Several SEC running backs making presence felt
Power football is alive and well in the Southeastern Conference with several backs putting up impressive numbers running through and around defenders. Kentucky’s Benny Snell Jr. is one of four
SEC Phillips per backs game. is 13th, ranked Snell Texas in is the A&M’s third, top Mississippi’s 20 Trayveon in rushing Williams Scottie yardage is Snell 18th and and LSU’s Brossette Nick have Brossette led their is 20th. programs to impressive 4-0 starts and unexpected national rankings. LSU is No. 5 and Kentucky is 17th in the Top 25; SEC media picked both to finish fifth in the West and East divisions, respectively.
At a time when mobile quarterbacks are all the rage in college football, having a durable running back who can chew up yardage and time on the clock is still coveted by coaches. Snell relishes the workload and responsibility in the always-competitive SEC.
“I thought, you’ve got to be a Herschel Walker, a Todd Gurley,” said the Ohio native, who grew up in Big Ten country. “How I fit in now, I feel like I’m perfect. … I can run, I can make you miss. It’s all about getting those tough yards in the SEC.”
That applies to all teams, including those with dynamic aerial attacks.
Just ask Alabama coach Nick Saban.
The Crimson Tide’s passing attack has rung up four consecutive blowouts behind the QB tandem of Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts. That didn’t stop Saban from indicating he wants more from his running game after it thumped A&M 45-23.
Saban has plenty of backfield depth to choose from, starting with senior Damien Harris. He returned this season in search of a third consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season and has 230 yards, but his 31 carries trail teammate Najee Harris (38) while Josh Jacobs and Brian Robinson have 23 and 22 respectively.
“I think it’s definitely tough for defenses to match up,” Jacobs said. “Each one of the running backs in the room would start anywhere. Putting two of them on the field at the same time is going to be a matchup problem.”
Kentucky knows what that feels like. Two years ago Snell teamed with Stanley “Boom” Williams for the program’s first 1,000-yard rushing tandem. The 5-foot-11, 223pound Snell followed that with 1,333 yards last fall and has 540 this season—including 340 in SEC upsets of Florida and Mississippi State for the Wildcats’ best SEC start since 1977.
Second-ranked Georgia doesn’t have a running back ranked in the top 20 in yards rushing, but there is no shortage of talent in the Bulldogs’ backfield.
Even with Nick Chubb and Sony Michel now in the NFL, the Bulldogs can turn to D’Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield.
This year’s duo both had careers highs in carries last week at Missouri: Swift had 16 carries for 71 yards while Holyfield, the son of former boxing champion Evander Holyfield, had 14 carries for 90 yards.