where at The Woodlands he was ranked No. 286 on ESPN’s list of 300 top recruits.
From 2014-16, Carr did not play in two of those three years in an NCAA game. The 5-10, 205-pound Carr redshirted at Colorado as a freshman in 2014, and the following year there, he rushed for 272 yards on 66 carries. He had to sit out the 2016 season because of transfer rules in heading to UH. In 2017, Carr played in only three games for Houston, gaining a meager 26 yards on just eight attempts.
Inactivity can be difficult on running backs, who usually prefer to get a substantial amount of carries. Entering his senior season, Carr may not approach last year’s numbers, but that’s mostly a result of a crowded backfield than Carr’s ability.
Carr, Texas transfer Kyle Porter, Mulbah Car and Chandler Smith are all in the mix for playing time at running back. And that’s fine with Carr, who ran for a career-best 139 yards with two touchdowns in a 48-17 win over Tulane.
“It’s really important to have that many guys in the room because it’s going to help down the road, because as a running back, you don’t have that longevity, like you get hit almost every play,” Carr said. “I really appreciate we got that many guys.
“We’ll push each other every day and we’re always competing. It’s like who has the fastest speed, stuff like that. We’re always competing with each other.”
Porter, who helped Katy
reach four straight state title games, rushed for 468 yards over 27 games at Texas. Car has been steady in his three seasons with the Cougars, gaining between 206 and 388 yards a season. Smith has seen limited playing time, gaining 80 of his 139 rushing yards last year against Texas Southern.
Offensive lineman Josh Jones is motivated by the skill and hustle of all the running backs.
“Looking good, man,” Jones said. “Kyle Porter is running hard, Pat Carr is running hard, Mulbah Car is running hard, and Chandler Smith is running hard.
“That’s a good thing for us. That makes me want to get up there and block even harder and just go that extra mile when I know somebody’s back there who’s really trying and giving effort to get that that extra yard every play.”
The running game will not be overlooked in coach Dana Holgorsen’s offense, which is directed by senior quarterback D’Eric King, who was responsible for 50 touchdowns last season during the Cougars’ 8-5 campaign.
Holgorsen’s offense is not a pure passing attack. The running game compliments what King brings to the table.
“You have to run the ball in order to be able to pass the ball,” Carr said. “They’re really big on it, and they’re pushing us every day; it’s exciting.”
The Cougars will play fast like they did in 2018 under former coach Major Applewhite and ex-offensive coordinator Kendal Briles. It will be a different tempo in 2019, but the offense will still move at high speed.
The surplus of running backs may limit the number of carries for each one, but it has its advantages.
“It helps a lot, especially bringing Kyle Porter in,” said Carr, a member of the 2017-18 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team. “He’s looking very explosive. Chandler Smith looking good as well.
“We have depth this year, and if we keep competing every day, we’re good. It’s keeping us fresh and keeps us playing at our prime. We just have to stay consistent, play together and have fun. Consistency is the key.”
Carr’s 868 rushing yards in 2018 led the Cougars, for a 5.7-yard average. His longest gain was 39 yards, and his 11 runs of at least 20 yards were fifth most in the AAC.
At Colorado, Carr was fourth on the team in rushing in 2015. In his best game, Carr rushed for 110 yards and caught five passes for 52 yards in the Buffaloes’ 35-31 loss at UCLA.
There were an abundance of carries available for Carr in high school. He left The Woodlands as the school’s leader in rushing yards (4,932), yards from scrimmage (5,202) and touchdowns (51).
But Carr is willing to share the load this season, even though there are things he would like to attain in his final year at UH.
“We all have goals and things we want to get,” Carr said. “I want to make the best of the opportunity that I have.”