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Carnell's Quiet Season

Williams' year has been quiet

By Jay G. Tate

Montgomery Advertiser

Auburn's Carnell Williams had 56 yards rushing against Louisiana Tech. The absence of long runs by Williams has led to a dip in his numbers.

-- Mickey Welsh Advertiser 

 

AUBURN -- Auburn's plan was so straightforward.

Run Carnell Williams. Run Ronnie Brown. Enjoy.

But as No. 4 Auburn (6-0) enjoys its fastest start in years with a team that appears to be the Southeastern Conference's best, part of that plan is surprisingly absent.

Williams, the team's most visible player during the past two seasons, hasn't been the dominating presence the Tigers expected. Though Williams remains the team's top rusher and an important contributor to its psychological stability, there's something missing.

"It has, at times, been frustrating," Williams said after a 56-yard performance against Louisiana Tech. "I feel like I'm the same back, but the long runs aren't coming right now. I know they will. But it gets a little frustrating waiting sometimes."

Only three SEC backs have more yards than Williams' 546, and his 122-yard performance against Mississippi State on Sept. 11 earned him the league's player of the week award.

His high-effort running style is intact, and he still seems to take each tackle as a personal challenge to his manhood. He pops back and forth without warning and his blocking work has been true.

Williams isn't exactly in danger of falling into anonymity.

Still, Williams isn't dominating.

He's earned significant playing time in each of the team's six games, yet hasn't cracked the 5-yards-per-carry mark in any of them. He's had at least 10 plays that lost yardage and memories of those rambling, long runs like the 80-yard jaunt against Alabama last year are fading fast.

What's wrong?

"Nothing," offensive coordinator Al Borges said. "The only thing missing are those long runs, and I think they're going to come. Because we're spreading the ball around more, there's less opportunities. That makes a difference. We have two guys back there, and both of them are threats. Both of them need to be involved."

When Borges was hired in January to resurrect Auburn's offense, he immediately surmised that Williams and Brown needed to sacrifice opportunities to make the team's offense more dynamic.

There isn't room for two full-time tailbacks in Borges' system.

That's what he told Brown and Williams as each pondered a jump to the professional ranks. After more discussions, both players decided to return for their senior seasons.

Here's why: Borges immediately identified Brown as a fullback-slot receiver hybrid. He's bigger than Williams and has better hands, which led Borges to dream of a day when both players could thrive in the same system concurrently.

"We've decided -- and Carnell knows this -- that the other guys are going to get the ball a little more," Borges said. "The quarterback is going to throw the ball a little more. It might take a little something off (Carnell's) numbers. If it's in the best interests of winning football games, then he's fine with that. And we're fine with that."

To a large degree, Borges' dream has become a reality.

Though the Tigers' play distribution still weighs heavily toward the run -- only 37.5 percent of the team's plays are passes -- Auburn's offense is much more dynamic. The passing game is much more efficient and prompts more respect from defenses than before.

Auburn's offense is gaining an average of 59 more yards per game this season. But most of that extra yardage is attributable to a passing game that maximizes each completion.

Oddly, Williams isn't benefiting.

He's earning nearly 20 carries per game -- slightly more than in the past -- but has just two 100-yard games this season. Williams is not moving beyond the second tier of opposing defenses, which used to be a common development.

Brown isn't having the same problem. Though he's getting only half of Williams' rushing opportunities, he's gaining significantly more yardage each time.

He's averaging 8.1 yards per carry so far this season. The best season mark for an Auburn back: Bo Jackson's 1983 season, in which he averaged 7.7 yards per carry.

Coach Tommy Tuberville said that defenses are keying on Williams, dispatching players to monitor every move the tailback makes. All that attention is detrimental to Williams' hopes -- but remains a major reason Auburn is undefeated and in the national-championship hunt.

"When (opponents) go over their game plan with their whole team, he's always the first guy they talk about," he said. "It opens up other things. It opens up well. When you've got that kind of popularity, even the defense on the other side focuses in. They all know who No. 24 is. Every yard he's gotten this year, he's earned."

Williams isn't making excuses. He keeps hoping for that defining long run that bumps his numbers back to the career norm. But even if that doesn't happen, Williams said he's counting only one number this season.

Wins.

"I accepted this role and I love how things are going right," Williams said. "I wouldn't change it. If I'm carrying the ball 35, 40 times a game and we're losing, what good is that? I'm getting my 15, 20 touches now, and we're winning. I'm happy with that."

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Smith ailing: Tailback and kick returner Tre Smith has been struggling with a serially dislocated left shoulder, and now seems pessimistic that he'll be healthy this season.

" I just know if I get hit on it, it will fall down and out," Smith said. "Or if I get a pass over my head and I throw my arm up real high, it will slip back. It slips on me a lot and it hurts real bad and I can't use it. It feels like the more I play it keeps getting worse."

Smith, who is the team's third-string tailback, initially injured the shoulder as a high-school junior. He never had surgery to correct the problem, and a tackle in the Mississippi State game made the situation worse.

A medical redshirt season remains an option, provided Smith doesn't appear in another game. He said that possibility has not been discussed with the coaching staff.