2018-19 1,000 Yard Rusher?

[Zeek 16,684]

So let's look at our current progress on reaching another 1,000 yard rusher

Kam Martin    253 yards / 1 touchdown / 63 carries / 4.0 ypc / 747 yards until 1,000 meaning he needs to average 106.72 yards per game

JaTarvious Whitlow 326 yards / 4  touchdowns / 61 carries / 5.3 ypc / 674 yards until 1,000 meaning he needs to average 96.29 yards per game ***likely out for a few weeks***

Shaun Shivers 151 yards / 2 touchdowns / 25 carries / 6.0  ypc / 849 yards until 1,000 meaning he needs to average 121.29 yards per game

With longest runs of 19 yards (KMart), 22 yards (Boobee), and 26 yards (Worm); I think it's part of our frustration that we aren't getting those "big runs". Now I don't blame any of the running backs because they have all been close but the big plays are what our offense really thrives off of.

Boobee was actually very much on pace to eclipse 1,000 yards but if he's going to be out for more than 2 weeks it becomes  a very big uphill battle.

KMart could hit the 107 yard per game clip, he's capable, but it would involve us running the ball at the tackles and letting him get outside on buck sweep type plays. He can run hard between the tackles but he'll thrive on the outer runs and not running on such obvious downs. Once Boobee returns the workload will balance back out though and it might be difficult for Kam to get enough of the load to eclipse 1,000.

Worm actually has the highest average yards per carry and he has some similar struggles as Kam. He has been effective between the tackles with moderate blocking but he's definitely a kid that can gash defenses if we just get him to that second level. I can't see our offense shifting enough carries his way though for a 800 yard tear through SEC play in the last 7 games.

I believe that KMart, Boobee, Worm, and Asa are all tremendously talented however I think that we have to play to their strengths without pigeonholing them. Which is a thin line to balance as we see with some of our receivers looking to break their moulds. To some this may not matter but having a 1,000 yard rusher is just something I've always taken pride in even on our down years.

Let me know what you guys think! Critical posters, remember that Boobee is a RS freshman, KMart is a veteran but with very little game experience (74 attempts last year which he'll eclipse in week 6 this year and 44 attempts the year before which is realistically only two starts worth attempts), Worm is a true freshman, and Asa is a true freshman as well.

***Side note: I was rather pleased with the little bits we saw of Malik Miller***

[bigbird 60,701]

KMart could easily hit the 107 ypg if a couple things happen.

1. The OL stops trying to block from their backs.

2. We stop trying to run IZ into bear fronts with dbl A-gap blitzers.  If we start calling run plays that stress the edges... he could do it.

 

I don't think either of those conditions will be met.

[McLoofus 35,182]

It is not important to me that we have a 1,000 yard rusher at Auburn in any given season.

However, not having one under Gus this season- I don't think we will- is a very bad thing because, given the very limited parameters of what Gus is capable of, that means our offense is broken. 

[Win4AU 4,068]

I almost think someone like Malik or Asa has to come out of nowhere and start knocking out 200 yard games the way Pettway did a couple years ago.  

[djg0017 726]

And a bowl game means they will have 8 games remaining.

[thrustmaxwell 413]

Having a RB average 77 yards (or less) a game is not really that big of deal, should happen at most good schools every season.  In a 13-14 game season where all stats count towards the total, why is this still considered a measuring stick like it was 20 years ago when the season was 11 games and bowl stats didn't count?

[Piketiger1990 173]

Has there been an update on Boobee’s injury status? Honestly don’t see anyone other than him getting to 1,000. 

[bigbird 60,701]

2 hours ago, thrustmaxwell said:

Having a RB average 77 yards (or less) a game is not really that big of deal, should happen at most good schools every season.  In a 13-14 game season where all stats count towards the total, why is this still considered a measuring stick like it was 20 years ago when the season was 11 games and bowl stats didn't count?

To me, 1500 yards should be the measuring stick in today's game.

[oracle79 3,569]

22 minutes ago, bigbird said:

To me, 1500 yards should be the measuring stick in today's game.

Or at least 1300 as in nearly 100 yards a game as 1000 yards was in 11 game season.  I'd be good with not counting bowl/championship/playoff games as that skews results to the team and not the player.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,852]

I thought it was a fit of lunacy that pundits were betting against our ability to keep the streak alive but hell, we might not even get close at this rate

[AUbruce 1]

3 hours ago, thrustmaxwell said:

Having a RB average 77 yards (or less) a game is not really that big of deal, should happen at most good schools every season.  In a 13-14 game season where all stats count towards the total, why is this still considered a measuring stick like it was 20 years ago when the season was 11 games and bowl stats didn't count?

