Michael Dyer & Onterio McCalebb

[StatTiger 3,188]

During the 2004 season, the Auburn Tigers had a great combination in Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown. Coach Al Borges schemed to utilize both running backs, often at the same time, to obtain the most of his talented backs. It was a primary reason why Auburn went 13-0 that season and was one of the best teams in college football that season.

Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown combined for 2543-yards on 447 offensive touches, scoring 22 touchdowns. The dynamic combination averaged 5.68 yards per play, scoring a touchdown every 20.3 plays.

Williams and Brown combined for 38 impact plays or plays of 15-yards or more, which included 10 plays of 30-yards or more. That translated to an impact play every 11.8 plays and a big play every 44.7 plays.

The combination of Brown and Williams resulted in 34.4 plays per game, which was 51.9 percent of Auburn’s offensive plays in 2004.

During the 2010 season, Auburn had a great combination of running backs in Michael Dyer and Onterio McCalebb to go along with Heisman winner, Cameron Newton. Coach Gus Malzahn found a way of making sure his running backs had a major impact in Auburn’s offensive game plan. With the departure of Newton, Dyer and McCalebb will see their roles increase in 2011, which could translate to something special.

Michael Dyer and Onterio McCalebb combined for 1970-yards on 282 offensive touches, scoring 15 touchdowns. Auburn’s latest dynamic combination averaged 6.99 yards per play, scoring a touchdown every 18.8 plays.

Dyer and McCalebb combined for 37 impact plays or plays of 15-yards or more, which included 11 plays of 30-yards or more. That translated to an impact play every 7.6 plays and a big play every 25.6 plays.

The combination of Brown and Williams resulted in 20.1 plays per game, which was 29.7 percent of Auburn’s offensive plays in 2010.

Individually, Michael Dyer and Onterio McCalebb might not draw the same attention as Brown and Williams but it’s important to remember Dyer will be a sophomore and McCalebb will be a junior in 2011. As a freshman and sophomore, Dyer and McCalebb had a better average per play by more than a yard per play than the seniors, Brown and Williams. They also had a better ratio for touchdowns, impact plays and big plays. At the end of the day, it just wasn’t about talent but how their talent was utilized within the structure of the offense.

We already know how talented Dyer and McCalebb are but we are still waiting to see just how high their athletic ceiling will become, especially in the good hands of Coach Gus Malzahn. Though Dyer and McCalebb will be running behind a rebuilt OL in 2011, keep in mind the combination of Ben Tate, Mario Fannin and Brad Lester gained 2259-yards, 17 TD's and 33 impact plays behind a rebuilt and youthful OL in 2007.

[mcgufcm 4,109]

And now, let us never compare the two RB groups again. Dyer and McCalebb have the gift of playing in a wide open offense, and they had the greater gift of never being the focus of a single defenses' attention. Cadillac and Brown were arguably the best backfield mates in Auburn history, which is saying a lot. I'm confident in saying we won't remember Dyer/McCalebb in the same breath as Cadillac/Brown, ABC, or probably even Bo/Little Train. Love 'em. They will put up great numbers. I have no doubt about their productivity, especially as long as Gus is here, but the talent gap is wide.

[aucanucktiger 1,863]

hmmm, Brooks/Cribbs/Andrews?

[bdc81 90]

I remember CBP losing both CW, RB and a great blocking fullback in 2002. When asked by the press "if" he could produce some offense in the IB against a favored UA he stated that it wouldn't be a problem, they'd take the players they had and adapt, and they did. I think adapting to your strengths defines greatness in OCs. I think CGM is a great coach and I am looking foward to his 2011 offense. I'm not as concerned about Ws as I am about seeing a team that develops and matures. But, just as when Pat Sullivan and Terry Beasley departed in 1971, sometimes you just get comfortable with winning.

[banditmwp 713]

And now, let us never compare the two RB groups again. Dyer and McCalebb have the gift of playing in a wide open offense, and they had the greater gift of never being the focus of a single defenses' attention. Cadillac and Brown were arguably the best backfield mates in Auburn history, which is saying a lot. I'm confident in saying we won't remember Dyer/McCalebb in the same breath as Cadillac/Brown, ABC, or probably even Bo/Little Train. Love 'em. They will put up great numbers. I have no doubt about their productivity, especially as long as Gus is here, but the talent gap is wide.

Don't hold your breath on that.

[Raven_tiger 5]

Barring an injury, I think that Dyer has a chance to be a part of Auburn RB lore. The young man is that good.

