Predicting the SEC’s 1,000-yard rushers (1 Hog in, 1 Hog out)

[MuskogeeHogFan]

With the possible exception for Arkansas' productive duo, the 2015 SEC running backs are a collection of respectable players that aren't going to make national names for themselves, and then three terrific superstars.

If Leonard Fournette, Nick Chubb and Derrick Henry stay healthy, those three are all but guaranteed to reach 1,000 rushing yards.

http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/predicting-sec-1000-yard-rushers/

[MuskogeeHogFan]

With the possible exception for Arkansas’ productive duo, the 2015 SEC running backs are a collection of respectable players that aren’t going to make national names for themselves, and then three terrific superstars.

If Leonard Fournette, Nick Chubb and Derrick Henry stay healthy, those three are all but guaranteed to reach 1,000 rushing yards.

http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/predicting-sec-1000-yard-rushers/

They love these three guys who are probably going to have the advantage of taking the majority of the snaps as "featured RB's" in their offenses. Our two guys and Walker obviously aren't going to be in that position. On top of that, despite AC getting over 1,000 yards each of his first two seasons, they don't expect him to reach that mark this year because they expect him to be thrown the football more often. Would I trade 1,100 yards rushing for AC for 1,300 or more in total offense? You bet.

[Theolesnort]

Chris Smith is over thinking something that without a injury is rather  obvious. Collins will get his too more than likely.

[HogWall Jackson]

Barring Injury both J-Will and Alex Collins will get their yardage. Most of these writers of such articles do not have as much knowledge as an Average Fan. I am ready to get started just to stop some of this nonsense.

[nwahogfan1]

I think why it is so hard to predict 1000 yards rushers for us is because our RBs share their carries.   While this keeps them fresh and hopefully away from  injuries during a long hard season it will hurt their chances of producing big numbers for one RB.

With Walker now probable going to get more carries I can see none of our backs getting over 1000 yards this year unless we average over 250 yards rushing per game.

[AugustaHog]

I'm anticipating a more effective running game (sorry TT) than what we saw a year ago.  I think we will be able to run the ball on big-time teams more effectively.  I'm not buying into the passing game taking away stats for either JWill or AC, but I do expect Kody Walker to get a decent number of carries this year.  The kid has earned his chance, and you can tell by the reverence that CBB has for him that he will likely get it this year.  I'm not saying that he will eat into those guys looks much, just more than our 3rd back got last year.  I still like both of those guys to get their 1,000 yd season but it won't be by a ton unless CBB allows them to roll up 200+ each on a couple of the patsies on our schedule.  If they pull 600 yds each from the non-conf games, then you would expect them to hit that number pretty early. 

[MuskogeeHogFan]

I'm anticipating a more effective running game (sorry TT) than what we saw a year ago.  I think we will be able to run the ball on big-time teams more effectively.  I'm not buying into the passing game taking away stats for either JWill or AC, but I do expect Kody Walker to get a decent number of carries this year.  The kid has earned his chance, and you can tell by the reverence that CBB has for him that he will likely get it this year.  I'm not saying that he will eat into those guys looks much, just more than our 3rd back got last year.  I still like both of those guys to get their 1,000 yd season but it won't be by a ton unless CBB allows them to roll up 200+ each on a couple of the patsies on our schedule.  If they pull 600 yds each from the non-conf games, then you would expect them to hit that number pretty early. 

The 1,000 yard rushing mark tends to be what some consider a "gold standard" for great RB's and I would love to see both of these kids get their 1,000+ each and Walker get another 500-600 yds, but if this offense is going to be more effective this year, I think for the Hogs I'm going to focus more on total offensive yards for each of these players. If you have a couple of guys with 900 yards rushing and another 300 or 400 receiving, that would be a pretty special year that would illustrate that these kids are more of a "total" RB than just being runners. I would think that would help their NFL evaluations.

