Running Back Review: Who will lead the Pac-12?

With the 2012 football season just around the corner, optimism for the new year is overflowing from virtually every camp in the country, right now EVERY team is undefeated. To be among the most effective offenses, teams need to have a balanced attack. Perhaps no single aspect of football is more important than the running game, both in a teams’ ability to stop the run on defense, and also to control the tempo and ball control.

In the Pac-12 in 2011, LaMichael James lapped the field as he led the conference yet again. But this year, with James now in the NFL, someone new will get the opportunity to win the Pac-12 rushing title.

Who will it be?

Let’s start with a look at the top 10 from last year, and move through each team to find the most likely candidates.

The 2011 Pac-12 top-10 Rushing Leaders

PAC-12 RUSHING	G	Att	Yds	Avg	TD	Lng	Avg/G
1. James – Oregon	12	247	1,805	7.3	18	90	150.4
2. White – Utah	13	316	1,519	4.8	15	62	116.8
3. Polk – Wash	13	293	1,488	5.1	12	61	114.5
4. Taylor – Stan	13	242	1,330	5.5	10	70	102.3
5. Sofele – Cal	13	252	1,322	5.2	10	56	101.7
6. McNeal – USC	12	145	1,005	6.9	6	79	83.8
7. Marshall – ASU	13	230	1,050	4.6	18	70	80.8
8. Barner – Oregon	12	152	939	6.2	11	84	78.2
9. Stewart – Colo	11	189	854	4.5	4	52	77.6
10. Franklin – UCLA	14	166	976	5.9	5	40	69.7

 

 

ARIZONA

2011 Leaders

NAME	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD
Keola Antolin	126	568	4.5	5
Ka’Deem Carey	91	425	4.7	6
Daniel Jenkins	31	176	5.7	2
TEAM	331	1,134	3.4	17

On the Roster:
Daniel Jenkins, JR 5-9 195
Jared Baker, FR 5-8 192
Ka’Deem Carey, SO 5-10 203
Terris Jones, JR 5-7 177
J.T. Washington, FR 5-7 165
Greg Nwoko, SR 6-1 237
Elliott Taylor, JR 5-10 186

Forecast:
Arizona has featured one of the most pathetic running games in the pac-12 last year by design, and that should start to change as the Wildcats go from a pass happy air-raid style offense into a spread option under Rich Rodriquez. Expect things to improve on the ground, but out of their personnel, it would be hard to predict all-conference production this season. Expect sophomore Ka’Deem Carey to handle the majority of the carries this year, and don’t be surprised if their quarterback winds up as the #2 rusher on the team.

 

ARIZONA STATE

2011 Leaders

NAME	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD
Cameron Marshall	230	1,050	4.6	18
Jamal Miles	29	237	8.2	0
Kyle Middlebrooks	42	150	3.6	0
TEAM	423	1,678	4.0	23

On the Roster:
Marion Grice, JR 6-0 215
Deantre Lewis, SO 5-10 193
Cameron Marshall, SR 5-11 223
D.J. Foster, FR 6-0 190
Marcus Washington, SO 5-11 224
James Morrison, SR 5-11 213
Danny Clark, 6-1 220
Terrell Davis, FR 6-0 215
R.J. Robinson, JR 5-8 178

Forecast:
The ASU fans may be divided over their new coach, but when it comes to senior running back Cameron Marshall, the Devil fans are all-in. The Sun Devils have 10 running backs on the roster, but Marshall is the only proven back of the bunch, with a legitimate chance of leading the conference in 2012 under Coach Todd Graham’s run-heavy attack.

Sophomore Deantre Lewis is an interesting story, in 2010 he gained 127 yards on 11 carries against the Ducks. However, in early 2011, Lewis was the victim of a drive-by shooting near his home in Riverside, CA and has spent the past 19 months recovering. The Devils are also expecting big things from JC transfer Marion Grice and freshman D.J. Foster.

 

CALIFORNIA

2011 Leaders

NAME	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD
Isi Sofele	252	1,322	5.2	10
C.J. Anderson	72	345	4.8	8
Zach Maynard	84	108	1.3	4
TEAM	484	2,013	4.2	25

On the Roster:
Daniel Lasco, FR 6-1 206
Brendan Bigelow, SO 5-10 190
C.J. Anderson, SR 5-11 210
Isi Sofele, SR 5-8 200
Dasarte Yarnway, JR 6-0 220
Mitchel Bartolo, JR 5-8 190
Jonah Hodges, FR 5-9 175
Darren Ervin, FR 5-10 197

Forecast:
The Golden Bears welcome back workhorse Isi Sofele for his senior campaign, and expectations are high with fellow senior C.J. Anderson sharing time in the backfield. Sofele was 5^th in the conference in rushing last season, and odds are Tedford has another 250 carries or so in store for him again.

Former Oregon offensive coordinator Jeff Tedford prefers a pro-style attack, and Sofele has proven his toughness by gaining so many yards between the tackles, not an easy task at 5’8″. Expect the Cal run game to again be slightly above average in conference, no more, no less, matching the likely mid-tier performance that should be expected from the program in the Pac-12 standings.