[mcgufcm 4,109]

Probably. I'm just saying the pair are not equal to the guys in the comparison. Both Ronnie and Carnell are unquestionably part of Auburn lore. Cadillac has the second best numbers in the history of RBU... and some folks think he was the second best RB on that team. Sooooo... until you could say the same for these two, I'll take those two.

I think McCalebb has a chance to go down in history as a Lionel James type (high praise). I don't think any back will reach Bo levels. Dyer would have to be that good to match that backfield, and I'd take Carnell/Ronnie over the Bo/Lil Train duo.

Dyer looks like a stud. He looks entirely capable of posting a Rudi-esque season. Which is to say he could be the best player in the SEC within a year or two. I love these guys, but often, there is more to the game than numbers. This is one of those times. These backs aren't comparable on a talent level. They probably will be on a statistical level.

[kickerman97 3]

But Dyer has something something Ronnie or Carnell doesn't AND he broke Bo's record and he's about to start his second season. I'd say he will be remembered if he doesn't play another snap.

[weagl1 1,800]

I'm just glad we have had so many!

[Auburnfan91 1,408]

But Dyer has something something Ronnie or Carnell doesn't AND he broke Bo's record and he's about to start his second season. I'd say he will be remembered if he doesn't play another snap.

To be fair though Carnell got hurt in the 1st quarter of 2001 Iron Bowl and missed the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl in 2001. So if Carnell had stayed healthy he might have broken Bo's freshman record.

[McWeagle 4]

Probably. I'm just saying the pair are not equal to the guys in the comparison. Both Ronnie and Carnell are unquestionably part of Auburn lore. Cadillac has the second best numbers in the history of RBU... and some folks think he was the second best RB on that team. Sooooo... until you could say the same for these two, I'll take those two.

I think McCalebb has a chance to go down in history as a Lionel James type (high praise). I don't think any back will reach Bo levels. Dyer would have to be that good to match that backfield, and I'd take Carnell/Ronnie over the Bo/Lil Train duo.

Dyer looks like a stud. He looks entirely capable of posting a Rudi-esque season. Which is to say he could be the best player in the SEC within a year or two. I love these guys, but often, there is more to the game than numbers. This is one of those times. These backs aren't comparable on a talent level. They probably will be on a statistical level.

If you're talking about them as a package, I agree. If you're saying that Dyer alone isn't comparable to either Caddy or Ronnie in terms of talent, then I respectfully but vehemently disagree.

[lca408 380]

Agree with McWeagle. Dyer's got great talent and he'll be able to showcase that talent in 2011 being the primary ball carrier for this team. Of course, he will be running behind a somewhat rebuilt O-Line so his numbers might not be quite up to par either.

Thinking about it the other day, can anyone really say that Dyer isn't one of the best returning RBs in the SEC in 2011? Coming up with over 1,000 yards in his freshman year puts him up there with Lattimore. In fact, I think Dyer's feat was more impressive. Lattimore was the primary ball carrier and as such garnered alot of attention and yards. Dyer was at best the secondary guy and had to share carries with McCallebb and of course Newton. I know about the whole "defend the main guy and the 2nd string gets all the yards" philosophy but when you accumulate over 1,000 yards on the season, I'm not sure that principle is still applicable. Same with Trent Richardson in 2009. You don't gain over 700 yards rushing as a true freshman just being the "filler." You do it by being very talented.

I'd put Dyer, Lattimore, Richardson, and maybe Davis at UA and Poole at UT in that top category of returning SEC RBs. Washaun Ealey might be able to crack that top ranking if his O-Line was in any way serviceable.

Ryan

[banditmwp 713]

Agree with McWeagle. Dyer's got great talent and he'll be able to showcase that talent in 2011 being the primary ball carrier for this team. Of course, he will be running behind a somewhat rebuilt O-Line so his numbers might not be quite up to par either.

Thinking about it the other day, can anyone really say that Dyer isn't one of the best returning RBs in the SEC in 2011? Coming up with over 1,000 yards in his freshman year puts him up there with Lattimore. In fact, I think Dyer's feat was more impressive. Lattimore was the primary ball carrier and as such garnered alot of attention and yards. Dyer was at best the secondary guy and had to share carries with McCallebb and of course Newton. I know about the whole "defend the main guy and the 2nd string gets all the yards" philosophy but when you accumulate over 1,000 yards on the season, I'm not sure that principle is still applicable. Same with Trent Richardson in 2009. You don't gain over 700 yards rushing as a true freshman just being the "filler." You do it by being very talented.