Not sure if that is even going to be possible in our game plans, but I'd take 1,100/1,200 total offensive yards from both of them no matter how they get it, because you know that Kody Walker is going to have some yards as well.

[hogcard1964]

Collins will out-rush Williams this year.  But I do believe Chubb is the cream of the crop.

[hammer66]

I think why it is so hard to predict 1000 yards rushers for us is because our RBs share their carries.   While this keeps them fresh and hopefully away from  injuries during a long hard season it will hurt their chances of producing big numbers for one RB.

With Walker now probable going to get more carries I can see none of our backs getting over 1000 yards this year unless we average over 250 yards rushing per game.

If we don't have a single RB over 1000 yards it's going to be a long and heartbreaking season, IMO.
I just don't think it's possible for us not to have at least 1 back with a 1000+ yard season unless we have 2 or more olinemen get inured and miss a lot of the season.

[hawginbigd1]

Who cares, but it will be nice if they do, but I won't take 7-6 to insure it. They may do it, but when you replace TT or whoever with TCU next year that would probably eliminate 2 1000 yard rushers all things being equal. It is great for pub and reputation but it is not that important.

[Bacon_Bitz]

Chris Smith is a hack trying to eke out a living in the dog days of summer.  He's wrong about so much.  I'll give it to him, though, he's right about some stuff.  But that's just because he writes so much and it's hard to be wrong all the time.  His columns are little more than a stream-of-subconsciousness transcript of an average fan's thoughts.  I'd rather hang around a water cooler and listen to Robby from Bald Knob, Bubba from Leslie, Dusty from Dumas, or Bud from Mena talk about football.  I thought I'd never say this, but I miss when Murf used to write articles about Arkansas for SDS.

[gmarv]

I think its more likely ac, j-will both go over than it is that only one does.

[WarPig88]

The only way I see us not having both Collins and JWill is through injury.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

I think its more likely ac, j-will both go over than it is that only one does.

I hope they both do as I said above, but there is a possibility that neither may go over 1,000, but still get very close. All depends upon how many snaps are committed to throwing to them instead of handing off to them, whether or not we throw downfield more often and how many carries Kody Walker (and perhaps others) gets each game.

[ChitownHawg]

Chris Smith is a hack trying to eke out a living in the dog days of summer.  He's wrong about so much.  I'll give it to him, though, he's right about some stuff.  But that's just because he writes so much and it's hard to be wrong all the time.  His columns are little more than a stream-of-subconsciousness transcript of an average fan's thoughts.  I'd rather hang around a water cooler and listen to Robby from Bald Knob, Bubba from Leslie, Dusty from Dumas, or Bud from Mena talk about football.  I thought I'd never say this, but I miss when Murf used to write articles about Arkansas for SDS.

Yet - apparently you are reading his articles. 

[Bacon_Bitz]

Yet - apparently you are reading his articles. 

Nah I read two or three earlier this year, got a read on his shtick, and now if I click on an SDS link through hogville and see his intramural runner up grin smiling at me I will immediately close that tab

[Hawgzinbowlz]

I hope they both do as I said above, but there is a possibility that neither may go over 1,000, but still get very close. All depends upon how many snaps are committed to throwing to them instead of handing off to them, whether or not we throw downfield more often and how many carries Kody Walker (and perhaps others) gets each game.

I wouldn't be surprised if both JWill and AC fall short of 1000 yards this coming season, while having more overall production than the last two seasons.
More RB passing plays, KW getting more carries and other RBs getting carries (RW III or others) could reduce JWill and AC rushing yds. while both end up helping us be more effective/efficient.
I'm hoping that we do have more RB passing plays, etc. and both JWill/AC bust enough long runs to get 1000 yards each.

Just Win.

" GO HOGS "

[threeNout]

If we have a better passing game than last year, especially in terms of stretching the field, I think it will open the run game up even more.

We seemed to have a ton of 7 to 12 yard runs last year, some of those will turn into 20+ yard runs if we can threaten more of the field in the passing game.