 

COLORADO

2011 Leaders

NAME	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD
Rodney Stewart	189	854	4.5	4
Tony Jones	78	297	3.8	2
Josh Ford	22	128	5.8	1
TEAM	401	1,413	3.5	10

On the Roster:
Justin Gorman, SO 6-0 200
Donta Abron, FR 5-10 190
Davien Payne, FR 5-11 220
D.D. Goodson, SO 5-7 170
Tony Jones, SO 5-7 190
Terrence Crowder, FR 5-11 210
Josh Ford, JR 5-9 205
Malcolm Creer, SO 5-11 205

Forecast:
Gone is the steady Rodney Stewart, and change might be good for the Buffs. It is true, Stewart did not have the luxury of playing on teams with quality offensive line talent, but neither will his heirs for the foreseeable future as Colorado begins its slow climb out of the cellar.

Sophomore Tony Jones leads a young running back group, but Coach Embree will likely look to veteran back up Josh Ford early on, as he no doubt will be hoping for some production from new source if things continue to go badly. Never say never, but the Buffs do not seem capable of challenging the best rushing teams in the conference just yet.

 

OREGON

2011 Leaders

NAME	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD
LaMichael James	247	1,805	7.3	18
Kenjon Barner	152	939	6.2	11
De’Anthony Thomas	55	595	10.8	7
TEAM	629	4,189	6.7	42

On the Roster:
De’Anthony Thomas, SO 5-9 173
Byron Marshall, FR 5-10 195
Kenjon Barner, SR, 5-11 195
Kenny Bassett, SO 5-9 176
Ayele Forde, SO 5-7 177

Forecast:
Kenjon Barner may very well prove to be among the best and most productive in the conference, and likely the entire country in 2012. He finished #8 in the conference in rushing last season despite being a back up to the conference leader, LaMichael James. With a similarly explosive skill-set to LMJ, Duck fans can not wait to see Barner be the man for an entire season, if he can stay healthy.

Expect Oregon to again lead the conference in rushing, with Barner as the center piece. De’Anthony Thomas is an absolute freak with acceleration and change of direction. He had over 2,000 all-purpose yards last season, and he is likely to see more carries in 2012. Look for his multi-faceted “tazer” role to keep him from getting much more than 5-10 carries per game, but as was seen in the Rose Bowl, the kid doesn’t need too many carries to be productive.

Freshman Byron Marshall (younger brother of ASU’s Cameron Marshall) has had a strong spring by all accounts, and it will be interesting to see if he is able to beat out walk-ons Forde and Bassett for playing time.

 

OREGON STATE

2011 Leaders

NAME	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD
Malcom Agnew	89	423	4.8	5
Jovan Stevenson	57	229	4.0	5
Terron Ward	63	211	3.3	1
TEAM	318	1,043	3.3	1

On the Roster:
Chris Brown, FR 5-10 208
Jovan Stevenson, JR 5-11 180
Storm Woods, FR 6-0 202
Terron Ward, SO 5-7 195
Malcom Agnew, SO 5-9 204
Jordan Jenkins, SR 6-1 210

Forecast:
Oregon State simply has no chance of leading the conference in rushing, let’s just be honest. But, they do have an excellent chance of featuring yet another unique name in the backfield. With redshirt freshman Storm Woods seemingly leading the race in camp so far, there is a good chance that Mike Riley and Beaver nation can keep alive their streak over losing seasons and running backs with names like Yvenson, Jacquizz, and now Storm. Riley is either on to something, or maybe he’s just “on” something. Their leading rusher gained 54% of his total yards and 22% of the team’s ENTIRE season rushing total in the first game of 2011, the delightfully embarrassing loss to Sacramento State.

 

STANFORD

2011 Leaders

NAME	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD
Stepfan Taylor	242	1,330	5.5	10
Tyler Gaffney	74	449	6.1	7
Anthony Wilkerson	56	282	5.0	3
TEAM	518	2,738	5.3	32

On the Roster:
Reymound Wright, FR 5-9 205
Jackson Cummings, SO 5-9 190
Barry Sanders, FR 5-10 191
Andrew Stutz, JR 6-1 202
Ricky Seale, SO 5-9 193
Anthony Wilkerson, JR 6-1 218
Stepfan Tayler, SR 5-11 215
Kelsey Young, FR 5-10 195

Forecast:
Stanford welcomes back 2011 leading rusher Stepfan Taylor, in addition to junior Anthony Wilkerson in 2012. Behind what Stanford coach David Shaw calls “the best offensive line in college football history,” the Cardinal seems primed to have another solid effort on the ground.

Expect Taylor and Wilkerson to see increased carries as the teams moves on from quarterback Andrew Luck. The most enticing name on the roster may very well be freshman Barry Sanders Jr. If the RB is anything like his dad, and if Shaw is even partially correct about his offensive line, the Cardinal should be in good hands for years to come. Look for Taylor to finish near the top of the conference this season, Kenjon Barner’s primary challenger to the rushing crown in 2012.