Because Gus has his priorities and the 1k streak is towards the top.  

[thrustmaxwell 413]

1 hour ago, bigbird said:

To me, 1500 yards should be the measuring stick in today's game.

 

57 minutes ago, oracle79 said:

Or at least 1300 as in nearly 100 yards a game as 1000 yards was in 11 game season.  I'd be good with not counting bowl/championship/playoff games as that skews results to the team and not the player.

I would probably lean more towards 1200/1300 myself but will not complain if we have RBs go for 1500.

[bigbird 60,701]

Just now, thrustmaxwell said:

 

I would probably lean more towards 1200/1300 myself but will not complain if we have RBs go for 1500.

I put it at 1500 because if it's truly special then it shouldn't happen every year. If lots of backs can do it, it loses it's significance

[thrustmaxwell 413]

6 minutes ago, bigbird said:

I put it at 1500 because if it's truly special then it shouldn't happen every year. If lots of backs can do it, it loses it's significance

I can agree with that, I was merely talking about average.

[oracle79 3,569]

11 minutes ago, bigbird said:

I put it at 1500 because if it's truly special then it shouldn't happen every year. If lots of backs can do it, it loses it's significance

With extra games, I'm good with 1500, but still think it should be regular season and 1300, but that's minutia. Either way, 1000 yards means nothing today.  Except maybe to Gus and Horton.

[bigbird 60,701]

Just now, oracle79 said:

With extra games, I'm good with 1500, but still think it should be regular season and 1300, but that's minutia. Either way, 1000 yards means nothing today.  Except maybe to Gus and Horton.

I think that bowl games shouldnt count towards the total, but Conference championship games should.

[Zeek 16,684]

14 minutes ago, thrustmaxwell said:

I can agree with that, I was merely talking about average.

Let me clarify:

1) I’ve never really considered post season as a part of the total.

2) 1,000 should be our floor for our leading rusher

3) I agree 1200 is good because it means 100 per game.

 

[McLoofus 35,182]

How about 2 RBs totalling 2100+?

[AUsince72 11,084]

AU wins the SEC with a couple 700 yd backs & a 500 yd back would mean much more to me than a 1000 yd back, 10-4, no conf champ & losing a bowl to a non P5 opponent.

Just my 2¢

[McLoofus 35,182]

15 minutes ago, AUsince72 said:

AU wins the SEC with a couple 700 yd backs & a 500 yd back would mean much more to me than a 1000 yd back, 10-4, no conf champ & losing a bowl to a non P5 opponent.

Just my 2¢

Exactly.

 

[DAG 34,216]

17 minutes ago, AUsince72 said:

AU wins the SEC with a couple 700 yd backs & a 500 yd back would mean much more to me than a 1000 yd back, 10-4, no conf champ & losing a bowl to a non P5 opponent.

Just my 2¢

But we beat two #1 teams in that span

[AUsince72 11,084]

1 minute ago, DAG said:

But we beat two #1 teams in that span

HaHa, yeah.  Then immediately said "sorry" and handed one back.  

[Linayus 676]

That streak is important to me, but mainly because it does show Auburn as being a run-first oriented offense that is consistent. And Gus has said over and over that we need to be able to run the ball in this offense to be successful. Keeping the streak means we are on track - losing it means we're in a lot of trouble (unless, like others have said, we actually have 2-3 RBs with decent yardage between all of them).

Personally, I think we've already lost the streak. No point in even worrying about it now. I do think the future of that position has a ton of talent that could make this offense dynamic. If we could just fix things along our offensive line, I think we'd see great improvements overall in our offense. But we've been over that, and over that, and over that, and I'm totally over that. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

56 minutes ago, Linayus said:

And Gus has said over and over that we need to be able to run the ball in this offense to be successful.

He's right. What he doesn't seem to get, though, is that we might have to use other pieces of the offense to facilitate the run game. And he also seems to think that some defined level of rushing production is the basis upon which to judge the success- or lack thereof- of his overall offensive production. He seems to have completely lost the "whatever scores points" ethos. Which is ironic, given the relative perceptions of him and the guy who currently owns college football just a few years ago. 

[Linayus 676]

37 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Which is ironic, given the relative perceptions of him and the guy who currently owns college football just a few years ago. 

It's so eerie.. Freaky Friday-ish. lol