If Enos really is better than Cheny, and we stay healthy, then there's no reason to think they couldn't have 1200 yards each this year.

[southeasthog]

With the possible exception for Arkansas' productive duo, the 2015 SEC running backs are a collection of respectable players that aren't going to make national names for themselves, and then three terrific superstars.

If Leonard Fournette, Nick Chubb and Derrick Henry stay healthy, those three are all but guaranteed to reach 1,000 rushing yards.

http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/predicting-sec-1000-yard-rushers/

A lot won't read the article so here is his justification.


Let me pre-empt the outcry sure to come regarding the exclusion of Collins on this list.

Yes, Collins rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his two college seasons. Arkansas' offensive line could be better at run-blocking than every SEC team outside of Georgia. Coach Bret Bielema won't stop running the ball any time soon.

But new Razorbacks coordinator Dan Enos seems intent on dumping the ball to Williams and Collins more in the passing game, which could shift some of their production from rushing yards to receiving yards. And Collins' production has waned during the second half of the season, so it's possible the team will attempt to keep him fresher with the equivalent of a pitch count early in the year.

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

I think we will score so much, so quickly this year that we will see 3 1k rushers due to 2nd half slowdowns...

[gmarv]

I hope they both do as I said above, but there is a possibility that neither may go over 1,000, but still get very close. All depends upon how many snaps are committed to throwing to them instead of handing off to them, whether or not we throw downfield more often and how many carries Kody Walker (and perhaps others) gets each game.

I understand what your saying,but I,ll stick with my thought.one reason cbb, likes the thought of it.if we can we,ll have 3 backs over a 1,000yards .of course I be tickled with 2 backs with 900 yards and 1 with 700 yards,wouldn,t that be something?

[ChitownHawg]

Nah I read two or three earlier this year, got a read on his shtick, and now if I click on an SDS link through hogville and see his intramural runner up grin smiling at me I will immediately close that tab

Do you have proof of this? 

[MuskogeeHogFan]

I understand what your saying,but I,ll stick with my thought.one reason cbb, likes the thought of it.if we can we,ll have 3 backs over a 1,000yards .of course I be tickled with 2 backs with 900 yards and 1 with 700 yards,wouldn,t that be something?

I have no doubt that Bielema would absolutely love to have 3 RB's that all eclipse 1,000 yards each. That would be operating in rarefied air. And maybe, if we have more success through the air this year that keeps teams backed out of 8 in the box, we may see 2 RB's exceed 1,000 yards and another with 500 or so. But in any case I'd like to see Williams and Collins each get somewhere around 350-450 yards receiving this year. If that happens, it could provide greater opportunities for our TE's and WR's as well because someone on defense is going to always be committed to spying our RB's.

And of course, should this play out that way with a lot of play action, we will probably see bigger holes in the run game as well.

So much of this obviously relies heavily on excellent execution on the field, but a lot of this success is also going to depend on game plans, play sequencing and setting defenses up with various sets/looks and that will be up to our OC and to the reads made by our QB's at the LOS.

But that's JMO and hope.

[rhames]

I think why it is so hard to predict 1000 yards rushers for us is because our RBs share their carries.   While this keeps them fresh and hopefully away from  injuries during a long hard season it will hurt their chances of producing big numbers for one RB.

With Walker now probable going to get more carries I can see none of our backs getting over 1000 yards this year unless we average over 250 yards rushing per game.

Unless they get injured Collins and Williams will get 1000 yards each again



All this talk of kody walker reminds me of the talk of Marshall last year



Kody will contribute but those two will get their carries. (Still think kody mostly plays full back with Williams III taking most the third rep carries at running back)

[Augustus]

I think we will continue to have the best 1-2 RB punch in the league. (God willing no injuries)

But he does bring up a good point, the #'s may not reflect as much? If Enos starts using them more from passing game perspective, same result with just different stats?