 

UTAH

2011 Leaders

NAME	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD
John White	316	1,519	4.8	15
Reggie Dunn	15	173	11.5	0
Tauni Vakapuna	31	104	3.4	1
TEAM	472	1,789	3.8	16

 

On the Roster:
Eric Davidson, FR 5-7 200
Robbie Lusk, SO 6-0 222
Geoff Norwood, SR 5-8 178
Kelvin York, JR 5-11 223
John White, SR 5-8 188
Harvey Langi, SO 6-1 228
Jarrell Oliver, FR 5-8 210
Lucky Radley, SO 5-8 183

Forecast:
The Utes return a great one this season with running back John White IV. At just 5-8 188, White led the conference last season in carries, and was 2^nd in yards behind LaMichael James. With quarterback Jordan Wynn out for much of the season, Utah was forced to rely on its running game last season, and White delivered big time, accounting for 84% of the rushing yards and 93% of the team’s rushing touchdowns.

While most expect White will have another banner year, the Utes have to be concerned about quality depth behind him, should he miss any time. If health is no concern this year, look for John White to challenge for the top spot.

 

USC

2011 Leaders

NAME	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD
Curtis McNeal	145	1,005	6.9	6
Marc Tyler	122	568	4.7	4
D.J. Morgan	42	163	3.9	0
TEAM	392	1,951	5.0	12

On the Roster:
Tre Madden, SO 6-1 220
Curtis McNeal, SR 5-7 190
Alec Jaffe, FR 5-11 195
Silas Redd, JR 5-10 220
Mojica Robert, SR 5-9 180
D.J. Morgan, SO 5-10 190
Taylor Ross, FR 5-10 190

Forecast:
USC returns D.J. Morgan and leading rusher Curtis “Painter” McNeal, but that wasn’t enough for the Trojans. In a convenient Penn State player fire sale, USC obtained the services of the Nittany Lions’ best player, Silas Redd. Redd’s 1,241 yards were good for #4 in the Big-10 last year, and the Trojans are hoping his addition will help them get past the Ducks and into the BCS picture. Expect McNeal and Redd to split carries for a Trojan ground game that will finish in the upper half of the conference.

 

UCLA

2011 Leaders

NAME	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD
Jonathan Franklin	166	976	5.9	5
Derrick Coleman	152	765	5.0	11
Kevin Prince	120	424	3.5	1
TEAM	552	2,497	4.5	23

On the Roster:
Jordan James, SO 5-8 193
Melvin Emesibe, SO 5-10 197
Jonathan Franklin, SR 5-11 195
Paul Perkins, FR 5-11 192
Malcom Jones, JR 6-0 220
Steven Manfro, FR 5-9 192

Forecast:
Senior Johnathan Franklin is back for the Bruins after a nice junior year splitting carries with Derrick Coleman. It is hard to decipher exactly what the offense will look like under new coach Jim Mora Jr, but expect Franklin to be a big part of it. UCLA has not had much of an identity the past few seasons, and the Bruin fans are hoping that will change on the heels of firing Rick Neu-Weisel. Franklin may surpass 1,000 yards on the ground this year, but don’t expect his production or the Bruins to be among the best in the conference.

 

WASHINGTON

2011 Leaders

NAME	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD
Chris Polk	293	1,488	5.1	12
Jesse Callier	47	260	5.5	1
Bishop Sankey	28	187	6.7	1
TEAM	452	2,006	4.4	19

On the Roster:
Erich Wilson II, FR 5-10 188
Jesse Callier, JR 5-10 211
Bishop Sankey, SO 5-10 200
Willis Wilson, SO 5-9 188
Ryan McDaniel, FR 6-0 227
Deontae Cooper, SO 6-0 201
Dezden Petty, FR 5-11 225
Cole Sager, SR 5-11 218

Forecast:
So long, Chris Polk and the ridiculous muscle flex thing he did on the few times he scored. Enter- Jesse Callier and Bishop Sankey, two decidedly underwhelming backs who will likely see their carries increase dramatically. How will they fare? Time will tell, but if either posts a 1,000 yard season this year, it will be a big surprise to anyone outside Montlake.

 

WASHINGTON STATE

2011 Leaders

NAME	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD
Rickey Galvin	114	602	5.3	5
Carl Winston	123	442	3.6	4
Marcus Mason	19	153	8.1	1
TEAM	331	1,202	3.1	13

On the Roster:
Carl Winston, SR 5-8 192
Rickey Galvin, SO 5-8 178
Leon Brooks, JR 5-7 166
Theron West, JR 5-7 171
Jeremiah Laufasa, SO 5-10 216
Kyle Lappano, FR 5-11 185
Teondray Caldwell, FR 5-8 189
Marcus Mason, SO 5-9 190
Manuel Lamson, FR 5-11 191

Forecast:
Is Washington State even going to try and run the ball? With Mike Leach in charge, expect to see Jeff Tuel’s arm and decision making effect the success of this team more than anything. While they have nine running backs on the roster, Galvin and Winston will most likely see the majority of the snaps this year often in the same way that De’Anthony Thomas is used at Oregon–sometimes in the backfield, sometimes split out wide. It will be a breakout type season if a WSU back can crack the top-8 in the conference.