The Case for Oregon’s Freshmen Runningback Duo to Start

Oregon has two incredible freshman running backs in Dierre Hill and Jordon Davison, both of whom have outstripped expectations and are pushing for more carries. These two running backs should be getting the bulk of the reps moving forward, as they are far better than rest of Oregon’s already loaded RB room.

Davison’s Tight Squeeze

We all love it when the offensive line creates giant, gaping holes so big that any of us non-athletes could run through with success. However, against the best teams, those gaps can be quite small and take time to develop. Making the most of these runs requires great vision and patience, knowing that the gap will open if given time and trusting the blockers will get it done.

In the screenshot below, the red circle outlines where the gap is going to open up and where Davison is running. However, at this point in time, there is no running lane there, and by the time Davison hits the gap it will be an rather small window for him to dart through.

There are two defenders already in pursuit of Davison as well (yellow and purple circles). One is coming from behind (yellow circle) but will not be able to catch him in a footrace, though if that gap didn’t open up he would have Davison. Meanwhile the other defender (purple circle) doesn’t see or anticipate the gap opening up and is moving to left side of the line to cut off the edge.

Jordon Davison’s touchdown run against Penn State. (Screenshot from YouTube NBC Media)

When Davison hits that gap and bursts through, neither free defender is able to catch him, and he runs not only for the first down but a touchdown.

This is a brilliant piece of play design from the coaches and incredibly well blocked by the linemen, but it is equally dependent on Davison’s running ability. If he reached the gap too early, he would have run into his own players, too late and he would have been caught from behind. The timing was key. With Davison’s size and ability he would have picked up the one yard required to convert this fourth-and-one to a first down, but it’s his ability to squeeze through a small window that turns this from an important first down into a touchdown.

Hill’s Speed Burst

Hill shows similar vision and patience as Davison, though Hill has a burst of speed that Davison doesn’t have that accelerates him into the open field. One of the cool new formations we have seen this season are two running back sets — often with Davison or Jayden Limar as a dedicated blocker, but aligned in the shotgun with the ball carrier on the other side of the quarterback.

Davison and Hill are lined up side-by-side with quarterback Dante Moore. (Screenshot from YouTube NBC Media)

In the screenshot we see Davison (yellow circle) make a huge block, which springs Hill (red circle) to the second level. After that, Hill reads the receiver, blocks, and opts to cut it to the outside. This becomes the longest run for either team at 24 yards. Hill was consistent against Penn State in finding ways to gain chunk yardage in a game in which it was difficult for Oregon to find explosive plays.

Davison makes a huge block and Hill takes advantage. (Screenshot from YouTube NBC Media)

Hill’s speed and vision is what really sets him apart from the rest of the running back room, as his speed allows him to quickly gain yards before the secondary can close in on him.

Why They Deserve More Carries

We’ve seen big plays out of all the running backs this year, though in the biggest game to date against Penn State, it was the freshman duo that shined the brightest. They consistently seemed to find the holes and picked up chunk yardage against a Penn State defense that played a physical game at the line of scrimmage. Noah Whittington and Limar ran behind the same offensive line and had the same opportunities, but time and again they would just get less than Hill and Davison.

The patience, vision and speed are just things that can’t be taught, and the two freshmen have it all (and the stats help prove it). Hill has the most running yards of any of the running backs; however, he has 13 fewer carries than Limar who holds the team high. Where Limar is averaging 5.9 yards per carry, Hill is averaging 10.4. Whittington has played sparingly due to injury so far, has a few less carries that Hill, and is averaging 8.8 yards per carry — but that number has taken a hit after Penn State where he averaged 3.6 yards per carry to Hill’s 8.2 on only three more carries.

Hill is the best back statically at this time.

Davison’s stats aren’t so flashy, as he has either been a short yardage back or a blocker. He is an amazing blocker, mentioned in the play above. Davison is a physical runner whose role is to get the last few hard-fought yards in a drive. This explains why his overall yardage is low, but he leads the team in non-quarterback touchdowns with seven.

The reality is that Whittington and Limar are veteran players who have been in the Oregon system for years now. We are effectively at peak Whittington and nearing peak Limar, while Hill and Davison are true freshmen, far from reaching their max potential. Don’t be surprised if by season’s end, Hill and Davison claim the top running back spots for the Ducks.

David Marsh
Portland, Oregon
Top Photo By FishDuck Football Pictures

Natalie Liebhaber, the FishDuck.com Volunteer Editor for this article, works in financial technology in SLC, Utah.

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David Marsh

David Marsh is a high school social studies teacher in Portland, Oregon. As a teacher he is known for telling puns to his students who sometimes laugh out of sympathy, and being both eccentric about history and the Ducks.

David graduated from the University of Oregon in 2012 with Majors in: Medieval Studies, Religious Studies, and Geography. David began following Ducks Football after being in a car accident in 2012; finding football something new and exciting to learn about during this difficult time in his life. Now, he cannot see life without Oregon football.