I'd put Dyer, Lattimore, Richardson, and maybe Davis at UA and Poole at UT in that top category of returning SEC RBs. Washaun Ealey might be able to crack that top ranking if his O-Line was in any way serviceable.

Ryan

Ealey isn't a guarantee next year...disciplinary problems have him suspended indefinitely.

[mcgufcm 4,109]

Three quick thoughts: (1) I definitely was talking about Dyer/McCalebb as a pair. (2) I think Baby Rudi has a chance to be very, very good. (3) From what I've seen, I would still take Cadillac or Ronnie over him. That's not a dig. It's just an opinion. Those guys were amazing.

As for the SEC, what Lattimore did last year was more impressive. It takes more and more out of you to be the guy. You see a lot of receivers fall off when they start getting double teamed. You see a lot of DTs thrive when someone else is drawing the double. Heck, you see it in the NBA when shooters prosper thanks to a Center that can draw attention. Latt was the guy drawing attention, and he still produced. I have questions about his overall want-to after the bowl game (becuase I think his training staff outright lied for him... but that's a different discussion), but I have no question about his ability to produce as the hub of the offense.

Last year, Dyer was a great 2-guard getting open looks thanks to his dominant big man. Does it take talent to make the shots? Yep. But you still don't know if he can be "The Man." That's a much harder job. Until he does it, no one knows how he'll perform in that role. Yards will be tougher to come by (YPC will drop) and hits will accumulate (meaning injury is a bigger risk).

Because he's never been the guy, I don't think you can put Dyer at the top of the RB board going into the season. I have high hopes for him, but Latt, Davis, and (to a lesser degree) Richardson are more proven commodities.

Personal ranking going INTO the season (not a prediction for how well they'll do during the season):

(1) Lattimore

(2) Davis (could easily be considered the top RB)

(3) Ballard (b/c MSU didn't take off until he became the centerpiece of the running game)

(4) Richardson

(5) Dyer

(6) Poole

(7) Bolden

(8) McCalebb

(9) everyone else

[aucanucktiger 1,863]

There were 2 Caddies: pre injury and post. Same w/ Lectron Williams. Pre break Caddy was phenomenal. Post was very, very good.

Ronnie Brown got better @ AU over time. I'd like to have seen pre-injury caddy & final year Ronnie play together

Bo's greatness was realized by the middle of his frosh year but he wasn't even the top RB in ALABAMA as a recruit so he wasn't used as much in the Ken Hobby (ugh) wishbone and his frosh record was neither indicative of one of the 3 greatest college RBs ever (IMO) nor, frankly, that impressive

I posted Brooks/Cribbs/Andrews above and nobody responded. those guys played together and individually produced behind very avg AU O-lines. All 3 were Walter Payton-like talents. As far as RB combos, IMO they go in front of Bo/Lionel who played during my years @ AU

[Mikey 16,781]

As a combo, it's undeniable that Brooks/Andrews/Cribbs is the greatest group, talent wise, that Auburn has ever had in the backfield at the same time. I don't believe anybody that saw them play could feel otherwise.

I'm not that sold on the Caddy/Ronnie duo being better than Dyer/O-Mac. They might not even be as good. Certainly, the current guys had a better first year together than Caddy/Brown did. Lets see where we are after Dyer's senior year. It took the Caddy/Ronnie duo a long time to get to 2004 and a 13-0 season.

[mcgufcm 4,109]

But it didn't take them that long to be an incredible duo. Go back and look at the seasons they had in 2002 or 2003. They were clearly a 1 and 2 back then, and they became a 1/1A in 2004. I've seen nothing from Dyer or McCalebb to make me think they are further along than their counterparts at this stage. Could McCalebb have done this year what Ronnie did in 2002 (both guys were sophomores)? Was Dyer capable of Cadillac's 2001 UGA game this season? From what we've seen, I go no on both counts.

I've seen ABC in replays. I wholeheartedly agree that they were better as a group than Bo/Lil Train. I'm torn as to whether they were better at their peak than Caddy/Ronnie. They clearly had more great years together, and they clearly blended together amazingly well. But I think Cadillac was the second best RB to ever put on an Auburn jersey. I think his legacy gets diminished slightly because he broke two bones his first two years, and we never really got to see him in NFL (RoY then blew out both knees). He was amazing. To say that he was better as a Freshman/Sophomore than Junior/Senior is just crazy to me. I'd take him over Brooks, Fullwood, Rudi, or Ronnie.

