Prolific running backs deserve a little love too
DALLAS — The Cotton Bowl will feature two of college football’s top quarterbacks, sure-armed Sam Darnold of USC and dynamic dual threat J.T. Barrett of Ohio State.
Yet the offensive weapon both defenses fear is a running back.
Junior tailback Ronald Jones II has averaged more than six yards a carry in three seasons at USC, and he ran for 814 yards and 10 touchdowns in his last five games. Ohio State freshman J.K. Dobbins has rushed for 1,364 yards and averaged 7.5 yards a carry.
“I don’t think our biggest key is to stop the pass,” said USC linebacker Cameron Smith, who leads the Trojans with 102 tackles. “J.K. Dobbins is the key to their offense right now. They’re going to come out and try to pound the ball against us.
“Our most important thing is to stop the run. If J.T. Barrett beats us with his arm, applause.”
Ohio State coach Urban Meyer was equally complimentary about Jones.
“I know we’re talking about Sam,” Meyer said. “But their tailback, I started watching him on videotape and it’s hard to say he’s not as good. This guy is outstanding.”
Heavy wait
USC hasn’t played since Dec. 1, when it defeated Stanford in the Pac-12 Conference championship game. Ohio State’s last game, the Big Ten title game, was played a day later.
Darnold, who arrived in Texas with his teammates a week ago, said he’s eager to get back on the field.
“It’s been a few weeks now,” he said. “I’m definitely ready to play this game. We’ve been in Dallas for a few days, so a lot of waiting around and waiting around.”
However, the break has allowed players to recover from minor injuries, adding to the depth of each team.
“We’re going to play four tight ends; we’re going to play four running backs; we’re going to play about eight, nine wide receivers. And one quarterback, hopefully,” said Tee Martin, USC’s offensive coordinator.
Parting gift?
Barrett will play in his 50th and final game for Ohio State in a stadium about 125 miles from the Texas town where he was born.
Despite all that he and the Buckeyes have accomplished in his four seasons, Barrett hadn’t led them to a title before this month’s Big Ten championship game.
In 2014, when Ohio State won the Big Ten and national titles, Barrett was injured. And in each of the last two seasons, the Buckeyes didn’t make it to the conference title game.
“At the end of the day, how you really are measured as a quarterback is [by] how many championships you won,” Meyer said. “So I really wanted to see him get that championship.
“J.T. has done it all for us. Now it’s an opportunity to close out his career in his home state and say he’s a Cotton Bowl champion.”
Family affair
USC coach Clay Helton got his first big coaching job at Houston under his father, Kim, a football lifer who coached for more than four decades, mostly as an assistant.
The elder Helton led the Cougars to only one bowl appearance in seven seasons but had a major inf luence on his son, who on Friday will make his fourth bowl appearance as a head coach.
“I learned everything from my dad,” Helton said of his father, who was traveling to Dallas on Thursday. “My dad is my hero, my mentor and I still call him three times a week. Any coach that’s had over 40 years of experience both at the NFL and college level and has that much love and compassion for you, you listen to.
“He’s taught me how to be a husband, how to be a father and how to raise kids in the college game.
“Very, very blessed to have him in my life.”
Injury report
Helton said that linebacker Porter Gustin won’t play Friday. Cornerback Jack Jones will be a gametime decision.
Gustin, who had 68 tackles as a sophomore in 2016, suffered a broken toe and biceps injury in September and played in only two halves — one against Texas, one against Arizona State — the rest of the season.
Jones, a sophomore, started 13 games but suffered a twisted ankle in the Pac-12 championship game.
Ohio State expects to be at full strength.