Husker Backs Will Compete In Big Ten
While watching college football, there will be those times when a fan is sitting and viewing a game in a favorite establishment. Enjoyment turns to annoyance when a neighboring table or stool indicates their bias - insisting that the Big Ten is just full of plodding running games and 11 AM television start times. Fans have thought for years that this conference was full of lumbering bruisers and that the transition to the Big Ten will mean a difficult time for our existing running backs. Looking closely at the size of backs in the Big Ten last year indicates otherwise.
2010's top 50 rushers in the Big Ten include running backs, receivers, and quarterbacks. Of the best in the conference, the top ten all reached into the best 100 rushers nationally. The yards/game averages and pure running totals led to the leader, Dennard Robinson from Michigan. The quarterback compiled over 1700 yards and more than 6.5 yards per rush average, all this while maintaining a lean 6'0" 193 pound frame. Taking a look at the average height and weight of the top 50 leads to 6'0" even and 206 pounds.
Projected starter Rex Burkhead clocks in at 5'11", 210. Austin Jones is built very similarly, but an inch shorter. Having a shifty running back that is too tall can lead to leverage problems and the inability to hide behind the linemen before springing through opening holes, so these two players are built for zone reads, wildcat plays, and various misdirections (screens, swings, etc). The taller players like Collins Okafor (6'1", 225), Lester Ward (6'3", 230), and now transfer Mike Marrow (6'1", 250) are built to see around their linemen and are made for causing linebacker and secondary bruising.
Reviewing the Husker roster shows that speed, size, and strength is not a concern heading into the 2011 Big Ten conference season. Taylor Martinez will also be a major factor in the run game if he continues to lead the quarterback race and his size (6'1", 205) is comparable with the best rushers in the league. Better yet, of last year's top 50, there's only 15 who weigh more than 215, and can really be classified as a bruiser. So it would seem that the shiftier, smaller players may have an advantage at building up the yards in the conference. The combination of Burkhead and Martinez could lead to a solid year with a consistent running game.
[* Click Here for Running Back Chart]
5/4/2011
I would like to see the reference to running backs getting to 1,000 yards nixed as 1,000 yards in a 13 game season is not as impressive as in the 10 game seasons of years past. Yards per carry or yards per game should be the stat used.
Kansas City, MO
5/4/2011
I should have specified. I used yards/game and everyone in the top 50 played in at least 9 games. I agree that the 1000 yard mark is pretty much a useless stat without reference. The top 25 or so includes at least 100 carries or more. But by the bottom half of the 50, there were some guys that only had a handful of carries. Pretty much any way I arbitrarily sliced it from top 10 to top 25, the average size of these guys were the same. I’ll see if I can add an image of the spreadsheet I used.
5/4/2011
For what it’s worth, it is looking like those 11AM start times may be a thing of the past.
Word has it that B1G Commish Delaney is negotiating to make all the start times either noon (central), 3:30 or 7:00. That will be a good improvement.
Hmmm, a commish who considers fans. A nice idea.
Kansas City, MO
5/4/2011
I attached a link to it at the end of the story.
Kansas City, MO
5/4/2011
What can I say, we like to dispel myths around here.
5/4/2011
Thank god for the change in start times.
I can’t stand having to watch Husker games at 9 AM.
It just isn’t right.
5/4/2011
Well done and thanks! Hopefully others follow and the “1,000 yard season” gets left behind. As if T. Martinez getting 50 or so more yards and breaking 1,000 last season would have made his season better. Ball and White from Wisconsin look VERY impressive but losing those O lineman should (hopefully) lower their numbers.
5/4/2011
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/675785-cornhusker-running-back-rex-burkheads-style-well-suited-to-the-big-10
Kansas City, MO
5/4/2011
Rick R, That’s a nicely put article. Though I am not as eloquent, the numbers tell the same type of story. In the Big Ten, the guys like Burkhead excel because they are quick, strong, and hard to tackle.
5/4/2011
I say keep the early games…there’s nothing like whiskey for breakfast.
5/4/2011
None of this will matter. With a penalty ridden O-line which Barney Cotton will continue to under-coach, NU’s QB’s will spend half their time on their backs; and, the running backs will be lucky to have 2-100 yard games at best. Pelini blew this coaching call badly; and NU fans better be ready for 7-5 or 8-4. D looks awesome. Too bad we still have no offense.
5/5/2011
I don’t know…. 1,000 yds is impressive in any schedule! I mean you’re not going to see Colleges play a ton more in regular season games. If they ever go to a playooof, that may add some games, but even with a Professional schedule, 1,000 isn’t anything to sneeze at. when you start getting additional yards to tack on…it becomes even more impressive! I’ll take a couple of 1,000 yard rushers in a season. ala… Rozier and Craig. :-)
Kansas City, MO
5/5/2011
@WA Husker - Bo moved in the right direction with someone like John Garrison to help in an official capacity with the line. We’ve had the first player with two 1000+ seasons in a row since ‘92-‘93 and the backup coming in is likely just as good. The new attacking offense will mean less time for a QB to be in a pocket to get knocked on his back. We’re about to be better this year due to depth and experience. We’re moving in the right direction.
5/5/2011
Tom Cudd,
Thoughtful post. Worth considering. I hope you are right and I am not.
Grain Valley, MO
5/5/2011
Burkhead will do well this year (I’m hoping :) in the Big 10. I hope we still run some of the wildcat as that kind of seemed to toss in a new wrinkle for the opposition. I agree with you too Tom C. as I believe the addition of Garrison was a “take note” to Barney to get things “lined out”. Besides everbody knows Garrison was a “technician” as he wasn’t the most gifted athlete so he had to make up for it technically. I’m all jacked up and ready for the Big 10 season to commence. GBR!
5/6/2011
I’m fortunate too have the B10 network on my cable program. It seems that all we hear about our huskers is ....can the huskers stack up against the power running of the B10. My thoughts on this matter is the exact opposite. My out look is…. “Will the B10 be able to adjust to the speed-n-power of the huskers”. Only time will tell.
5/7/2011
Great article Tom. From everything I’ve read, it leads me to believe we’ll be fine. Mark from VA, I totally agree. It’s matter of them keeping up with us not the other way around. We have nothing to be intimidated about. We’re Nebraska. Nuff said.
I do wish we had got that extra 85 yards so that we could of had 3 1000 rushers last season. Rex was short by only 10 stinkin’ yards! Dude, get him in there the last play of the season and get it man! It’s all about the presentation baby.
With Martinez tearing it up and Sexy Rexy running it down their throats, and Jamal Turner doing his super speed/athletic thing, Aaron Green and the other new studs will be the wild card opposing defensive coordinators can’t stand! How do you defend against that? Especially since the O line will be better (how can it not?).
Can you imagine what this is going to be like if it all gels like a Frazier/Phillips/Schlessinger triple headed monster and other trio’s have done in the past at Nebraska? We have the potential THIS YEAR to blow that out of the water. Starting this coming season, were gonna have Martinez/Burkhead/Green/Turner, with Abdulah, Heard, Marrow, Legate and the rest of the 4 or 5 guys that can potentially carry the rock…and oh ya, the other wide receivers thrown in for good measure! Ya, we better be scared of the big bad B1G!
If we can get the O line shakin’ and bakin’ and takin’ names, the B1G might just - potentially - have another ‘95 Cornhuskers caliber team to deal with!
So when do we start talking about our defense? Ha!