As for the current duo, neither guy has shown the kid of ability as a receiver that Caddy/Ronnie had. Ronnie was a great receiving option. Cadillac was an above average one. Throw in the fact that both were great pass blockers and Ronnie was an above average run blocker... Dyer/McCalebb have a lot of growing to do before they can be in this argument. They're both good runners. Neither has ever been the star of the run game, and at the moment, they aren't well-rounded backs.

That's harsh, but I'm not comparing them to their own contemporaries or predicting failure for them. I'm comparing them to all-time greats. I think they'll be very productive this year. I think both guys will put up great numbers this year.

[McWeagle 4]

Three quick thoughts: (1) I definitely was talking about Dyer/McCalebb as a pair. (2) I think Baby Rudi has a chance to be very, very good. (3) From what I've seen, I would still take Cadillac or Ronnie over him. That's not a dig. It's just an opinion. Those guys were amazing.

As for the SEC, what Lattimore did last year was more impressive. It takes more and more out of you to be the guy. You see a lot of receivers fall off when they start getting double teamed. You see a lot of DTs thrive when someone else is drawing the double. Heck, you see it in the NBA when shooters prosper thanks to a Center that can draw attention. Latt was the guy drawing attention, and he still produced. I have questions about his overall want-to after the bowl game (becuase I think his training staff outright lied for him... but that's a different discussion), but I have no question about his ability to produce as the hub of the offense.

Last year, Dyer was a great 2-guard getting open looks thanks to his dominant big man. Does it take talent to make the shots? Yep. But you still don't know if he can be "The Man." That's a much harder job. Until he does it, no one knows how he'll perform in that role. Yards will be tougher to come by (YPC will drop) and hits will accumulate (meaning injury is a bigger risk).

Because he's never been the guy, I don't think you can put Dyer at the top of the RB board going into the season. I have high hopes for him, but Latt, Davis, and (to a lesser degree) Richardson are more proven commodities.

Personal ranking going INTO the season (not a prediction for how well they'll do during the season):

(1) Lattimore

(2) Davis (could easily be considered the top RB)

(3) Ballard (b/c MSU didn't take off until he became the centerpiece of the running game)

(4) Richardson

(5) Dyer

(6) Poole

(7) Bolden

(8) McCalebb

(9) everyone else

I definitely hear you on all that.

As somebody else noted, it's fun just to be having this conversation.

Sidenote: Do we get to tell USC that even our quarterbacks are sometimes better than their running backs?

[mcgufcm 4,109]

Most fun conversation I've had all day. I love these kinds of debates because everyone agrees that all the guys in the conversation (ABC, Bo/Lionel, Caddy/Ronnie, etc.) were great. Not good, great. The fact that we can even compare the current backfield with a straight face is fun. Plus, it's fun having this conversation because everyone sees something in a great back that appeals to them. My dad is a diehard Ronnie Brown guy. I'm a Cadillac guy all the way. When the players are that good, it's almost all a matter of taste.

[Mikey 16,781]

Since Dyer didn't get called on to carry the ball 40 times against UGA, we'll never know what he could have done. They are/were all great. I'm sold on Dyer, so lets see how that plays out over time.

[McWeagle 4]

Most fun conversation I've had all day. I love these kinds of debates because everyone agrees that all the guys in the conversation (ABC, Bo/Lionel, Caddy/Ronnie, etc.) were great. Not good, great. The fact that we can even compare the current backfield with a straight face is fun. Plus, it's fun having this conversation because everyone sees something in a great back that appeals to them. My dad is a diehard Ronnie Brown guy. I'm a Cadillac guy all the way. When the players are that good, it's almost all a matter of taste.

I will be sure to credit you when I use that in the future

[Auburnfan91 1,408]

Most fun conversation I've had all day. I love these kinds of debates because everyone agrees that all the guys in the conversation (ABC, Bo/Lionel, Caddy/Ronnie, etc.) were great. Not good, great. The fact that we can even compare the current backfield with a straight face is fun. Plus, it's fun having this conversation because everyone sees something in a great back that appeals to them. My dad is a diehard Ronnie Brown guy. I'm a Cadillac guy all the way. When the players are that good, it's almost all a matter of taste.

I'm with you on Cadillac. He's my favorite Auburn RB in my lifetime. I wasn't around to see Bo play but I've seen highlights.

Not only did he have a record 41 carries in the 2001 UGA game but he had that big screen play. Then he came right back and scored the game winning TD after the screen play.